Presidents Pen: Message from Hal Adonis

[USAB Grassroots Committee Chair Robert Matney]

The President’s Pen



May 26, 2011



Dear USA Boxing Membership,



I would like to share with you a few key programs that the USA Boxing
Board of Directors and Executive Director have accomplished recently.
These items provide a great opportunity for us to celebrate. When we
were running for office, we all campaigned on the fact that we wanted
to find ways to support the membership.



The USA Boxing Board is confident we are working towards this ideal.
USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski was able to secure
additional funding for USA Boxing athletes for the upcoming U.S.
Olympic Team Trials and Junior Olympic National Championships, by
awarding Mobile, Ala., as the host of these two events as well as the
USA Boxing Annual Meeting, July 31-August 6.



We are very pleased to let the USA Boxing membership know that the 14
regional Junior Olympic teams that will be competing at the 2011
Junior Olympic National Championships will each receive a $4,000
stipend to help athletes offset their travel expenses to this year’s
event. On top of that, all athletes for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team
Trials will have their airfare and hotel rooms covered.



There will be the opportunity for you to see the best boxers in the
country vie for a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic Team, and they will
attempt to earn their official position by qualifying at the 2011 AIBA
World Championships in September, in Baku, Azerbaijan. In addition you
will witness the future stars of our sport as they compete for a
Junior Olympic medal.



The USA Boxing Annual Meeting is open for all members to participate.
This is the first time we are able to host an annual meeting in
conjunction with a major USA Boxing event. The annual meeting will
feature a “Town Hall” meeting for the membership where the future USA
Boxing Business Plan will be presented. The Board will also have a
“Question and Answer” session. The USA Boxing staff is completing the
schedule and will send out shortly. There will be a variety of
seminars available during the week for members to learn more about
boxing.



The USA Boxing Board approved the 2011 operating budget, which is
balanced. The budget was presented by USA Boxing Treasurer and
Independent Director Reggie Winston. In 2011, USA Boxing budgeted
income at $3.4 million. USA Boxing still has a financial dilemma and
debt that was assumed from the prior administration. The association
still owes the USA Boxing Foundation over $1.5 million, and this
greatly impacts our operating budget and events as USA Boxing must pay
back annually. There were several other legal matters that were
settled, which we inherited however we have been able to settle those
expenses at a substantially less amount than originally anticipated.



When looking at our sport as a whole, nearly one-third of our revenues
are spent on insurance expenditures. USA Boxing insurance premiums
were raised another $200,000 from the prior year. We need to
collectively work together in trying to provide safe training
environments for our athletes as 47% of our claims happen in the local
clubs.



The remaining $2 million is allocated to programs and administrative
costs. These include: National Championships; Junior Olympic National
Championships; Training Camps; U.S. Olympic Team Trials; World
Championships; Background screening; Membership mailings; Membership
forms; Committee and Task Forces; International Committee Meetings;
etc.



We are proud to have a balanced budget and are working to identify
additional resources. A lot of credit has to be given to Treasurer
Winston and Finance Committee members Deni Auclair and Don Ericson.
This is the first time that USA Boxing has shared its annual operating
budget with the membership, and the Board is committed to keeping the
membership informed of its financial position. Bartkowski and the rest
of the staff are continuing to identify other savings.



In closing, I am proud of the support that the Golden Gloves provided
in being compliant with the 2011 National Golden Gloves tournament. We
commend Golden Gloves president Ray Rodgers and Executive Director Jim
Beasley in their efforts to work together in ensuring that the
individual champions of the Golden Gloves qualified to participate in
the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.



In closing, we will continue to update you as new items become
available. I wish all of you a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend.



Best Regards,



Hal Adonis, President