MINUTES
MINUTES
Board of Directors Meeting
Colorado Springs, CO
November 8-9, 2002
Friday, November 8, 2002
The Meeting—held in the Silver Room
of the USOC Athlete Center at Colorado Springs—was called to order at 6 p.m.
by President Sheri Pittman. Present were Board members Tim Boggan, George
Brathwaite, Hank McCoullum, Barney Reed, and Jiing Wang. Jimmy McClure, because
of transportation problems, arrived later. Also present were: USATT Executive
Director Clark Mitchell, USATT Director of Programs Debbie Moya, USATT
Accountant Deborah Gray, USATT Editor Larry Hodges, and former Board member
Dennis Taylor. Absent for one good reason or another were Board members Tawny
Banh, Tong Lee, Robert Mayer, Eric Owens, and Todd Sweeris.
Guest speakers in order of appearance
were USOC Chief of Staff Fred Wohlschlaeger and USOC Director of Sport
Partnerships Chris Vadala. Fred reached out to us as part of the Olympic
“family,” and urged us to reach out to others, interest them in our Sport.
We needed to get on track to win medals, and along the way win the hearts and
minds of people everywhere—to which ends he showed us a short inspirational
film. Chris, in acknowledging Hank’s persistent questions, emphasized that
what USA Table Tennis accomplished vis-à-vis our Developmental Strategic
Planning will determine what monies USATT gets in the future. Incremental steps
have to be taken. Any assessment will be Performance-Based.
Fred and Chris gave of their time
generously, and after they left the Meeting, Sheri brought us up-to-date on her
recent activities—in, for example, Canada, Florida, and Colorado. She said
that in her peregrinations she’d not only connected well with the ITTF but had
made great strides with the USOC. Of particular significance was the Agreement
of Understanding between the ITTF and the newly formed Continental Federation,
referred to as the North American Table Tennis Union (with its charter members,
Bermuda, Canada, and the U.S.). The Agreement emphasized a cooperative 2002-2003
North American Table Tennis Development Program.
Adjournment. Before finishing for the
evening, we followed Hank’s suggestion that we determine the most convenient
order in which to take up tomorrow’s Agenda items and the approximate time
needed for each.
Saturday, November 9
Saturday’s session—again held in the Silver Room—was called to order at
9 a.m. by President Pittman. Present were Board members Boggan, Brathwaite,
McClure, McCoullum, Reed, and Wang. Present from Headquarters were Mitchell,
Moya, and Gray. Also present: Hodges and Taylor. Absent Board members were Banh,
Lee, Mayer, Owens, and Sweeris.
The first item of business was Tong Lee’s Treasurer’s Report. This was
presented, in the absence of Tong, but in consultation with him, by our
Accountant Deborah Gray. With our income at best constant and our expenses—for
example, overhead due to inflation increasing and insurance fees rising—we
needed all the more to increase our revenue and/or find ways of spending less.
Sponsorships were hard to come by. Should we raise the Membership fees? The
Rating fees? Do we need to hire a replacement for Operations Director Margaret
Smith? Ought we to insist on the surplus budget Tong recommends? Of course
discussion centers around the controversial Pro Tour U.S. Open—its advantages
and disadvantages. Hank and George want to put a positive spin on our U.S.
Open—do that, if necessary, without the Pro Tour, for that Pro Tour,
though it navigates us into the mainstream of table tennis life, costs us tens
of thousands of dollars. Many of our members want to see the world-class
players, but domestic advertisers don’t care about the far-flung Pro Tour. If,
however, we could fashion for a home audience a really premier event out of the
U.S. Open (after all, we own all 100% of it), we ought to make, not lose money.
MOTION 1: Moved to direct Clark Mitchell to pursue opportunities for hosting a Pro Tour event in the 2003 U.S. Open, so long as USATT would not incur any liabilities as a result of hosting the event.
Proposed by Hank McCoullum; seconded by Jimmy McClure.
Passed: 7-0-0.
One of the elements in our Strategic Planning is to find ways of getting more USATT members. Larry Hodges proposes an Action Plan for the Board. His Club League Program, he explains, offers off-the-street players the opportunity to join a local Club League in 2003 at absolutely no cost. During this time, a player’s round-robin results give him not a USATT Tournament Rating but a USATT League Rating. Players and sites can be virtually anyone anywhere—neighbors playing in an enthusiast’s basement. Then, using an internet connection, they simply report the results to the USATT League Page. Once into organized play, leaguers in 2004 pay $12, or, if they also want the magazine, $22. Regular $30 USATT members, with their Tournament Ratings kept separate, can play in such leagues free and also receive a League Rating. Larry tells Board members that in the last 10-12 years there are maybe 30,000 players who have played in, but no longer play in, USATT tournaments, and he suggests, and Program Director Debbie Moya agrees, that League flyers be mailed to all these potential League members. So…
MOTION 2: Moved that the USATT League fees and benefits be set by USATT League Director Hodges, subject to E.D.’s approval.
Proposed by Tim Boggan; seconded by Jimmy McClure.
Passed: 7-0-0.
MOTION 3: Moved that the E.D. be authorized to seek funding for mass mailings to past USATT members in order to promote USATT membership.
Proposed by Tim Boggan; seconded by Barney Reed.
Passed: 7-0-0.
*George followed with his Northeastern League presentation. He stressed
last year’s progress, and, with sports-minded New York now in the running for
the 2012 Olympics, emphasized that, though venues were not easy to come by, he
had hopes his League would prosper. So…
MOTION 4: Moved that the E.D. seek sponsorship for the Northeastern League, and, if that fails, the Board authorizes $6,000 to George to continue his efforts.
Proposed by Hank McCoullum; seconded by Tim Boggan.
