First of all I want to thank yardbarker for giving me this platform to blog and speak my mind. I had no idea how viral my last post would be and that it would reach so many interested parties. Its been exciting to read all the replies, ideas and concepts everyone has posted! I truly hope that some of these are expounded upon and incorporated into USSA's operations, as well as Ski Racing as a sport. My intentions were, and still are, to raise awareness of what's going on at USSA and how the athletes feel about specific parts of the organization's approach to athletics. Although I can't speak for everyone, I can assure you that there are many unhappy members, both current and retired, that would like to see some changes made. There is an obvious disconnection between the athletes and the executives and a lot of us feel that our best interests are not always looked after. That being said, I will be the first to say that the Ski Team has given me a lot of great opportunities over the years; in athletics, education and even music. I have traveled all over the world skiing while attending Dartmouth College (the Ski Team provides $5,000/year scholarships to college students on the team), and been lucky enough to open up for Train and the Doobie Brothers at the New York City Ski Ball (courtesy of the Foundation entertainment coordinators), all of which I am grateful for. USSA even helped distribute my CD, "Road Sodas," which is on their online store, again I am grateful. So how can someone like me, who has received a lot of support over the years, be so upset with their handlings? I'll give you one word...accountability.
Who is held accountable for these decisions, and why isn't the board aware of most of these decisions? I make this claim in light of Gary Black Jr.'s attempt to bash my previous post by saying that Marolt's salaries were nowhere near what I proposed. If "nowhere near" means I'm way off then support your claims with the real facts you speak of. As a board member and friend of Marolt's I'm sure Gary knows what Marolt makes so lets hear it. If not, then there is an obvious fundamental problem that exists in the communication between the board and the executives. Either way, I stand by what I said until proven wrong, and if I'm wrong it doesn't change the fact that USSA needs to make some fundamental changes, specifically with athlete funding.
The athletes are ultimately held accountable for their own performance on the hill, but my question is who can the athletes rely on to fully fund, manage, and provide the necessary resources needed in a program that claims they are "best in the world?" Nobody seems to know who has the answers to our questions and if we do get a chance to meet with Marolt or Jesse Hunt (Alpine Director) our questions are rarely answered directly. Instead they tend to dance around them and give us vague political responses that leave us with more confusion than resolution. This lack of communication and state of confusion is a big reason why the situation perpetuates itself and athletes like Erik Schlopy, Dane Spencer, Jake Zamansky, Caroline Lalive and I are wondering where it all went wrong, who ultimately makes these decisions, and why they make them. Again, I cannot speak for everyone but this type of communication is upsetting, which leads to frustration and is the fundamental reason why these problems exist.
The good news is, since my last post I was told that the C-Team is now fully funded and will not have to pay $10,000/each to ski this year. This is a great step in the right direction and I am happy to hear that athlete funding is starting to take more precedence. I also want to reiterate the fact that USSA has made an amazing turnaround during Marolt's tenure, which has set a strong foundation and accounted for great successes. Again, my intentions are to ignite positive change by raising awareness to the situation at USSA. I welcome all supporters to help see these changes through and keep up communication, whether it be on yardbarker, ski racing magazine forums (although I prefer yardbarker), or directly with the organization. Finally, I would like offer an alternative to those of you who would like to donate DIRECTLY to the athletes called the SFI Foundation. The SFI Foundation is an 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organization that Erik Schlopy and I started. The organization is dedicated to providing the necessary funding and resources to high level skiers both on and off the National Team. If you are interested in participating in our next fundraiser I attached the information below. If you cannot attend and would like to help out donations can be made through paypal on the Mens Alpine Team page (www.mensalpine.com) or by check to:
SFI Foundation
P.O. Box 682632
Park City, UT 84060
Tax ID # 20-4647706
I hope to hear from everyone soon! Thanks for listening....
Bryon
Who is held accountable for these decisions, and why isn't the board aware of most of these decisions? I make this claim in light of Gary Black Jr.'s attempt to bash my previous post by saying that Marolt's salaries were nowhere near what I proposed. If "nowhere near" means I'm way off then support your claims with the real facts you speak of. As a board member and friend of Marolt's I'm sure Gary knows what Marolt makes so lets hear it. If not, then there is an obvious fundamental problem that exists in the communication between the board and the executives. Either way, I stand by what I said until proven wrong, and if I'm wrong it doesn't change the fact that USSA needs to make some fundamental changes, specifically with athlete funding.
The athletes are ultimately held accountable for their own performance on the hill, but my question is who can the athletes rely on to fully fund, manage, and provide the necessary resources needed in a program that claims they are "best in the world?" Nobody seems to know who has the answers to our questions and if we do get a chance to meet with Marolt or Jesse Hunt (Alpine Director) our questions are rarely answered directly. Instead they tend to dance around them and give us vague political responses that leave us with more confusion than resolution. This lack of communication and state of confusion is a big reason why the situation perpetuates itself and athletes like Erik Schlopy, Dane Spencer, Jake Zamansky, Caroline Lalive and I are wondering where it all went wrong, who ultimately makes these decisions, and why they make them. Again, I cannot speak for everyone but this type of communication is upsetting, which leads to frustration and is the fundamental reason why these problems exist.
The good news is, since my last post I was told that the C-Team is now fully funded and will not have to pay $10,000/each to ski this year. This is a great step in the right direction and I am happy to hear that athlete funding is starting to take more precedence. I also want to reiterate the fact that USSA has made an amazing turnaround during Marolt's tenure, which has set a strong foundation and accounted for great successes. Again, my intentions are to ignite positive change by raising awareness to the situation at USSA. I welcome all supporters to help see these changes through and keep up communication, whether it be on yardbarker, ski racing magazine forums (although I prefer yardbarker), or directly with the organization. Finally, I would like offer an alternative to those of you who would like to donate DIRECTLY to the athletes called the SFI Foundation. The SFI Foundation is an 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organization that Erik Schlopy and I started. The organization is dedicated to providing the necessary funding and resources to high level skiers both on and off the National Team. If you are interested in participating in our next fundraiser I attached the information below. If you cannot attend and would like to help out donations can be made through paypal on the Mens Alpine Team page (www.mensalpine.com) or by check to:
SFI Foundation
P.O. Box 682632
Park City, UT 84060
Tax ID # 20-4647706
I hope to hear from everyone soon! Thanks for listening....
Bryon
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