why i'm annoyed; new goal
well, i've spend way too much time online doing flight reservations. there was a problem changing my return ticket getting back to paris so i had to buy another one way flight (which was actually the same price as the change fee, so it wasn't a big deal), but of course that took all day to figure out/ do. . . then i did the prague flight (using my miles). i wanted to do budapest, but there is still no response from the usfa on whether or not they are fielding a team, so i can't make the reservation OR ask for the day off from work. it's so annoying since the flights just get more and more expensive.
the funding from the usoc was outlined by jim page on the website. . . so i guess my new goal is to be in the top 30 by july 1st so that i can have some sort of stipend coming in . . .having a rank in the top 30 would, of course, be good in general, too!
anyway, here is here is the message re: funding
December 27, 2006
To: Senior National Team Athletes and National Coaches
From: Jim Page
Cc: High Performance Committee, Michael Massik, Andrea Lagan, Bob Gambardella, USOC Sports Partnerships, William Irving USOC Sports Partnerships, Alan Ashley, USOC Performance Services
Re: Information on Weapons Budgets and USOC Athlete Support
I am sure you have heard rumblings about reduced USOC funding and financial challenges for the programs so I want to give you some information on money for the year and on USOC athlete support programs for 2007.
WEAPON SQUAD FUNDING
We have had an interesting time with the USOC over the past six months. We submitted program plans to them in June and have had on-going discussions with them that led us to believe that they were optimistic about our opportunities to excel in Beijing and beyond and supportive of our efforts. When we finally got a response from them to our plan just before the Richmond NAC, the news was not good at all. They had not only not increased our funding as we anticipated; they had cut us back based on results at the World Championships in Torino. After a lot of discussion back and forth they have reconsidered our plan, our opportunities and our needs and have awarded us more support, as they have become convinced that we do have a shot at some top performances in Beijing and we do have some reasonable plans for developing athletes for London and beyond.
Michael Massik has also found ways to refocus some USFA resources so that most of the original funding plans we put together last June can go forward and the weapons squad funding is OK for now. But without this funding from USFA we would be cutting back pretty significantly in all the programs. My understanding is that this direct support from USFA is unprecedented as we have typically depended almost entirely on USOC funding for weapons squad support.
The most important message from the USOC is that they have changed their support model for NGBs. Their goal is to win medals in the Olympic Games now and in the future and they have come to the conclusion that they have to direct funding much more than ever before to sound programs with identified athlete talent and top results. In the past we have received an allocation that we could use as we thought best. That is no longer the case as we are being given a specific allocation for each weapon with restrictions on how it can be used. Funding is much greater for those programs that have good results and good ranking.
My understanding is that several NGBs have been reduced to almost no funding at all, so in the end we made out quite well. But the message is clearer than ever; our major funding partner will only fund programs that can prove they are on track toward Olympic success.
As the coaches know, Andrea has been working hard with our accounting office to improve our record keeping and to develop a tracking program for each of the Weapon’s Squads that will allow us to use our resources well. She will be in touch with each of the National Coaches in the near future to discuss budget status, available funds for the remainder of the year and restrictions that have been put on the funding by USOC. But the good news is that the infusion of funds from USFA will allow us to proceed with almost all of our plans for the year.
USOC ATHLETE SUPPORT STIPENDS
The same funding approach applies to USOC athlete support stipends. The USOC and USFA have adopted a more performance driven approach to providing funding that will affect all the weapons and most of the National Team athletes. I apologize to you all that this information is coming to you at such a late date as I know it impacts plans you have in place and needs you have that may not be addressed. As you know, after pushing hard to get this information for several months, we just received it and we will just have to do the best we can to get up to speed with the new program and new requirement.
The good news is that there is more money available for athlete support than ever before. The new restrictions though will require each athlete to qualify for the support based on FIE rank and the program will be reevaluated three times each year; on April 1, July 1 and October 30. The following are the criteria:
Only the top 4 ranked athletes in each weapon (FIE Ranking) can qualify:
2. Individual World Cup Ranking:
a. Top 5 FIE World Cup ranking receive $2750 per month
b. Top 15 FIE World Cup ranking receive $1750 per month
c. Top 30 FIE World Cup ranking receive $1000 per month
-OR-
Team World Cup Ranking:
a. Top 3 World Cup team ranking receive $2500 per month
b. Top 5 World Cup team ranking receive $1500 per month
c. Top 8 World Cup team ranking receive $1000 per month
There are some important restrictions/guidelines
Athletes can be added to the program, or move to the next support level, if they maintain the necessary ranking for one month.
