USATF Membership

If people who are complaining about what you are (or are not) getting for your "huge" membership fee would take a moment to look at the insurance that comes with membership, you would find that it alone is worth the measly amount you pay to join each year. Of course, who reads that stuff anyway? It's easier just to complain about stuff.

That insurance costs as much or more than the total amount garnered by USATF's national HQ from annual membership fees. No one is funding much of anything else off the $5-6 that ends up in Indianapolis from each membership. Certainly not salaries, publications, etc.

As for the biggest chunk of membership fees, it is controlled by your local Association. Get after them if you don't think it is being used wisely!

Everybody is skirting the real issues... It's all a tremendous marketing problem. I love track & field that's why I come to boards like these. Basically, the only real plausible reason anybody ever gives for joining USATF is to be eligible for Championship Events- that, people, is the problem. The only people who join the organization are "quasi elite" & "elite" athletes WHO ARE STILL COMPETING. Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that giving money for "nothing in return" (which is the case for the majority of potential members) should be considered a charitable contribution. My point is this, why don't they treat it as such. I'd give a couple hundred bucks anually to USATF- do you know why I don't right now? Because they have never asked me to. Where's the "support our team" marketing campaign. How hard would it be to buy a list of subscription holders to T&F News, SI, etc. and send out some material soliciting donations? What about asking all graduating seniors from colleges/universities to join? How many of you have ever been approached by people at USATF to join? I go to Track & Field Trade Shows all over the country- I've never seen a USATF Booth- have any of you? As soon as USATF gets off their ass, I'll get of mine...

"Ex-Thrower" makes some good points. Maybe the model to study could be golf -- there's 2 associations, the USGA, and the gotta-qualify-for-it PGA. Then again, it would probably have to be a scaled-down model, as the money flow to golf is phenomenal.

But golf illustrates aznother key issue that many ignore -- that the money flows disproportionately to the superstars at the very top and the ex-top guys who stick in memories, and development is largely left to induivuduals. As in, aside from Tiger Woods and some pre-Tigers -- Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer -- you are off the radar. The Q rating for even David Duval, who looked for a bit like a Tiger Tamer, dropped like a stone when he didnl;t deliver, and he's one of the 10 best golfers in the world.

Development? Fuggedaboudit. You're on your own until you get a tour card (refer to the Rich Beem story -- he was selling stereos what, 18 months before he whupped Tiger?)

One thing I don't get here. Everybody keeps talking about USATF and road racing - why? Just from the name alone, it's not their purview, and historically, they don't do it. That's RRCA, generally. Which, incidentally, IS a grass roots organization and does do things to promote recreational running. Not to sing praises about that organization, but it does exist, so why does USATF need to do it too?

Of course, USATF does cross country, which also isn't called out specifically in the name, but they can do that by default. I'm just saying why try and have two organizations doing the same thing?

Not everyone is here to whine. Some of us are offering ideas too. I would have no problem paying $50 or $100 a year if I knew that my money was going into the development of young athletes but even that I don't think would be enough to turn around American track and field.

The USATF needs to be a bit more imaginative. Charities have worked out a way to make hundreds of millions of dollars out of OUR sport yet the governing body is run on a shoe string.

How about a USATF tax. You want certification for your course??? we'll do that for you no problem It will cost you one dollar for every runner that enters. CHA CHING BLING BLING. The USATF has a product that it gives away for peanuts. The organization needs to be run like a business which it currently is not. If Team in Training can leverage influence at our biggest marathons surely the USATF can too.

As I have said before my local association is great. We have a great road series a great XC series and a T&F grand prix too - all put together by the member clubs. I certainly get my money's worth for my $20.

USA Track & Field is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States.

Some of the things that USATF does:

- Coaching Education

- Establishing and enforcing the rules and regulations of our sport.

- Sanctioning more than 4,000 events each year.

- Providing insurance to sanctioned events, member clubs and member-athletes.

- Certifying race courses for accuracy and validating records.

Everyone keeps asking, "What do we get for our membership fees?". What we get is a national governing body. This stuff isn't free. Without it, our sport ceases to exist.

This is not to say that we should sit back and let our governing body do whatever it wants. It's really not that hard to change things. Go to the board meeting of your local association. You'll be amazed at how much influence you have just by showing up.

