USCKT Sprint Nationals?
Burntnjall
anything about the USCKT Sprint Nationals?
Is it just me, or does the USCKT just really NOT grasp the
concept of the internet and its utility in promoting the sport?
regards,
Njall.
Karl Pearson
I agree - when a friend wanted to get into sprint kayaking, we chatted
with USCKT. All they could tell us was about 2 events that year, both
USCKT events, both many states away.
They seem to leave all the introduction, basic teaching, and promotion
to local clubs.
USCKT does send people the materials for registering their local races.
Nothing about helping put on, promote, or provide instruction to keep
the sport alive and growing.
How about some things aimed at selling the sport to those not currently
in it, USCKT?
The Web and internet are great places to start. And cheap, too.
Karl
KSTRELETZK
>concept of the internet and its utility in promoting the sport?
You got it! A friend was recently trying to find out the results of the Open
Canoe Nationals months after the event - don't know if he ever succeeded.
A few years back an athlete rep to the board showed me the salary figures for
their staff - let's just say that their lowest paid administrator makes about
twice as much as the National Team Coach. Pitiful.
- Mothra (aka Kathy Streletzky)
"The everlasting universe of things
Flows through the mind, and rolls its rapid waves, . . .
Where waterfalls around it leap forever," - Percy Bysshe Shelley
MSloanC1
in this thread.
First, I agree that it is embarassing that the results from our key races, as
well as other information needed to get involved in the sport is not readily
available on the net. The USCKT Board knows that we need to upgrade our
internet presence.
I hope many of you have seen Rick Kulawiec's excellent Slalom web site
(currently down (I think) due to service provider problems). This site should
be a model for the USCKT website.
Incidently, there is a USCKT web site at :
Adventuresports.com/asap/kayak/US-Team/USCKT.htm
Second, Mothra's information on administrator vs. coaches' salaries is very far
out of date. In the last couple of years, the Office budget has been
substantially reduced, there has been a complete turnover and a reduction in
adminstrative staff, and our coaching salaries have been substantially
increased.
Finally just to nitpick, Open Canoe nationals are run under the auspices of the
ACA, and are not associated with the USCKT.
Mike Sloan
Txpaddler
HAVE been on the web for several weeks.
USCKT web site:
Lee Deviney, USCKT SRC Representative
Max/Joyce Wellhouse
might be surprised to ask USCKT how many sprint kayake/canoers ther are
registered with them. Since Slalom is also in the mix, be sure they don't
quote you the total number of folks. Better yet, ask them how many of them
are ACTIVE ie not just member that want to get their newsletter. Count the
heads in the race results and you'll see why no one cares. It is sad
because now that Bellingham and Barton are gone, there is little name
recognition in the sport ie. no Shipley/Hearn/Jacobi like there is is in
slalom.
Dimwitted Moose and Flying Squirrel
Burntnjall <burnt...@aol.com> wrote in article
<199809150441...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
> Did I just miss it, or did no one from the USCKT bother to post
> anything about the USCKT Sprint Nationals?
>
> Is it just me, or does the USCKT just really NOT grasp the
> concept of the internet and its utility in promoting the sport?
>
> regards,
> Njall.
>
VRingFever
As a former member of the USCKT staff, I'd like to respond to a couple of
points here:
1. Mothra's information on administrator vs. coaches salaries is out of kilter.
To say that "their lowest paid administrator makes about twice as much as the
National Team Coach" is grossly inaccurate. I was the lowest-paid
director-level administrator in my final year at USCKT (1995), and, while I was
earning more than the Slalom National Team Coach, it certainly wasn't twice his
salary. Also, I was in my fifth year with the organization, while the Slalom
National Team Coach was in his first or second, so longevity with the
organization could have accounted for the difference in pay range. Also I know
for a fact that the Sprint National Team Coach's salary exceeded mine to the
tune of $22,000 a year. The salaries for the coaching staffs was set by the
respective committees, SRC and NSWC. To accuse the professional staff of
creating discrepancies in adminstrator/staff compensation is a misplaced
effort.
2. Has anyone noticed that the drop in visibility for the sport seems to have
coincided with the systematic dismantling of the administrative staff that was
built in USCKT office from 1990 to 1995? As a for instance, long-time users of
this newsgroup may recall that I posted all event news releases coming from the
USCKT office to this newsgroup, or at least tried to get the results onto this
board.
3. The talk about grass-roots development in sprint strikes me as interesting.
Does anyone recall the program that the USCKT adminstrative staff developed and
ran in 1995 to attract women into sprint racing? We had more than 800 responses
of interest to that program, and 30 young women paid their own way to a
week-long training camp (and many bought their own sprint boats) at the OTC in
San Diego to receive basic instruction and testing. Sadly, the SRC did not see
the value of this program, and it was discontinued after only one year.
