Interview With Joe Krzys of "AmericasTeams"

By Larry Hodges

The following is the first in a series of interviews introducing our members to the Internet Collaborative agreement reached between USA Table Tennis and AmericasTeams. 

What was the premise that you sought to promote in the initial stages of what was then-called the Internet Collaborative Agreement?  How did you anticipate you could help NGBs like USA Table Tennis?

The premise for the Internet Collaborative was that small NGBs would not have the resources, staff, or expertise to build an Internet site that could raise funds for the NGB, be constantly changing to attract high viewer activity, and would provide all the business functions that would minimize labor costs for the NGBs.  We anticipated that the NGBs in a collaborative would have the potential for becoming one of the most valuable sports websites on the Internet and could attract significant funds to attain such a goal.

We felt we could help the NGBs by facilitating a process in which the NGBs would understand their worth on the Internet and would have options to select the most beneficial NGB strategy possible on the Internet.

The project has now taken on the formal name “AmericasTeams.”  What phase are you in regarding securing NGBs, investors and finalizing all legal arrangements?

To date, 32 of the original 33 NGBs have signed documents committing them to establishing a for-profit company utilizing the Internet for marketing, revenue creation, simplified business functions, NGB expansion, education, video streaming of events, and numerous other benefits.

We have secured an investor to put in $30 million in equity.  They are completing their due diligence on the signed NGB agreements.  Their funds are from a bond that must be sold.  The sales process for the bonds is in effect and it is anticipated that funds, by agreement, will be available in about 60 days.

What are the projected timelines over the course of the next year?

When the funds arrive for AmericasTeams, there will be about 3-6 months of upgrading of the NGB sites in partnership with the NGBs and with technical support provided by AmericasTeams.  The NGBs will also receive a minimum of $100,000 at the time that the funds close.

How does AmericasTeams relate to the sports expansion contract USA Table Tennis previously signed with the Warren Company and what is the status of that program?

AmericasTeams is an independent company that is working with The Warren Company on the sports expansion.  The expansion of Table Tennis (and five other NGBs) has had several positive milestones:

a.   It has developed a model for in-school and after-school programs that is highly desirable by school districts and city/town recreation programs.

b.   It has secured the endorsements for the program by the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and by the New York State Recreation and Parks Society, and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

c.   It has created a partnership with the National Association of Sports and Physical Education to develop curriculum for schools that would give teachers academic credits for training provided by The Warren Company/NGB.

d.   It has created age-appropriate equipment kits to be sold to schools by Sportstime, the largest seller of Physical Education equipment to schools, with a royalty going to USATT.

e.   It has programs in 13 school districts in New York State with about 1.5 million students.

f.    It has been invited to expand into Texas.

g.   It has plans to expand into California, Illinois and North Carolina in the next year.

From the market research that was conducted as part of this effort, what are the specific opportunities that USA Table Tennis will benefit from this alliance?

 USATT will benefit by increased membership, increased revenue, more instructors, more information to members, more exciting website activity, events being video streamed (in the future), less administrative costs over current costs, many business functions being done on-line versus manually as now occurs, among numerous other benefits.