President's Message
The USA Gymnastics Executive Committee and Board met on May 1-2. The Women's Administrative Board, chaired by Jan Greenhawk and including the women's eight Regional Chairs, met concurrently with the Board. Key areas covered at the Board meeting included:2001
- Appointment of the President Search Committee: The appointment of the Search Committee and the actions of the Search Committee to date were ratified by the Board, with the Board adding additional members. The Committee is chaired by Peter Vidmar, Athlete Director and member of the Executive Committee and includes: Jay Ashmore, FIG Executive Committee; Jim Morris, National Gymnastics Foundation Board and USOC Treasurer; Candace Feinberg, Vice Chair for Rhythmic; Joan Moore Gnat, Vice Chair for Women; Tim Daggett, Vice Chair for Men; Michelle Dusserre Farrell, Athlete Director for the USOC; Roe Kreutzer, National Elite Coaches Association Director; Marc Yancey, Chair of the Men's Program Committee; Alla Svirsky, Rhythmic National Membership Director; and Linda Chencinski, Women's National Membership Director.
- Sales and Marketing: The Board reviewed the status of the USA Gymnastics marketing program, which remains one of the strongest among the National Governing Bodies. Marketing income has risen from $1.7 million in 1991, to $3.8 million in 1994 to $4.5 million in 1997 and projections are that sales will continue strong through 2000 based on existing contracts.
- Formation and Appointment of a High School Task Force: This Task Force will assess the current state of programs available for gymnastics competition and training in American high schools and determine ways USA Gymnastics can encourage and foster such programs. Concerns about the state of the high school programs in the United States have been raised by the Board of Directors and members of USA Gymnastics due to the decline in the number of such programs being offered around the country, the occasional conflicts between club and school programs and the opportunity for the growth of the sport at the grass roots level represented by high school involvement. Members of the Task Force include: John Brinkworth, President-National High School Gymnastics Coaches Association; Tina Preston, Southern California State Chair for Women; Susan True, National Federation of State High School Association USA Gymnastics Board Director; Juergen Achtermann, President-Texas High School Gymnastics Coach Association; Leslie Moore, Denver Public Schools; Kathy Ostberg, USA Gymnastics Region Six Chair for Women; Steve Whitlock, USA Gymnastics General Gymnastics Director; Alice Gooley, Director of Student Activities, Langley High School, Va.; Kathy Krebs, State of Illinois Schools; and Donni Reed, initiator of the rhythmic group high school program in Florida. The group will be staffed by Kathy Feldmann, Director of Member Services, who also will serve as a member of the Task Force. A 16-member Advisory Panel also was created to provide input to the work of the Task Force, which should be completed by the May 1999 Board meeting.
- Review of the 1997 Budget and Year-End Report: A 1997 year-end report was distributed. The final budget for 1997 was $160,000 better than projected, with only $390,000 carried over from 1996 rather than the originally projected $550,000. This was the result of underexpenditures in 1997.
- Review of the 1999-2000 Budget: The Finance and Accounting Committee presented a preliminary budget for 1999 and 2000 which shows that USA Gymnastics, with continued utilization of the 1996 surplus in 1999, will break even that year and should generate a surplus in 2000 that can be applied to the next quadrennium expenses.
- Adoption of a 2001-2002 schedule for Televised Events: A schedule as follows was adopted for our major televised events for 2001 and 2002. This schedule is based on the availability of network coverage on NBC, the Olympic and USA Gymnastics broadcast partner:
2002
Jan. 27 Reese's Gymnastics Cup Feb. 22-24 Visa American Cup (Orlando) Feb. 25 International 3-on-3 Gymnastics Championships (Orlando) March 16-17 American Team Cup Aug. 8-11 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships USA Gymnastics Congress Sept. TBD World Team Trials The John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships will include the Rhythmic National Championships starting in 2001. The American Team Cup will include a junior dual meet each year with the senior teams competing against a team from Europe and a team from Asia.
Jan. 26 Reese's Gymnastics Cup Feb. 28-March 2 Visa American Cup (Orlando) March 3 International 3-on-3 Gymnastics Championships (Orlando) March 22-23 American Team Cup August 7-10 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships USA Gymnastics Congress Bidding for the 2001 and 2002 events will start now and should be complete in early 1999.
- USA Trampoline and Tumbling Merger: The FIT and the FIG have signed an intent to merge agreement, with the final definitive vote to occur at the FIG Congress in May 1998 and final dissolution of the FIT to occur in December, 1998. Trampoline has been placed on the Olympic program as a full medal sport. Based on the inclusion of trampoline in the Olympics and the merger of the FIT into the FIG, the USOC will require that USA Trampoline and Tumbling merge with USA Gymnastics. Assuming that the FIT and the FIG merger is complete, a full merger between USTTA and USA Gymnastics should be completed by January 1, 1999. USA Gymnastics would offer memberships and a program in Trampoline and Tumbling.
This article appears in the June 1998 issue of Technique, Vol. 18, No. 6.
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