Passed: 7-0-0.
Since the USOC was urging the USATT not only to increase its membership, but to get on track to at least try to win medals, Board members recognized Clark’s need to report that, with regard to our Elite Athletes, the Association offers the following areas to focus on, apply resources to: (1) High Performance Clubs (these have the best coaches and best players, and so emphasize the “cluster” theory of development: the best beget the best); (2) International Tournament Play (with incentives for showing incremental improvement); (3) Overseas Training (with the possibility of living long-term, as on a military-base—the better to get intensive training and the opportunity to put it to good use in prolonged competition against strong players); (4) Home Opportunities—to overcome weaknesses with Elite Practice Partners recruited for just such a purpose; and (5) Elite International and Domestic Training Camps (insuring athletes are fit).
Thus we have two Action Plans going for us—one, short term and domestic, the other long-term and international.
Items on the Agenda not requiring a vote—and not related to the Budget that consumed much of the Board’s time—are as follows:
Past Minutes. Despite having been taken, these have been seen only by Board members; they need to be more available.
Letter from Howard L. Jacobs, suspended player Barney Reed’s lawyer. It maintains USATT lacks authority to unilaterally impose sanctions on Barney. Says Barney has been suspended only from ITTF and IOC events. The USOC Legal Department has the letter and presumably is responding.
EAC Scholarship Program. If a boy or girl wins prize money, it can be put into an escrow account towards a college scholarship.
Table Tennis Development Project. The Fran TT Training Center Company urges recruitment of coaches to spread the word that table tennis is fun. Brazilians know this. But the average American rec player if forced to attend major tournaments would go to sleep watching the pros play—they’re all so serious, so grimly competitive, so technically adept. They’re obviously at work—but doing what, with what? Here’s Fran’s Conclusion: “we will reach a masssification of our sport focusing what it has of best, the people’s satisfaction in practice it as having fun and I doesn’t like competition” [sic]. It’s fun to read that?
Hank, having seen a conflict in scheduling this year with the North American Championships and the ACUI Championships, urges that this not happen next year—and seems to get assurance from Sheri that it won’t. Good idea for the 2003 ACUI tournament to be part of Richard Lee’s North American Tour; thanks go to alumnus Bill Meiklejohn for helping to provide the University of Pennsylvania venue.
Jimmy in his USOC Report said that though New York got more votes as the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games than San Francisco (130 to 102), San Francisco would have been better, for it had estimated a profit of $400,000,000 from the Games, 60% of which would have gone to the USOC and NGBs. Jimmy said that since Insurance costs have gone up an amazing 300%, the USOC may go back to being self-insured.
Dennis had comments to make about the Oakbrook contract that continues to deplete our Treasury.
Brighton Declaration. This Declaration, named after the 1994 international conference on women and sport held in Brighton, England, urges the development “of a sporting culture that enables and values the involvement of women in every aspect of sport.” The Board can live with that, huh?
MOTION 5: Moved that the USATT support the aims of the Brighton Declaration.
Proposed by Tim Boggan; seconded by Hank McCoullum.
Passed: 7-0-0.
With regard to USTTA Budget matters, Tong and Deborah prepared pages of Financial Statements of line items for our study. The promised AmericasTeams money had not yet come through, so the Association needed more income. Where in all these figures could we find it? Larry tries hard: persistently questions items that seem to reflect that the USTTA has only 500 Juniors and 100 Clubs. That can’t be, he says—we have double that. Deborah demurs, says $9,000, $3,000 are verifiable figures….Alright, bite the bullet: one suggested way of getting more income is to raise members’ dues. Do we want seriously to consider that? “Let’s bring it to the floor.” Motion made and seconded. What about a $1 a year? For five years?…“We raised the dues a year ago,” someone says….“I’d rather raise the Rating Fees,” says another….“Let’s try to trim expenses first,” says Jiing….
MOTION 6: Moved that the Board increase the Membership dues $1 a year for five years.
Proposed by Barney Reed; seconded by Tim Boggan.
Failed: 0-6-1.
Expenses we can find--trimming them is not easy. Talk is easy. “United Airlines is having its own troubles—they’re not likely to give us Value-in-Kind airfare breaks next year.”…“Did you see Tong’s edict on Special Events—“They must break even or better.”…Deborah points out how the 2003 Budget’s gonna take a big hit—$18,000 in club participant liability insurance. That’s a call to action— something we can agree on. Sorry, but that’s gotta be balanced—the 15% kickback to clubs, that $10,000 has to be eliminated….O.K., all balanced? Yep—and with $4,000 to spare What! Jiing is adamant—he insists we plan on a $20,000 Surplus! How do that? Cut here, cut there. Nope—not nearly enough. Talk of restructuring, reorganizing. The Operations Director’s salary—do we need to pay someone that much? Couldn’t we get someone to do less for less—$12,000 less? Office staff’s burdened now? Yes, but Clark said he’d look into Staff manipulations, possibilities. Jiing remains adamant—$20,000 is what he wants….And what he gets…because, barring any other solution, every possible budgeted item than can be trimmed was. So…[Note: since our 2003 Budget was very tight and was going to take a big hit--an increase of $18,000 in club participation liability insurance--the Board felt it was necessary, given our commitment to a $20,000 surplus, to eliminate the 15% kickback to the clubs. This $10,000 elimination was reflected in our revised Budget.]
MOTION 7: Moved that the Board accept the Budget as revised (with the $20,000 surplus):
Proposed by Tim Boggan; seconded by Hank McCoullum.
Passed: 7-0-0,
Last item of Business: a need to fill the vacant position on the Board. After some discussion, action is deferred, for five Board members are absent.
Adjournment.
Respectfully submitted.
USATT Secretary,
Tim Boggan
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