USATF offering $10 memberships until end of year

"Remember the fiasco at nationals with John Chaplin?"

I do not remember. What happened?

and there are other threads on the same topic.

Leaving aside all of the problems with the USATF, you're still not getting $10 in value for membership.

http://www.usatf.org/membership/benefits/

Really just a decal, a quarterly magazine, some hotel discounts, and 10% off the USATF store.

Also, I would never buy any of that USA stuff from the USATF store because it would look like I was pretending to be a national team member. It's a bit dorky to go around wearing a Pujols jersey, but no one thinks you are pretending to be a player for the Cardinals, but with that USA stuff I'd feel like I was going around under false colors.

+1 USATF is evil.

I'll join if USATF meets these Non-negotiable PRE-CONDITIONS:

1) Retroactive 8 year lifetime term limits for Director and above including unpaid volunteers, unpaid consultants, paid employees, board members, consultants, executives, etc.

2) Spin off into a new USATF TV Network Media Corporation with only LDR and High Performance. Re-locate the LDR and HP to West Los Angeles/Hollywood. Spinoff will use will use a 100% new staff, with rest of USATF in remaining in Indianapolis.

3) Elections have a 2 week duration, via internet voting, entire paid-up USATF membership is eligible, one person one vote.

I like non's proposals. They are a start at structural solutions to structural problems.

Right on non.

You guys assume someone wants these jobs and if anyone takes them they can do the job.

I'll join for $10 and that's a bargain. I race the USATF Road Grand Prix series as well as the XC series. Sure, it'd be nice if they fixed that other stuff but they do put on a great little grand prix in the Pacific Association. Like little league for old farts. Finish in the top 5 and your races are comp'd for the next year.

The USATF CEO, executive, director, and volunteer executive jobs should be one-year to four-year temp assignments.

The typical candidate would be from a Divsion 1 Athletic Department and would take leave to gain national and international experience.

No person could serve for more than 8 years during their entire lifetime.

We need the same reforms at NYRR, BAA, IAAF, NCAA, etc.

The idea is to remove cronyism and corruption from the current structure.

Yeah Baby wrote:

The USATF CEO, executive, director, and volunteer executive jobs should be one-year to four-year temp assignments.

The typical candidate would be from a Divsion 1 Athletic Department and would take leave to gain national and international experience.

No person could serve for more than 8 years during their entire lifetime.

We need the same reforms at NYRR, BAA, IAAF, NCAA, etc.

The idea is to remove cronyism and corruption from the current structure.

True, but won't that cause problems with continuity?

My 2 centavos wrote:

Also, I would never buy any of that USA stuff from the USATF store because it would look like I was pretending to be a national team member. It's a bit dorky to go around wearing a Pujols jersey, but no one thinks you are pretending to be a player for the Cardinals, but with that USA stuff I'd feel like I was going around under false colors.

That's because you're an idiot.

I'm not big into futile protests, but I won't be renewing my membership until Chaplin is gone and they give up on coaching education entirely. The judgement shown in letting Chaplin carry on as a dictator can't be rewarded. The coaching education should simply be shut down - let the USTFCCCA take on that role entirely.

I agree that it's probably very hard to find good people willing to take on these roles, but it's going to be easier to find them if the people they have to work with are more respected than Chaplin.

I know that I'm perhaps exalting one single value over all others, but in my own personal calculus, it is a deal-breaker.

Sometimes you have to put aside what might be good for you personally, and stand up for what is right.

We will all be better for it in the long run.

It doesn't even bother me too much that those who experienced the injustice may still be USATF members--they are in a different position from me, and their individual calculus is therefore different.

I proudly speak for them in withholding any support from USATF, and encouraging others who are in a similar position to mine, to do the same.

I'm a geezer. I'm not going to win any races with my 11.5 I can still enter local races and some races put on by the U.

I have almost nothing to lose by not supporting USATF--ultimately, because they have almost nothing to offer.

Get rid of John Chaplin for a start, and I will come back.

I don't know why people don't care about this more. It is a metaphor for what is wrong with the USA. Take a stand where you can. USATF is a voluntary organization, you have the ability to speak with your feet. Use it, and leave until such time as they exhibit some substantial beneficial change.

NYRR &BAA why should a (notforprofit corporation) business care what you think about how they run their business.

I don't pay a dime to This-Charity-Is-For-Me-And-Me-And-Me crowd at NYRR, USATF etc. I can't fathom how those leeches are allowed to make a lifetime career out of stealing money from membership. It's a sham worst than state gov'ts.

Chaplin is up for re-election in Daytona Beach next year. Get involved with your local association or with AAC and become a voting delegate so you can vote him out of office.

I would love to see him gone sooner, but it doesn't seem too likely :/

Sprintgeezer wrote:

Remember the fiasco at nationals with John Chaplin?

Hey USATF, I know you guys read this board.

I NEVER forget.

On behalf of all those athletes who you shafted without recourse, SCREW YOU until such time as Chaplin is fired.

WHICH occasion of Chaplin shafting athletes at nationals are you referring to?

There are several.

How is it a Bargain if it is only good for the next 2 months? If they want more people to join they should extend until next calendar year, no?

Skuja wrote:

My 2 centavos wrote:

Also, I would never buy any of that USA stuff from the USATF store because it would look like I was pretending to be a national team member. It's a bit dorky to go around wearing a Pujols jersey, but no one thinks you are pretending to be a player for the Cardinals, but with that USA stuff I'd feel like I was going around under false colors.

That's because you're an idiot.

Don't tell me you're one of those middle-aged guys who shows up at local 5k's wearing a USA singlet hoping to impress gullible people?