Athletes will be removed or moved down if they don’t meet the criteria - or contract stipulations - at the review periods (April 1, July 1, October 30)
Maximum of 4 athletes per weapon. Athletes must be among the top 4 ranked US athletes on the FIE rankings to be eligible.
Athletes and coaches are required to sign individual agreements outlining specific competitions/camps each must attend and a commitment to a program of training. The USFA Athlete Agreement that meets these requirements was distributed in Richmond. If you need one and don’t have one please let Andrea or me know right away please
There is a very limited opportunity for discretionary athlete support for athletes that don’t qualify per the program above who have agreed to train together as a team on a year around basis to pursue a medal opportunity for the team in that weapon at the next Olympic Games. That support can be up to $750 per month for the top four athletes.
Obviously this is a very different program from the one we had last year and a pretty strong indication that USOC will provide great support to competitive teams but will limit support to others and will want to reevaluate that support frequently to be sure teams and athletes receiving it stay on track toward competitive goals.
Operation Gold and Elite Athlete Health Insurance programs will continue as they have in the past. US Fencing’s Athlete Grant Program will also continue as it has in the past. The US Fencing program is one of the best of its kind among all the Olympic sports, awarding almost $250,000 per year to many fencers at many different levels within the sport. Michael Massik has given us a little extra money to bolster the USOC athlete stipend program.
Andrea will work with the National Coaches to figure all this out for each of the weapons. But as the “old” program ends in a few days we want to be sure to get the athlete support we do qualify for flowing to athletes as soon as we can. The key to getting this started will be to complete the USFA Athlete Agreement forms and get those to us to give to the USOC so they can begin writing check.
I know this is a lot of information and that it is coming to you all very late. It’s a strong message from the USOC, and also from US Fencing, that performance is important and that funding will follow good results and strong programs. I do apologize that it has taken so long to clarify the program for this year. We will work hard with all of you to get up to speed with the “new” USOC program requirements and to get the weapon’s squad budgets under control so that we can use our resources well and help all of you accomplish you personal goals. Best of luck for a great year.
Jim Page, Director of High Performance
i'm so angry that i don't know if we're fencing in the team event in budapest. this is such a simple thing to tell somebody. it's so annoying not being to make the reservation or talk to my job!
the funding from the usoc was outlined by jim page on the website. . . so i guess my new goal is to be in the top 30 by july 1st so that i can have some sort of stipend coming in . . .having a rank in the top 30 would, of course, be good in general, too!
anyway, here is here is the message re: funding
December 27, 2006
To: Senior National Team Athletes and National Coaches
From: Jim Page
Cc: High Performance Committee, Michael Massik, Andrea Lagan, Bob Gambardella, USOC Sports Partnerships, William Irving USOC Sports Partnerships, Alan Ashley, USOC Performance Services
Re: Information on Weapons Budgets and USOC Athlete Support
I am sure you have heard rumblings about reduced USOC funding and financial challenges for the programs so I want to give you some information on money for the year and on USOC athlete support programs for 2007.
WEAPON SQUAD FUNDING
We have had an interesting time with the USOC over the past six months. We submitted program plans to them in June and have had on-going discussions with them that led us to believe that they were optimistic about our opportunities to excel in Beijing and beyond and supportive of our efforts. When we finally got a response from them to our plan just before the Richmond NAC, the news was not good at all. They had not only not increased our funding as we anticipated; they had cut us back based on results at the World Championships in Torino. After a lot of discussion back and forth they have reconsidered our plan, our opportunities and our needs and have awarded us more support, as they have become convinced that we do have a shot at some top performances in Beijing and we do have some reasonable plans for developing athletes for London and beyond.
Michael Massik has also found ways to refocus some USFA resources so that most of the original funding plans we put together last June can go forward and the weapons squad funding is OK for now. But without this funding from USFA we would be cutting back pretty significantly in all the programs. My understanding is that this direct support from USFA is unprecedented as we have typically depended almost entirely on USOC funding for weapons squad support.
The most important message from the USOC is that they have changed their support model for NGBs. Their goal is to win medals in the Olympic Games now and in the future and they have come to the conclusion that they have to direct funding much more than ever before to sound programs with identified athlete talent and top results. In the past we have received an allocation that we could use as we thought best. That is no longer the case as we are being given a specific allocation for each weapon with restrictions on how it can be used. Funding is much greater for those programs that have good results and good ranking.
