USAT Membership Hits 53,000
Eric Schwartz (duathlon)
on
April 7, 2004
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 7, 2004) - USA Triathlon's membership and sanctioning numbers for the first three months of 2004 are in, and they are impressive. USA Triathlon finished the 2003 season with 47,373 annual members. By March 2004, that number had increased to 53,008.
Race sanctioning numbers are also improving from 2003. Between Jan. 1 and March 26 in 2003, 64 USA Triathlon sanctioned events were held. Between those same dates in 2004, 87 USAT sanctioned events were held.
"These numbers are really exciting," said Tim Yount, acting executive director of USA Triathlon. "The sport is continuing to grow thanks to dedicated race directors, members, volunteers and staff. We are grateful to all those who continue to support us." USA Triathlon has made staff additions and changes to support the increasing membership.
During mid summer of 2004, USA Triathlon will be moving its National Office to a different location in Colorado Springs, Colo., to better house its staff.
Staff Changes
Kathy Matejka has been hired as USA Triathlon's event sanctioning manager. Angela Flannery, who joined USAT in 2002, has moved from event sanctioning manager to the new position of risk manager.
Flannery's new duties will include: providing safety education; monitoring safety within USAT sanctioned events; developing new procedures for introducing more safety mechanisms into the sport; working with insurance carrier to provide the best coverage policy for athletes and events; assisting in the investigation and handling of claims; evaluating sanctioned races as to quality based on athlete and officials evaluation and leading the evaluation of USAT's safety and insurance programs.
Kelley Paulus has taken the position of marketing assistant. Paulus will assist USA Triathlon Marketing Manager Gina DeMarco.
Over the next several months, USAT will also be hiring an owned-events coordinator to manage the events that USAT will own and a membership assistant to help provide customer service to its members. The USA Triathlon National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., will be hiring an assistant as well.
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Anonymous post on April 8, 2004
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Krol, you should read this again. Where is the spin? USAT is listing a fact - membership has grown.
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by clyde555 on April 8, 2004
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I wonder what those numbers would be if we weren't foced to join in order to race? Telling me either cough up $9 each time I race or pay a one year fee is called being forced. Please God give race directors an option beside USAT insurance.
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Anonymous post on April 8, 2004
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You're paying for insurance if you do a nonusat race it just isn't broken out separately
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by clyde555 on April 8, 2004
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But I"m not being forced to sign up for their little club either. Didn't the race director pay for insurance from USAT, why do I have to buy extra insurance? Boy, does this argument sound familiar. I believe my BC/BS premium will take care of any accident that I am responsible for.
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by jimmyarcher on April 8, 2004
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clyde555,
Dude, if you are seriously whining about a $9 or $30 fee you are in the WRONG sport. Hell, be damn glad you aren't a golfer, you might have to drop five figures for a club membership.
The membership cost/benifit of having good insurance and governing body far outwiegh the small fee.
Be glad you aren't pro, you would have to cough up $90 every year.
Jimmy
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by clyde555 on April 8, 2004
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Dudette by the way!
Because another sport is more expensive is no justification for there to a ridiculous mandatory charge just to race. My having personal insurance should preclude any need for me to puchase USAT insurance. The race director purchases the insurance for the race and I pay for that, there is no need for me to buy unnecessary insurance.
As for USAT, if they didn't exist, I believe races would still exist. The only thing that would be missing if an avenue for people to turn pro.
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by duathlon on April 8, 2004
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Dudette - race directors (probably 100% of them) are required to have liability insurance to operate their races. Local governments and companies require that of them. You may have personal insurance, but that doesn't stop you, or another competitor, or a spectator, etc. from sueing in a dispute. USAT is one way for a race director to get the required insurance. Race directors pay very little for the insurance - if I remember correctly, $250 or less. That doesn't cover the full cost of the insurance. Part of the annual membership of one day fees pays the remainder of the cost.
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by jimmyarcher on April 8, 2004
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clyde555,
Why does stuff like this always come down to pros?
USAT (or any governing body) is important to a sport in order to facilitate some kind of organization and standardization within the sport. Not to mention taking care of stuff like, Liability insurance (like Duathlon spoke of), World and national championship race and team oranization (I mean age group not pro), and offering a foundation from which the sport can grow and develop etc. etc. etc.
