President's Report

By Sheri Soderberg Pittman

As I look back at 2003, I feel a sense of personal satisfaction and pride that USATT has turned a critical corner. In this report, I would like to review and highlight some of the important programs, events and developments in the past year, and preview some of what we plan to do in 2004.

• Launched the USATT League to reach out to recreational players, with Paddle Palace and Escalade Sports/Stiga as sponsors

• Outsourced ratings to provide more accurate and timely tournament processing

• Stabilized staff with promotion of long-time USATT coach Doru Gheorghe to executive director and signing him to a 3-year contract; renewed Larry Hodges’ contract as magazine editor and webmaster, as well as USATT League and club programs director, through 2008.

• Terminated the Oakbrook Training Center contract, saving USATT over $80,000 in encumbered expenses

• Appointed first-ever pro bono legal advisor, former USATT Board member Dennis Taylor, Esq., saving thousands of dollars in legal fees

• Used professional event management (pro bono and paid) at USATT-run tournaments and made a profit on both

• Renewed sponsorships with Table Tennis Pioneers (Clothing) and Nittaku (Balls) for more cash and more products

• Secured ITTF funding through the North American Table Tennis Union

• Solidified USATT financial position with a projected surplus of about $90,000 for 2003 

• Developed a Strategic Plan that has been approved by the USOC

• Established the first USOC Community Olympic Development Program to promote table tennis

• Provided additional support for athletes by awarding Pan Am medallists a bonus of $3,500, securing a $2,000/year over five years sponsorship/prize money for Junior events (the "Mr. Neng-Chin Shih Memorial Junior Sponsorship"), and soliciting supplementary prize money in USATT tournaments

• Provided continued training of juniors by arranging with Martin-Kilpatrick (Butterfly) for overseas training at the Butterfly Dohjo in Japan

• Commendable Athlete Performance: quarterfinalist in Women’s Singles at the world championships; automatic qualifier for Olympic Games; 2 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal at Pan Am Games; 1 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronzes in an ITTF World Junior Tour; participated in the first-ever Junior World Championships

• Offer more membership categories to choose from, with most including a USOC Olympic Xcel (OXL) card that offers valuable discounts

• Bring back the ITTF Pro Tour as a membership benefit and as a profit center

• Budget for and hire a USATT Technical Director to help establish and oversee coaching programs and coaching certification programs, to coordinate all the programs for National Teams, and to implement, control and coordinate the regional and national training centers.

• Improve the website, including starting a forum to generate more website advertisement revenue and to be responsive to the membership

• Increase marketing efforts to find more sponsorship revenue

Finally, I want to thank my colleagues on the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, sponsors, members and athletes for making all that happened in 2003 possible.  I wish you all a Happy New Year!