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#Post#: 463--------------------------------------------------
Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: Don Parker Date: November 30, 2014, 2:47 pm
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The USA Taekwondo discussion has been pretty quiet and
relatively tame since the change in platform months ago. It
might be the new platform is just not as easy to engage with or
it’s too much of a pain for people to switch their IDs over, for
whatever reason the discussion has died off. I miss being
called unsavory names for expressing an opinion. So let me ask
a question.
Is the natural conflict that comes from being the NGB for an
Olympic sport and overseeing the promotion and development of a
martial art that is more than just Olympic sparring possible to
overcome? I think we underestimate the difficulty of serving
those two masters.
Don
#Post#: 464--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: Knucklehead Date: December 1, 2014, 1:54 pm
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Don:
You're not complaining, are you? As for the unsavory names, I
miss reading ChiTKD's posts, too. I know the monkeys and the
footballs are still out there.
I think the NGB/traditional TKD conflict is possible to
overcome, but it requires a ruling body that cares more about
its sport and traditions than they do about themselves. It
requires a membership that cares for more than their own kid's
Olympic chances. I know those people exist, but they are mostly
silent, regardless of what Bruce Harris thinks, and despite
Ronda's efforts here. I think to continue to give the board
time to learn, get used to being a board, etc., etc., is
stretching credulity at this point. The only conclusion that I
can arrive at is that at least some of the board members are
only on the board because they think it's cool to be on a board.
Since reading 'A Killing Art' and learning that there really is
no traditional Taekwondo, maybe it's a moot point. But it still
remains that the art could be taken where its practitioners want
to take it. The tenets can have meaning.
I've given this a fair amount of thought and I believe the
conflict lies where many conflicts lie: money. The threat of
corruption will always be around competitive ventures, and since
they have begun to throw money into the Olympics, the graft and
corruption have increased, and not just around TKD, to state the
obvious. People have complained about the USAT website, but in
reality it is the USOC's website (look at the copyright at the
bottom). It looks virtually identical to all the other NGB
websites. People have complained about athlete selection, but I
believe the USOC is at least in part driving that as well.
There are marketing strategies to consider. No one at the USOC
or USAT are going to tell you that, but when you look at the
selections they are eerily consistent. And no sooner does
somebody get named alternate AAC then they are off and competing
around the world. The USAT gives the USOC what they want by
constantly confusing the procedures and rules and ignoring the
'vocal minority' while paying lip service to the tenets and the
art. They don't really need their members, just their member's
money.
I'd like to think we could have it both ways. I look at
wrestling, and while I'm not in a position to know a whole lot
about it, they seem to avoid the controversy that the USAT finds
themselves in all the time. People actually wrestle each other
for spots on the team. They have a fair amount of success by
fueling competition, not avoiding it. Of course, they have a
different history, and no need for tenets. And when it comes to
serving masters, it's pretty obvious who USAT's master is.
Personally, I was never as invested in sport TKD as most people
on this board. I had a budding interest in it from getting into
TKD at a fairly late age. I saw a growing sport that I became
interested in. But after witnessing the debacle that is
USAT/USOC, I'm no longer really that interested. Now, when I
see people competing, I wonder who got screwed out of their
opportunity. If USAT is looking to appeal to new fans, they
failed miserably here.
Good luck.
#Post#: 465--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: Don Parker Date: December 1, 2014, 7:43 pm
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That is a well thought through and professionally expressed
response. Civilized dialogue within Taekwondo is possible,
hallelujah.
I tend to agree that serving these two very different masters is
possible but I think we underestimate just how complicated a
proposition that is. It may be more at the root of our
struggles than we can see. An independent board with an
independent chair and a non-TKD chief executive might be a
proper model of governance when the goal is exclusively
international success in sport Taekwondo but how does that model
work in supporting our Poomsae aspirations or promoting and
developing the art of Taekwondo nationally? How does that model
support the development of USAT clubs?
I’m beginning to wonder if we don’t need to purify the mission
and have specialized organizations.
