Election Stuff and Other Stuff

If you are sick and tired of reading about USATT and election stuff, jump past the first two items here! However, I think USATT members might be interested in the following USATT vs. USTA comparison.

USATT vs. USTA

I've pointed out for years how, when it comes to promoting and developing their sports, USTA (tennis, 700,000 members) seems to do so many things right, while USATT (8000 members) does not. As I've also pointed out, this is not the norm. Tennis is big in Europe, but in nearly every country there are more paid table tennis memberships than tennis. The U.S. is the big exception here. And yet we're so used to thinking of tennis as "big" and ourselves as "small" that we've come to accept it. But the only reason for this is that tennis does things right, and we don't. Here's a comparison.

Membership Rates

• Adult Membership fee: USATT $49, USTA $44
• Junior Membership Rate: USATT $25 (under 18), USTA $20 (under 19)
• Family Membership Rate: USATT $90, USTA $72

USTA does have the advantage of large numbers that allows them to keep low rates, but low rates often lead to large numbers. I'd like to see USATT lower their rates to match USTA, with the idea that they would likely come out roughly even with the lower rate by getting more members this way. However, USATT is currently facing budget problems, and would be unlikely to lower the rates. Perhaps we can at least freeze them until USTA at least catches up?

USTA Membership Benefits

As a former member of USTA, I have a copy of their main brochure. What do they focus on? In order, this is what the brochure advertises:

USATT Election

USATT members on Wednesday received a mass email from my opponent in the election, the incumbent Jim McQueen. I don't know how he received access to the USATT email database for this mailing, but since he had access, USATT agreed it was only fair that I have access as well. They will send out my own email today at 1PM eastern time. It means he got a one-day headstart on this, with who knows how many of the 6000 or so adult members who received it already voting. I believe most of the membership agrees with me on what's needed to develop our sport, and if they read the campaign statements before voting they will side with me. 

Voting began yesterday - if you haven't voted yet, here's the ballot. And here's my Election Page. I need your support, and so do those who want to see the sport developed in this country - please vote!

Below are links to a series of blogs about my plans if elected to the USATT Board.

USATT Election

Voting began today - and here's the ballot! Alas, the picture of me in the ballot makes me look like a pixilated monster. For comparison, the same picture I sent them is on my Election Page. I've already emailed asking them to fix it. (I'm told it's a technical issue. Or maybe that's what I really look like?)

If you've been reading my blog or have visited my Election Page then you know where I stand on the issues, and know something of my background. I really need your support - please vote!

Below is Part 6 of my series of blogs about my plans if elected to the USATT Board. Here is my Election Page, and here's the USATT Election Notice. Here's my blogging schedule:

USATT Election

Below is Part 5 of my series of blogs about my plans if elected to the USATT Board. Here is my Election Page, and here's the USATT Election Notice. Here's my blogging schedule:

1. Monday, November 24: Create a Nationwide System of Regional Team Leagues
2. Tuesday, November 25: Create State Associations
3. Wednesday, November 26: Create a USATT Coaching Academy to Recruit and Train Professional Coaches
4. Monday, December 1: Turn U.S. Open and Nationals into Premier Events
5. Tuesday December 2: Create a Professional Players Association and Professionalize the Sport
6. Wednesday, December 3: Other Issues (Balloting opens on this day, and continues until Dec. 27.)

Create a Professional Players Association and Professionalize the Sport

=>The Goal: For top USA players to make a living playing professionally.

We need to bring in an entrepreneurial leader to create an independent USA Professional TT Players Association. He would focus on creating a professional league or circuit, and bring in local & national sponsorship money for each event to turn table tennis into a money and TV sport. (He'd be paid primarily via commissions, though USATT might need to put in seed money.) This could grow out of the current NA Tour. A possible model is tennis, where there is a partnership between USTA and the ATP (the professional group).

Tip of the Week

What's Your Game Plan?

USATT Election

Below is Part 4 of my series of blogs about my plans if elected to the USATT Board. Here is my Election Page, and here's the USATT Election Notice. Here's my blogging schedule:

1. Monday, November 24: Create a Nationwide System of Regional Team Leagues
2. Tuesday, November 25: Create State Associations
3. Wednesday, November 26: Create a USATT Coaching Academy to Recruit and Train Professional Coaches
4. Monday, December 1: Turn U.S. Open and Nationals into Premier Events
5. Tuesday December 2: Create a Professional Players Association, and Professionalize the Sport
6. Wednesday, December 3: Other Issues (Balloting opens on this day, and continues until Dec. 27.)

