Misc.

Sweeping Changes On the Way for US Speedskaters

US Speedskating's Logo     This weekend I had the privilege of attending US Speedskating’s Board of Directors meeting, which is where big (and small) changes are made in U.S. speedskating regulations. The spring meeting is held in a different city and area of the country each year, and Milwaukee was the place this go-around. I sat through every minute of it and posted a link at the end of this post to the board actions that I think will most interest skaters.

     First, let me briefly tell you how the event was laid out. It began Thursday night with a roundtable discussion in which 24 board members and USS staff were onhand to answer questions from the general membership. Friday was devoted to committee meetings, where proposals were debated and eventually voted on to either die in committee or advance to the board. Saturday was when the board made the final votes on each proposal, either denying them or turning them into law. How’s that for PoliSci 101? I think Marquette U. should give me an honorary degree. :)

     So what are the changes? There were 25 that I thought would most interest my readers. Click on the titles below to go directly to the topics that interest you or scroll down the page to read them all. Also, feel free to comment, but don’t expect your comments to show up instantaneously; it takes me time to approve each comment, which I do to prevent my site from being overrun by spam or not-nice people.

     Lots of regulations here, so happy reading!

USS Unveils New Logo
     Looking to create some buzz leading up to the next Olympics, USS now has a new look — the shiny, new logo seen above — of which I’m proud to say I had a part in choosing. Back in early March, I was part of in a focus group that voted on a handful of possible logos created by USS Sponsor Struck Axiom. This shield logo was my favorite, as a shield represents strength, it works great in both horizontal and vertical formats, and even looks good in black-and-white, a color scheme which is inevitable at some point (Think of pencils, book bags, and T-shirts, where the cost of color printing is prohibitive.). The logo is contemporary, the two swirls not only show the S’es of USS, but also mimic the turns in a rink AND represent the two disciplines of long track and short track. I like it! Thank you, Struck Axiom, for supporting US Speedskating!
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USS To Unveil New Sponsor
     Oh, they teased us, the board did, but they sound really excited, so I’ll post about it. USS will reveal who Sponsor X is in the next month or so, and they expect it to be a hit.
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Stopping Clubs from Stealing the Best Skaters
     USS is taking a stand against predatory recruiting between clubs. Some people accuse certain clubs of recruiting the best skaters in the area, essentially “stealing” them from their home clubs, to increase the their chances of winning the coveted Club Championship award at Short Track Age-Group Nationals. Winning this awards ups a club’s reputation and prestige but at the steep costs of draining home clubs of their best talents AND raising suspicion among the entire USS community. The wording of this new rule is long, so I’ll paraphrase it to say that skaters can’t temporarily change their listed residency just to skate for another club, and the USS can refuse a transfer if it suspects predatory recruiting.
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Elite Skaters Must Wear Cut-Resistant Skinsuits
     Skaters at all American Cups or Senior Championships must now wear cut-resistant suits to prevent some of the serious injuries seen in past seasons. The protective fabrics may be fully integrated into the suit or be worn as separate underwear. Costs can run from $100 to $600, depending on who you ask. Yes, it’s pricey, but less so than the alternative if injured. Where do I stand on this issue? I intend to buy my daughter this type of suit, and she’s only in the Midget age group.
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Developing Time Standards for Age Group Nationals
     This isn’t finalized yet, by USS plans to develop a time standard that skaters must reach to compete in age-group nationals. The idea is to discourage novices from entering what some argued should be the premier age-group competition for the fastest and most experienced skaters in the country. Whether you agree with that or not is up to you, but just realize time standards are likely on the horizon.
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Adding LT Am Cup Prize Money to the Regs
     This one also isn’t finalized, but the board is set to consider prizes for long track American Cups, either cash money or credit toward future meet entry fees and / or USS merchandise.
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Elite Masters Can Now Earn Masters 1 Status
     MAT 1 is a new category for the best long track Master skaters in the world, that is, those who meet time standards of 108 percent of the world record (or 110 percent of out-of-the-norm “outlier” records). MAT 1 status will be awarded annually; this year, fewer than 20 Masters qualify for the honor, making the ratios comparable to CAT 1. MAT I skaters will be named to the hononary National Team for international meets, although skinsuits or any other tangibles would only be provided as available value-in-kind merchandise — and providing it doesn’t take away a penny from elite younger skaters. This was always the plan. Short track does not yet have MAT 1 status; that may be forthcoming.
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Making it Harder to Earn LT Jr. Category I Status
     Another proposal that’s being considered is one that would align the higher number of long track with the lower number of short track CAT I skaters. It would require LTers to meet certain time standards, skate more or specific meets, and be in an active training program to earn the honor.
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Some Meets Will Cost You More
     The registration fee for age-class nationals will go up to $75 from last season’s $50. The extra money offsets the cost of flying in officials, along with covering other rising expenses. Some argued against it. Others for it. It passed, and you should plan for it.
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Seriously, Register On Time
     Competition officials say they’ve got enough to do without dealing with registration forms straggling in a couple of days before the event, so entries for certain meets, such as Age-Group National Championships, will now have to be turned in eight days before seeding. There are more. Want to know what they are? Easy. Get with it and read the entry forms.
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Unless It’s Long Tack; Then You Can Be Late
     You’ll pay an extra $250 fee if you register after the draw time limit.
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No More Corner Starts During Warm-Up
     This is one to tell the kids in the group. USS will no longer allow practice starts in the corners during warm-ups. Starts, gliding, and rests are to be done on the inside of the track. The idea is to prevent a crash should another skater, doing laps and entering a turn, fall and slide into stationary skaters at the corner waiting to start. The prohibition against starts should also prevent the track from getting torn up before the starting gun pops.
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Hooking Kids with Race Memberships
     Speedskating, unlike football and volleyball, doesn’t have the benefit of schools promoting it, so clubs throughout the country have to work pretty hard to draw new skaters to the sport (in general) and their club (in particular). Several USS members said that if you give kids a chance to race, you’ll likely hook ‘em, but as the system stands, parents are scared away by the required one-year USS membership. USS agreed and will begin offering a one-day $10 racing license (for non-championship events) to allow kids to experience a meet.
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USS Offers Grants for Membership Drives
     Stunts meant to draw in new skaters can cost quite a lot, as can the new equipment to outfit them, so a member proposed USS grants to offset club recruitment. It passed as a trial program (one year to see how it goes). Fifteen $150 grants will go out on a first-come-first-serve basis and would require a result statement, showing whether the effort actually brought in new members. USS will revisit the program in a year to see how well it worked.
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Coaches May No Longer Friend Their Kids
     Club leaders, time to write up a permission form. Along with the obvious requirement that coaches never physically or emotionally harm their minor skaters comes the new requirement that coaches not engage in social media with minor skaters without written permission from that skater’s parent(s). Social media includes cell phones, texting, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, websites, email, etc. Even when permission’s granted, all communication is to relate to skating.
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Coaches To Cough Up for Background Checks
     Another measure that passed in the interest of safety is the requirement that USS coaches pay for yearly background checks. The amount that was bantied about was $25, although it’s possible that could change, along with the preferred source of the testing. A reminder: many coaching costs, such as drug testing fees, are tax deductible.
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Online Is Now the Only Way to Register
     Registration for US Nationals, Am Cups, Juniors, and Senior Championships will now be done exclusively online to save staff time from hand processing mailed applications.
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Kids May Get the Vote
     USS is considering a proposal to allow all USS members the right to vote for the Board of Directors. Skaters under the age of 18 would have to have an adult guardian cast their ballot. The rationale is to allow paying members a say in rules that will affect them. Some non-skating parents liked the idea, as it would give their family a say without forcing the non-skating parents to buy another membership. One board member pointed out that buying a $200 family membership would allow a family as many votes as there are family members, regardless of their skating status. This idea is tabled for further consideration.
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Other:
     *Master Skaters, expect to be contacted by USS. It’ll want to know whether you favor exchanging the 3,000m Super Final for a 777 as the fourth distance in Age-Group Short Track Nationals. A Master skater feels dropping the longer distance will increase participation. Personally, I like the distance, and I told them so, but I’ll skate whatever they tell me to.