My understanding is that several NGBs have been reduced to almost no funding at all, so in the end we made out quite well. But the message is clearer than ever; our major funding partner will only fund programs that can prove they are on track toward Olympic success.
As the coaches know, Andrea has been working hard with our accounting office to improve our record keeping and to develop a tracking program for each of the Weapon’s Squads that will allow us to use our resources well. She will be in touch with each of the National Coaches in the near future to discuss budget status, available funds for the remainder of the year and restrictions that have been put on the funding by USOC. But the good news is that the infusion of funds from USFA will allow us to proceed with almost all of our plans for the year.
USOC ATHLETE SUPPORT STIPENDS
The same funding approach applies to USOC athlete support stipends. The USOC and USFA have adopted a more performance driven approach to providing funding that will affect all the weapons and most of the National Team athletes. I apologize to you all that this information is coming to you at such a late date as I know it impacts plans you have in place and needs you have that may not be addressed. As you know, after pushing hard to get this information for several months, we just received it and we will just have to do the best we can to get up to speed with the new program and new requirement.
The good news is that there is more money available for athlete support than ever before. The new restrictions though will require each athlete to qualify for the support based on FIE rank and the program will be reevaluated three times each year; on April 1, July 1 and October 30. The following are the criteria:
Only the top 4 ranked athletes in each weapon (FIE Ranking) can qualify:
2. Individual World Cup Ranking:
a. Top 5 FIE World Cup ranking receive $2750 per month
b. Top 15 FIE World Cup ranking receive $1750 per month
c. Top 30 FIE World Cup ranking receive $1000 per month
-OR-
Team World Cup Ranking:
a. Top 3 World Cup team ranking receive $2500 per month
b. Top 5 World Cup team ranking receive $1500 per month
c. Top 8 World Cup team ranking receive $1000 per month
There are some important restrictions/guidelines
Athletes can be added to the program, or move to the next support level, if they maintain the necessary ranking for one month.
Athletes will be removed or moved down if they don’t meet the criteria - or contract stipulations - at the review periods (April 1, July 1, October 30)
Maximum of 4 athletes per weapon. Athletes must be among the top 4 ranked US athletes on the FIE rankings to be eligible.
Athletes and coaches are required to sign individual agreements outlining specific competitions/camps each must attend and a commitment to a program of training. The USFA Athlete Agreement that meets these requirements was distributed in Richmond. If you need one and don’t have one please let Andrea or me know right away please
There is a very limited opportunity for discretionary athlete support for athletes that don’t qualify per the program above who have agreed to train together as a team on a year around basis to pursue a medal opportunity for the team in that weapon at the next Olympic Games. That support can be up to $750 per month for the top four athletes.
Obviously this is a very different program from the one we had last year and a pretty strong indication that USOC will provide great support to competitive teams but will limit support to others and will want to reevaluate that support frequently to be sure teams and athletes receiving it stay on track toward competitive goals.
Operation Gold and Elite Athlete Health Insurance programs will continue as they have in the past. US Fencing’s Athlete Grant Program will also continue as it has in the past. The US Fencing program is one of the best of its kind among all the Olympic sports, awarding almost $250,000 per year to many fencers at many different levels within the sport. Michael Massik has given us a little extra money to bolster the USOC athlete stipend program.
Andrea will work with the National Coaches to figure all this out for each of the weapons. But as the “old” program ends in a few days we want to be sure to get the athlete support we do qualify for flowing to athletes as soon as we can. The key to getting this started will be to complete the USFA Athlete Agreement forms and get those to us to give to the USOC so they can begin writing check.
I know this is a lot of information and that it is coming to you all very late. It’s a strong message from the USOC, and also from US Fencing, that performance is important and that funding will follow good results and strong programs. I do apologize that it has taken so long to clarify the program for this year. We will work hard with all of you to get up to speed with the “new” USOC program requirements and to get the weapon’s squad budgets under control so that we can use our resources well and help all of you accomplish you personal goals. Best of luck for a great year.
Jim Page, Director of High Performance
i'm so angry that i don't know if we're fencing in the team event in budapest. this is such a simple thing to tell somebody. it's so annoying not being to make the reservation or talk to my job!