BAA to strictly enforce members to wear full racing kit at all races

maybe wear a bear head wrote:

krispy kremlin wrote:

There are plenty of other Boston-based clubs that can absorb the BAA's disenfranchised rec-runners.

Is part of this a strategy of membership-attrition??

Looks to me like the heads of this BAA and Adidas are in bed together at the expense of the runners who they will throw a few crumbs to.

Kind of like the stock market

Adidas is the headline sponsor of the BAA... they are (and should be) in bed together.

All the collectivist Boston/Brookline champagne-socialist posting about BAA having some responsibility to update the running wardrobe of every rec-runner on the team understands that this is generally not how the world works, right?

Take the Long Way Home wrote:

The real travesty here is that Mr. Crudale is allowed on the BAA team. Considering his past, I think a little bit less of the brand whenever I see him racing in the yellow and blue..

Way to hijack the thread. You realize you're posting on an internet message board. Right?

yellot wrote:

joho wrote:

I agree. I'm certainly not fast enough to be noticed so I would not go through great lengths to be decked head to toe in someone's gear that I had to buy.

I suspect they will lose some of the slower types that won't want to buy new gear just to run a few races. OR, I guess they could just NOT race.

It is also required that you wear adidas in formal B.A.A. practice sessions and training runs.

OUCH! I missed that.

In no way would I join the BAA. If I was much faster and could receive all of that gear free then I wouldn't have an issue. Maybe the BAA is trying to get rid of the slower runners.

Hey, you got to air your opinion anonymously on a message board while the BAA inked a standard sponsorship program worth several million dollars and created a new elite team.

Send me Roses and Flowers wrote:

Hey, you got to air your opinion anonymously on a message board while the BAA inked a standard sponsorship program worth several million dollars and created a new elite team.

Great for the elites. Not so great for the non elites.

And airing my opinion on LR isn't really that big of a deal. People do it all the time and it doesn't cost a dime. Hopefully the Brojos don't start a new policy that all posters must wear LR t-shirts, socks, shoes and shorts while posting. If they do, I will quit posting, as will many others I would guess.

Just stumbled on this thread and thought I'd comment.

I'm a current member of the BAA (not elite/subelite) and really didn't like this new policy. Here's some facts behind it:

Membership= $75 and gets you a uniform. I have only ever received one uniform. It's not a new one each year. It does include coaching, indoor track time, and race entries to club participating races.

The 20% discount on adidas gear only applies to Marathon Sports. Not all members live near a Marathon Sports

Athletes are to race/train (at official practices) EXCLUSIVELY in adidas gear. This includes your socks, sun glasses, watches, hats, and any sleeves you may choose to run in. Your warmup and cooldown gear must be exclusively adidas. No, they do not give us ANY of this gear.

It's been commented on here but they are not competitive in all their running gear. Further, they don't even have products in some categories (gps watch).

It has been frustrating to race with the gear I love, and have to find new solutions with sub par results, all out of my own pocket. I figure this first year what I spend on new gear will be redeemed in free race entries. From my view, it seems that adidas does nothing but slap their name on the Marathon, without building a rapport with the club and athletes at practices and post race activities.

I like the history of the BAA and what they have given me in the past, but it's definitely put a sour taste in my mouth to continue to compete for them.

Wow, how to address all of the silly things you said....

I'll grab a couple:

"The 20% discount on adidas gear only applies to Marathon Sports. Not all members live near a Marathon Sports." Really.... Really.... This is just not an excuse. If you can't get to a Marathon Sports to take advantage of the discount than how can you make it to practice. Seriously, this is a lame excuse and unwarranted complaint.

"Further, they don't even have products in some categories (gps watch)." If they don't have a product than they don't technically compete with someone like Garmin so you can wear that. Okay so you cant wear a Nike GPS watch, but those are awful anyway.

"From my view, it seems that Adidas does nothing but slap their name on the Marathon, without building a rapport with the club and athletes at practices and post race activities." Adidas also provides support to the small group of elite/sub-elite athletes in the BAA. While this may be nothing to you, it is something. Given the state of the sport any sponsorship to any athletes should be applauded. And in fact, its probably more than is warranted since its likely an investment with a negative return.