We may not always agree with them but USAT is vital to our sport. If you don't like something I would strongly suggest telling USAT about it. If you have suggestions for improvments I can assure you they will be considered, and most likely implemented.
Lastly, just so you know, none of your fees go to the pros. Any money going toward pros is usually from outside sponsors or the USOC and thier outside sponsors.
Jimmy
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by HUGE on April 9, 2004
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1. Are they counting the one day license with these numbers?
2. I would like to know how many people are joining because they are doing a race and don't want to pay an extra $9.00 everytime they race?
Maybe I am an idiot (no supports comments needed) but I really don't see what the USAT does for me or my buddies. I think if they explained how they help the average Joe, i might not have a problem with the $30.00 -
Happy Easter
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by duathlon on April 9, 2004
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Those numbers don't include one day licenses. I'm quite confident that virtually nobody would join USAT if they didn't have to, or if wasn't economcially advantageous to get an annual membership vs. paying several one day fees.
People wouldn't pay race entry fees if they didn't have to. People generally won't pay for something unless they are required to.
What USAT does, like many other governing bodies, is provide an infrastructure for race directors to put on races. For many race directors the prime value is the race insurance. Also, newer race directors probably find USAT as the easiest route to go when starting a race.
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by KROL on April 9, 2004
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I guess with all the dough they are raking in, they can now afford to move out of their cramped HQ.
I ORGINALLY ASKED THE QUESTION BECAUSE FOR YEARS I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT USAT DOES FOR ME? Uhhhh, getting ranked? sorry, guys, but I've been there and done that. I still plan to show up to toe the line and hand out arse-wuppin's, but I have zero interest in seeing how I stack up against all the other 30yr olds across America. Frankly, it's top-5 or bust at any race, mano-y-mano.
Seriously - do any of the pro's out there see any of that $2,000,000+ revenue that they collect (disclaimer that THAT dollar figure is representative of about what I remember seeing here on du.com about 1-2 years ago)? with that kind of income, they could be flying national team prospects all over kingdom come to do ITU races raking up points for the Olympic games.
And for you detractors out there, as our "esteemed governing body", shouldn't they be working to make races more affordable so that even MORE people could do them???????????
LATE
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by jimmyarcher on April 11, 2004
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KROL,
Good points!.
As far as I know non of the revenue taken in via membership fees goes to pro athletes in any way. That funding comes via, the USOC and thier money sources. For 98% of the pros we are footing our own bill entirely. The only way you will get any aid is if you are on a national or resident team of if you are going to a World or Olympic Champs (and some Oly trials). But even then it is usually not a 100% compensation (ie. you will get $1000 to get to a race that will take $2000 to cover everything).
USAT is not swimming in money, and pro athletes are deffinately not. At this juncture the key will be to get corporate sponsors involved, both in sponsorship of athletes, races and USAT. We have come up quite short in all these areas.
Jimmy
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by clyde555 on April 12, 2004
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I believe race would still be happening even if there was no USAT infrastructure. It happens plenty around the country that RD's do not use USAT to stage a race. They do it just as well, usually for a smaller entry fee and the people have just as much fun. It is the spin by the PR departments of USAT that make people THINK that USAT is vital to the existance of multi=sport events.
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by jimmyarcher on April 12, 2004
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So, where does all this paranoia come from?
You know USAT is not out to screw us over. And they are not a major corporate entity bent on using spin and media manipulation to derive greater profits.
Nothing against USAT's media department but I don't think they would even know how to truely spin propaganda.
For an organization comprised of primarily volunteers I think USAT does a pretty good job. And the benefit of having membership would be that if you find fault with the organization, you have every right to voice those objections to USAT themselves.
In the time that this debate has been going on at Duathlon.com those with issues with USAT could have sent numerous emails to the USAT themselves.
Jimmy
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by Du4me on April 13, 2004
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Jimmy,
Over the years, I have sent a variety of letters and emails asking (or complaining) about various goings on with USAT both nationally and locally. All of them very well written and well thought out. All that I have received in response is either what has amounted to a form letter or form email. The letters are almost exactly the same - word for word except the date.
I have not renewed my USAT membership.
James
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