CEO CORNER
CEO Monthly Report – February, 2008
World Table Tennis
Championships – Guangzhou, China
Staff finalized the delegation needs for the pre-training camp and the WC in Guangzhou, China (Feb 24 – March 2) to include air flight coordination, visas, training camp needs, entries, uniforms, delegation ground transportation, etc. Special thanks to Lily Yip for her efforts to secure sponsorships for the pre-camp and for her excellent attention to details. The delegation also included several members of the ’71 Ping Pong Diplomacy group that took part in meetings and discussions after the WTTC at the Zhou Enlai Museum to commemorate the 110 birthday of Zhou Enlai.
Observation Summary: While this was not my 1st experience at a World Championships, could there be a better place to experience a Table Tennis WC other than China? I was very impressed by the organization, the hotel, the venue, the crowds, the food, the ground transportation, etc! The Chinese were wonderful hosts and their attention to detail was very evident. I won’t summarize the match results here but suffice it to say that our USA women’s 12th place finish out of some 72 nations was an impressive finish. Our USA men’s team needed a 3-0 win over Viet Nam to advance to a 25th or higher finish but settled for a 3-1 win over Viet Nam and an ultimate 44th spot out of 82 nations! I was very proud of both our women and men.
Final Placements:
Women:
1st - CHN
2nd - Singapore
3rd - Hong Kong
3rd - Japan
12th - USA
Men:
1st - CHN
2nd - Korea
3rd - Hong Kong
3rd - Japan
44th – USA
ITTF – Annual General Meeting: Again, this was not my first International Federation AGM so I was curious to see how the ITTF conducted their meetings and performed their business. I can report to you that ITTF President, Adham Sharara, is a very gifted leader who ran a very professional AGM. The ITTF initiated a new electronic voting system which produces results in 30 seconds following the close of a voting issue. The new system worked flawlessly and it ushered in a new level of sophistication for the ITTF AGM. I will share results of voting and on ITTF Board motions as soon as the verified minutes are received from those meetings.
Li Ning Apparel Sponsorship Signing: Li Ning staged a ceremonial contract signing that was overwhelming in terms of the number of press and media that attended. It too was a first class event. Li Ning also announced the formation of a special fund that they created to foster future athlete/coaches exchanges between CHN and the USA. It is my belief that our athletes appreciated the fact that Li Ning expedited the uniforming process to make sure we were outfitted in Li Ning apparel for this WTTC. I am not a fashion expert but I do think our delegation looked good in their Li Ning uniforms! Our Beijing Paralympians will also be wearing Li Ning as their official uniforms!
Nominating and Governance Committee: We continue to support the NGC with the application and selection process for the various categories of Board seats that are available. We are aware that the interview process is underway for candidates and also that the USOC AAC athlete representatives from Table Tennis, Ashu Jain and Whitney Ping, are initiating the election process as described in the Bylaws covering the USATT AAC composition. Results of the Board elections will be posted as soon as they are confirmed by the USOC.
U.S. Open and U.S National Championships: USATT’s two major events of the year are secured again through an on-going sweetheart deal with the Las Vegas Convention Center. We have done our diligence with the Los Angles Sports Commission and the Chicago 2016 Applicant Bid City groups for possible events in 2009. Working through the USOC for direct key sponsorship contacts I will be executing a contract for the headquarters hotel for both the 2008 U.S. Open and the 2008 USATT National Championships at the Hilton Las Vegas. You may remember that this Hilton property is just north of the LVCC. There are distinct advantages for this proposed agreement both to USATT and to our event participants.
U.S. Antidoping Agency: We continue to work closely with USADA to make sure that our elite athlete pool maintains a high compliance rate with their quarterly registration process. The USADA has recently acknowledged our efforts in this part of our operation with a note of appreciation. The credit goes to our athletes for their diligence in this aspect of the Olympic Movement. CEO of the USOC, Jim Scherr, has indicated that one of the highest priorities of the USOC is to send a clean team to Beijing for the Olympic Games.
Website Survey: USATT completed a USOC – NGB website survey that was focused on prioritizing needs of the NGBs. This is part of a broader effort to allow the USOC to take steps to standardize NGB websites for content, format and mutual linkage. More will follow on this as we are being asked about streaming possibilities from our Open and Nationals events that the USOC would support.
USOC Athlete of the Month: Staff submitted Ariel Hsing as a nominee for the USOC’s Athlete of the Month Program for January. It should be recognized that the competition is very stiff for this recognition as the nomination process is open to Summer and Winter NGBs. I am pleased to announce that Ariel finished a VERY respectable 3rd Place in the January ballot count! Congratulations to Ariel! BTW – staff has also submitted our Women’s WTTC for the USOC’s Team of the Month recognition for February. Those ballots are out right now! Stand-by for results!
Real Athletes – Sportsmanship Posters: I solicited a request for submission of photos from known USATT photographers for an initiative through the USOC promoting good sportsmanship. We had some very good submissions but the one I selected was taken at the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia! This pdf file is available for anyone to download and copy and USATT is free to use the poster as well to spread the message on sportsmanship. If you don’t like the final selection, blame me, if you do like it thank Steve Hopkins for his submission. Next year we will endeavor to have a female athlete from USATT appear in the Real Athletes program!
NCAA Opportunity: TSE Consulting has been retained by the USOC to analyze the relationship between the USOC and the NCAA. The Director of TSE, Dale Neuburger, is a former President of USA Swimming and a former President of FINA and he is well respected and connected within the USOC and the NCAA. We are in preliminary discussions with TSE about how USATT can be included in the overall expansion of sport in general and the growth of Table Tennis within the NCAA. There are some real exciting prospects for all concerned and the NCTTA will be involved early and often as this opportunity unfolds. Right now TSE is in a fact finding mode with USATT and several other NGBs on their radar.
Ping Pong Diplomacy Rematch: The Richard Nixon Library has asked for our technical assistance to stage a P-P-Diplomacy Rematch at the Nixon Library in either late May or June of 2008. They have assurances that our counterparts are engaged and willing to take part in this project and a detailed plan is being developed. USATT and the Nixon Library folks will make an effort to reach out to area and regional clubs (Southern California) so that they can be involved to the extent possible. Early discussions center on a cultural program, a school exhibition program and the actual rematch event. ESPN has expressed an interest and we are making efforts to make sure NBC, as a sponsor of the USOC, is fully briefed as well.
Budgeting: Staff is in the third round of developing a proposed budget for 2008 for presentation to the newly seated Board. It is the Board that will pass this budget that the staff will then implement. We have had to build in contingencies based upon projected funding and programming. We are in an unusual situation because of the governance reform process that led to the Nominating and Governance Committee holding temporary authority over USATT. As a staff we have followed a conservative path for the 1st Q of 2008 and we have sought to protect assets while preserving and continuing the athlete programs that have been traditionally supported, especially in this the year of the Olympic Games.
CEO Search: I am working with Dennis Davis and we are about to launch a position announcement for the CEO position for USATT. We plan a wide distribution of this announcement in an effort to reach as many potential candidates as possible.
North American Trials: At this point I want to personally extend best wishes for our athletes competing in the North American Trails in Vancouver, CAN from April 4-6. I am very proud of those who will represent us at this very important competition and I am optimistic that more athletes will join Gao Jun and Wang Chen in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games!
Respectfully submitted,
Michael D. Cavanaugh
Interim CEO – USA Table Tennis
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