"I like the history of the BAA and what they have given me in the past, but it's definitely put a sour taste in my mouth to continue to compete for them." Just find a new club. BAA and Adidas have created new rules that only have downsides for many of their athletes with relatively no upside. This is a definite and thought out signal that says while they aren't going to outright ask people to leave the club, they don't mind if the athletes who receive no benefit from Adidas sponsorship leave the club.

There are other clubs in Boston with shoe sponsorship that have the same restrictions, but only place those restrictions on athletes receiving free gear. BAA chose to not go this route, which is a communication that they aren't necessarily concerned with maintaining your membership. If the history of the club is enough to get you to race in shoes and gear that you don't even like, then go ahead and stay, otherwise I suggest you consider one of the many other clubs in the area.

you know, people make friends in clubs. That's the whole point for many. Saying 'love it or leave it' is true, but harsh. I have made many friends on my team, and to leave because the elite boys need to be seen only in one brand...can't you see how that might upset a few people and be seen as an unequal relationship?

Reality check: it is an unequal relationship. Why shouldn't it be?

Second point: 20% discount at Marathon is fluff. I've got a stack of 20% coupons that get put into every-other race swag-bag in eastern MA. Anyone who buys at Marathon without one of these coupons is asleep at the switch.

sobchek wrote:

you know, people make friends in clubs. That's the whole point for many. Saying 'love it or leave it' is true, but harsh. I have made many friends on my team, and to leave because the elite boys need to be seen only in one brand...can't you see how that might upset a few people and be seen as an unequal relationship?

Fair enough. Vent on.

You get a full 15% discount from adidas canada, by joining a mailing list.

800 dude wrote:

Wait, this isn't just for the subelite group, but for the entire club? Seems ridiculous, though 20% on Adidas is pretty solid for an open club discount.

For this to be justifiable, I'd want to know where the Adidas sponsorship money is going. If a lot of it is going to programs that directly benefit the average Joe BAA member who's being asked to represent, then I think it's fine. I'd resent it if the money was going elsewhere.

How many people belong to the BAA Running Club?

Just curious... wrote:

How many people belong to the BAA Running Club?

They gave me a jacket when I registered for the marathon; so I would have to say, 'yes, I'm a member.'

I know it's Boston and everything, but this sounds like something George Steinbrenner would do. I know George S. is dead. Did the Steinbrenner family buy the BAA?

A little off-topic, but there was a story about pole vaulter Stacy Dragila getting Achilles problems that she attributed to her sponsor's (specially made for Stacy) shoes. I think the points about sub-elites who are comfortable and injury-free in their non-Adidas gear are very well taken.

There are 228 members.

Right now the only way I find it worth staying on the club with this new setup is if they give me the option of at least getting the team jacket along with the current singlet and shorts.

Anthony

The difference between what adidas/BAA is doing and what happens on a sponsored college team is that you are given your gear and shoes on the sponsored college team. I'd have no problem with the new BAA deal if I was given shoes but I have a big problem with it if I have to buy shoes I don't like. And sure, no one is forced to belong to BAA, but there are people who were with the club long before adidas came calling. They probably have friends, fond memories, etc.

yah sure the policy is different from what sponsored college teams do, but it's not wrong. Other than having friends in the club, I don't see what the C through Z squads get from running in the BAA. Do you get coaching support? Does anyone customize any workouts for you? Do you even have a say in what workouts you do?

If you leave the club, what exactly will you lose? Will you no longer have your friends? Are you not allowed to join the team for long runs? Will you be banned from B.E.A.S.T?

So the BAA is telling me I have to wear the new Adidas Boost shoes. Ha! No way in hell am I going to wear that marshmallow crap!

The BAA is a club that people want to join. If you don't like their policies, then don't join. They won't be mad. If a 38 min. 10K person is upset, do you really think that they'd care? People join BAA because they want to say that they're a member of one of the most well-known and historic clubs in our sport.

Why not make it exclusive? Grow up people. All that they're saying is that if you are associating yourself with their name / history, and are going to their workouts where you get quality coaching that is paid for by the club at facilities that are rented by the club, then you have to go by their rules. Why do people think that this is unfair?