     *LT Coach and USS Consultant Finn Halvorsen talked about what makes for better coaching within a club. He mentioned co-ordinated coaching, meaning coaches should talk to each other before they teach so as to not contradict each other in front of skaters. This meeting of the minds would prevent skater confusion and keep them from having to choose which coach to obey. Halvorsen also recommended more cooperation at competitions. I concur. When my daughter needed help at ST Age-Group Nationals, Cornerstone (Green Bay, WI) Coach Shannon Holmes stepped up, and her help was invaluable. Thank you, Shannon.

     *Concussion litigation in the state of Utah could require nationwide changes for USS, including the possibility of requiring mouthguards. USS may survey its athletes.

     *The Board of Directors is considering whether it needs to be larger to get more work done, as the actual paid staff at USS is said to be too small to do it all. With that in mind, USS may consider creating a Board of Trustees. Another suggestion was an Alumni Committee to reconnect with supporters and harness their many varied skills.

     *It looks like The Inside Track USS Newsletter will have a few new sections added, as it was listed as a good place to share speedskater-specific inquiries. We’re talking Help-Wanted sections for clubs seeking coaches, Housing Swap sections for the families of traveling skaters to work out room-and-board exchanges, and maybe a For Sale section. A few members felt The Inside Track could become a prime clearing house for member communication.

     *USS is always looking for help finding sponsors, and it’s hoping that the general membership might know of a good company to approach. They’re looking for sponsors who want strong, long-lasting partnerships, who give a strong platform to the USS brand and their own, and who can offer value-in-kind or budget-relieving help. Hospitals, banks, and companies involved in education or food and drink are always a match. If you’ve got ideas or contacts, contact USS.

     *Total USS membership through the end of March 2011 is 2321, just 15 shy of the membership record set in January of 2008. Competing athletes make up the bulk of the total at 1159. First year members tally 595. Yyyyyyyyeah, it’s a niche sport.
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