Don
#Post#: 466--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: Knucklehead Date: December 2, 2014, 1:38 pm
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Look where the money is. Since the USOC made the USAT the NGB,
it is no longer in the USAT's financial interests to support
poomsae, weapons, or anything else except sport TKD. Doing so
would probably land them on probation again, indirectly. And
when looked at in that light, what the USAT has done makes more
sense. The tricky part is appearing to your members that you do
still care about traditional TKD, when, in reality, you have
already abandoned it for the sport and sold your soul to the
USOC. It's tough to give the appearance of transparency and
open competition for your membership while at the same time
getting the right people in place so the USOC can make a cool
poster of the First Family of TKD and bring in Apollo Ohno to
get everyone excited.
Have the selections become fair? I haven't been paying
attention. Is anybody keeping track of the money? Does anybody
follow by-laws yet?
Your 'specialized organizations' idea sounds interesting. Are
you talking about a complete break with the USAT? I have a
feeling the USAT will fight this in an order to hang onto the
dollars of those members, even though they don't have much
interest in promoting it. Might be a good idea to have a
separate organization to deal with Olympic TKD, and one for
everything else. Would be interesting to see how the membership
would react to that.
#Post#: 470--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: Don Parker Date: December 5, 2014, 3:38 pm
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If something like this were tried you would hope for as closely
aligned organizations as is practical. You could have shared
membership, branding and development but you would need separate
governance and staff otherwise you are back to one organization
again.
I’m just wondering if the demands of being the NGB for sport
Taekwondo answerable to the USOC, including a preference for an
independent board, board chair, and executive leadership can be
reconciled with the need to promote and develop the art
nationally and represent the USA to the Taekwondo
internationally. They seem like very difficult missions to
reconcile.
Don
#Post#: 474--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: rwaitman Date: December 8, 2014, 7:03 am
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The AAU pretty much does this already. The grassroots, the
multiple aspects of the more artistic, aesthetic and non-Olympic
sport components of Taekwondo. Maybe there is some need for
reconciliation there.
#Post#: 477--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: kingfisher Date: December 12, 2014, 8:55 am
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WOW. I thought that USAT took people out and shot them for such
progressive thinking. Particularly thinking such things
outloud.
#Post#: 478--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: rwaitman Date: December 12, 2014, 9:43 am
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I am vested in the USAT, but it is simply not working this way.
The AAU cannot be the NGB, but could certainly help provide a
path to the next level for those prospective Olympians. If there
was a pipeline, and a spirit of cooperation and compromise, we
could all greatly benefit. My perspective only...
#Post#: 486--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: Bagehot Date: January 1, 2015, 5:45 pm
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The Amateur Sports Act states as follows:
[quote]For the sport that it governs, a national governing body
shall—
(1) develop interest and participation throughout the United
States and be responsible to the persons and amateur sports
organizations it represents;
(2) minimize, through coordination with other amateur sports
organizations, conflicts in the scheduling of all practices and
competitions;
(3) keep amateur athletes informed of policy matters and
reasonably reflect the views of the athletes in its policy
decisions;
(4) disseminate and distribute to amateur athletes, coaches,
trainers, managers, administrators, and officials in a timely
manner the applicable rules and any changes to such rules of the
national governing body, the corporation, the appropriate
international sports federation, the International Olympic
Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, and the
Pan-American Sports Organization;
(5) allow an amateur athlete to compete in any international
amateur athletic competition conducted by any amateur sports
organization or person, unless the national governing body
establishes that its denial is based on evidence that the
organization or person conducting the competition does not meet
the requirements stated in section 220525 of this title;
(6) provide equitable support and encouragement for
participation by women where separate programs for male and
female athletes are conducted on a national basis;
(7) encourage and support amateur athletic sports programs for
individuals with disabilities and the participation of
individuals with disabilities in amateur athletic activity,
including, where feasible, the expansion of opportunities for
meaningful participation by individuals with disabilities in
programs of athletic competition for able-bodied individuals;
(8. provide and coordinate technical information on physical
training, equipment design, coaching, and performance analysis;
and
(9) encourage and support research, development, and
dissemination of information in the areas of sports medicine and
sports safety.[/quote]
#Post#: 487--------------------------------------------------
Re: Conflict between being an NGB and overseeing TKD in the US
By: Bagehot Date: January 1, 2015, 5:53 pm
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Looking at the successful NGBs, they are governed by people
enthusiastic about their sports, and make heavy use of their
volunteer skillsets. Much of their success can be found in how
much energy they devote to "grass roots" development.
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