I fully expect to get flamed for this posting, but I felt compelled to offer
this viewpoint to the discussion.
Craig Bohnert
USCKT Communications Director, 1991-95
Txpaddler
Craig,
I'm completing a stint on the SRC (and had another abbreviated term a few
years back). After two years I'll be damned if I have a handle on USCKT's
plans, programs and strategies. I try to stay on top but have given up.
The J.O. program is another one that seems to have evaporated. Maybe the "git
the girls" and J.O. programs weren't worth the effort but it seems to me that a
years or two isn't enough time to evaluate success or failure and it makes it
damned hard to sell an obscure sport to the general public when the "plan" is
so fluid.
After I'm replaced on SRC I plan to work on what I really care about which is
developing the sport at the grassroots and apply those few benefits that USCKT
can provide and go my own way otherwise.
Lee Deviney, Central Region SRC Rep.
VRingFever
Lee Deviney wrote:
<snip>
The J.O. program is another one that seems to have evaporated. Maybe the "git
the girls" and J.O. programs weren't worth the effort but it seems to me that a
years or two isn't enough time to evaluate success or failure and it makes it
damned hard to sell an obscure sport to the general public when the "plan" is
so fluid.
<snip>
Lee, your response only strengthens my stance that the dismantling of the USCKT
professional staff has led to an erosion of efforts to grow the sport. When
Chuck Wielgus was the Executive Director, there was a vital excitement to being
involved with USCKT because he had a vision to push the sport forward. The
results of that vision were things like the Champion International Whitewater
Series, the Champion International Canoe/Kayak Knockout, placements on TV and
expanded sponsorship. The key making that happen was a board that was
supportive of these creative efforts, and the board at that time was chaired by
Eric Haught. For those who have observed from the sidelines, if you look back
with an objective eye, you'll see that the erosion began when Eric was forced
from the chair. Since then, there has been relative anarchy at USCKT. That has
resulted in an erosion of the sponsor base, which means less funding for
programs like the J.O. Program, which was run in admirable fashion by Don
Whittle (who since has gone on to greener pastures at the USOC).
BTW, has anyone done a census of what's happened to the professional staff that
has left USCKT since 1995? Here's a rundown:
Executive Director Chuck Wielgus is now E.D. at US Swimming.
Assoc. ED Leslie Klein now runs mountain biking for USA Cycling.
National Events Director Tracey Reid just finished up a stint as Director of
Operations for the Goodwill Games.
National Events Manager Jason Williams is now National Events Director at
USRowing.
Programs Manager Don Whittle is now Athlete Grants Manager for the USOC.
And I'm Public Relations Director at USA Gymnastics.
Makes you wonder just how good that staff was, and why it was systematically
dismantled, doesn't it?
Pfmec
I believe that there are positive things about the "current USCKT". At
the last worlds, our K2 got 4th place and could have gone for the
bronze. The K4 got 8th place in a fast final ahead of the Italians. I
think that we are in a re-building stage and we have a couple of young
guys that will do well in the next future. The women are also getting
stronger.
So what's the problem?
Well, it all begins with the primary scope of the USCKT that is to
develop "olympic" caliber athletes and, the Wildwater has been "shipped"
to the ACA and, the the Marathon is in a separate territory with the
USCA.
Ring a bell? I have said this over and over ... clubs are the strength
of the sport of paddling. Clubs must be supported FIRST, because they
are the structure that will create paddlers. From these paddlers we will
get the champions. To devote resources to ONLY developing champions it
might pay now, but I have my doubts that it will pay on the long run.
From this logic you get a USCKT that do not "pamper" the "normal" USCKT
member. As a master paddler I have to go nuts to get races info. After
two years I heard of a series of races 1 hour away from my home by a
friend ... just go at the CANMAS and you get really embarassed ...
This discussion originated on the question of communication. About the
WEB, Terry Kent has the USCKT.ORG registered to his name (just do a
search on it...), and we still are going on with a site that lacks in
leadership and just has stuff on it. How about developing a business
plan and going for the gold here? Let's get the USCKT.ORG going, ask
about who is willing to be volunter, review the capabilities of the
people and develop a site devoted to all paddlers. We could use this to
develop training knowledge, tech info etc.
And, how about trying to get a collaboration with a large manufacturer
of kayaks in order to produce cheap $500 low tech fiberglass boats? We
could have races dedicated only to this class, a low cost, low risk
investment with a great potential for a potential paddler. Usckt could
probabily get a licence from Struer and build "K1-Hunter class" boats?
To conclude, I do not know if the previous people at the USCKT we idiots
or not, and I do not care about the money either. I just think that we
should have some positive attitude here and see what could be done to
improve the current status.
On my part, dear USCKT I am here, I am willing to help in any way I can,
just give me a call. In the meantime I will develop my site in an effort
to provide the info that the USCKT is not providing.
Fred Mechini