It should also be noted that membership benefits vary widely depending on which association you belong to. Here in Minnesota, we get a very nice bi-monthly magazine (in addition to the national quarterly) and a well organized LDR grand prix (with club team prize money). But, the MN association tends to be a bit more LDR-oriented than most.

There we go. Good thinking.

Keep in mind, though, that USATF is a non-profit organization, bound by much different rules than the professional leagues.

Charities are non-profits too; they seem to do OK out of running.

A Non-Profit Organization that doesn't solicit donationas from its biggest supporters...

Okay, not to sound obnoxious, but it will -

I would think that a national governing body should be supported by, say, the government? But that question aside, I think there are multiple questions being asked and answered here.

USATF is by definition responsible for organizing and providing, generating, if you will, national teams and championships, and champions. The bare minimum interpretation of that is that they decide the competition rules and choose the various teams. They accomplish this. The people who would be interested in joining/funding this type of organization would be the ones here who are willing to "donate" for the sake of having good teams at international events. Those would be called SPECTATORS.

As far as volunteering for USATF, I've done it. It WAS hard. Partly because the association was a lot of other volunteers with no guidance from the national office. The national office provided little medals to give to the winners of the meet. And insurance for the meet, but that costs extra. It does vary from region to region, but that just shows how little role the national organization plays. It could be better.

I don't mind paying USATF NJ dues. I save well over the membership fee in discounted race entries. They support xc and open track meets that I wouldn't get to do without them and they keep track of all the Grand Prix and Club standings which is mildly interesting.

This is not even considering the USATF as an advocate or governing body (for better or worse) for the sport in general.

However, if I lived somewhere without all of the tangible benefits for me I probably wouldn't join. Maybe the local associations should step up their presence in other areas, you really can't ignore USATF NJ if you run in this state.

the coaching education classes are a joke. And yes I have taken them. Its a good old boy system.

do you think with all of the shit usatf is pulling right now i am going to give them money...hell no...id rather give it to a charity...oh wait i think i am gonna do that...because usatf wouldnt know how to spend the money...maybe on a new jersey for "damn blue lagoon creature".

You've taken all the coaches ed classes and they're a joke, huh? Guess you're just wayyyyy too smart for the rest of us. Can't wait to see your dominant team in action.

Rather than either of you talking in gross generalities:

The USATF coaching education runs the gamut, from what I've seen. I took the Level I, which is a complete intro, and is aimed (in my opinion) primarily at parents and teachers who have never coached and perhaps never even done track and field, but who want to learn. Given that caveat, I went as a distance runner and learned something about field events and sprints, and my fellow volunteer coach went as a sprinter/jumper and learned something about distance and nutrition.

The higher level schools, II and III, are more in line with somebody doing coaching for a living, and are probably worth it.

Coaching everywhere is an "old boy" network (even when the coaches are women); the USATF system seemed to me to be one attempt to circumvent it (a good thing).

Not to smart, but I use a lot of common sence when I coach. No I don't know everything but when you have good old boy coaches talk about how they motivate their runners its a bunch of B.S. Also I have been to some of these so call USATF clinics where the speaker has done the wrong Technique in the hurdles and shot put. And yes my teams have been successful at the high school college and elite level. So support your good old boys. I feel the best way to get educated is to learn by experience. Class work and listening to a person talk for a couple of hours is one thing but getting out and doing it is the real deal. Do you think Sam Bell went to coaching classes when they were young and starting to coach. Or how about Harry Groves and Mel Rosen. Gooooood oooollldddd booooyssss. A lot of Bling Bling to there pockets.

Cheers

Food for thought: Two organizations that I can think of (Tri-Fed and NORBA) require you to buy daily licenses if you want to compete in some events. I'm glad USATF does not do this, even though I am now a member. In my pre-membership days, I would not pay for a daily license to run one race. I also know that it's another sport, but USATF should look at what NASCAR has accomplished. They run a hugely successful national series and also run a weekly racing series at numerous short tracks around the country. They've taken the spectacle of cars going around in a circle and made it exciting (for some folks, anyway. If USATF could do the same for running and generate one-tenth of the interest in seeing people run around in circles, that would be great.

People don't crash and burst into flames.