Turning the U.S. Open and Nationals into Premier Events

=>The Goal: Attract players, spectators, TV, and sponsors to our sport.

We need to find permanent homes for the U.S. Open and Nationals, and develop and market them into big properties, like tennis and other sports did with their major events. I'm leery of trying to do both at the same time, so for now I'm leaning toward turning the Open into our huge showcase event, just as USTA (tennis) did with theirs. But most of what I write here could also apply to the U.S. Nationals.

Last Blog Until Monday

I'll be coaching at the North American Teams this weekend (Fri-Sun), and so this'll be my last blog until next Monday. If you're there, stop by and say hello!

USATT Election

Below is Part 3 of my series of blogs about my plans if elected to the USATT Board. Here is my Election Page, and here's the USATT Election Notice. Here's my blogging schedule:

1. Monday, November 24: Create a Nationwide System of Regional Team Leagues
2. Tuesday, November 25: Create State Associations
3. Wednesday, November 26: Create a USATT Coaching Academy to Recruit and Train Professional Coaches
4. Monday, December 1: Turn U.S. Open and Nationals into Premier Events
5. Tuesday December 2: Create a Professional Players Association, and Professionalize the Sport
6. Wednesday, December 3: Other Issues (Balloting opens on this day, and continues until Dec. 27.)

Create a USATT Coaching Academy to Recruit and Train Professional Coaches
=>The Goal: Large numbers of coaches, training centers, and junior & adult programs.
This leads to large numbers of juniors and adult players. The Academy would expand on the current ITTF Program. Since the coaches pay for their training (as they do in the ITTF program and in other sports), the system pays for itself.
More Training Centers => More Junior Programs => More Players and Higher Level of Play

USATT Election

Below is Part 2 of my series of blogs about my plans if elected to the USATT Board. Here is my Election Page, and here's the USATT Election Notice. Here's my blogging schedule:

1. Monday, November 24: Create a Nationwide System of Regional Team Leagues
2. Tuesday, November 25: Create State Associations
3. Wednesday, November 26: Create a USATT Coaching Academy to Recruit and Train Professional Coaches
4. Monday, December 1: Turn U.S. Open and Nationals into Premier Events
5. Tuesday December 2: Create a Professional Players Association, and Professionalize the Sport
6. Wednesday, December 3: Other Issues (Balloting opens on this day, and continues until Dec. 27.)

Create State Associations
=>The Goal: Dramatically increase membership by organizing on the local level.
The country is too big to have everything run by one centralized group. We should model this on tennis or the regional table tennis associations all over Europe.

Some states already have state associations, and if so, that's great - we don't have to do anything other than offer support. (Some very large states may have two or more associations, such as California.) But most don't, and most current ones aren't very active - we need to work with those ones to organize at a higher level. We need truly active state associations that can truly run table tennis in their state or region. I was involved in tennis leagues and saw how effectively a volunteer-run state association can operate. (This doesn't mean it's all volunteer - there are also full-timers involved. We need to find the right mix.)

Tip of the Week

Pre-Serve Routine - a 1-2-3 Approach.

USATT Election

Below is Part 1 of my series of blogs about my plans if elected to the USATT Board. Here is my Election Page, and here's the USATT Election Notice. Here's my blogging schedule:

1. Monday, November 24: Create a Nationwide System of Regional Team Leagues
2. Tuesday, November 25: Create State Associations
3. Wednesday, November 26: Create a USATT Coaching Academy to Recruit and Train Professional Coaches
4. Monday, December 1: Turn U.S. Open and Nationals into Premier Events
5. Tuesday December 2: Create a Professional Players Association, and Professionalize the Sport
6. Wednesday, December 3: Other Issues (Balloting opens on this day, and continues until Dec. 27.)

Create a Nationwide System of Regional Team Leagues

=>The Goal: Dramatically increase USATT membership.

USATT Election

Sometime today USATT will announce the ballot for the upcoming USATT election. It'll likely be a USATT news item. (I'll add a "Breaking News!" item here when it comes out.) As I've blogged about, I applied to be on the ballot. If I'm on the ballot, then I'll create a "USATT Election" tab here, and start to blog about what I'll do as a USATT board member. I'll also put online the one-page statement I sent to USATT outlining why I want to run for the board, what I will do, and my qualifications. (When I say "what I will do," that also means I will work to get USATT to do it, so it'll become "we.") As I blogged on October 23, there are five major things I will do if I'm on the board, plus a growing number of "other issues" (currently at twelve) that I'd also like to take action on. (I blogged about these twelve on November 14.) Then I'll blog about each of the five issues, one per day, outlining the plans for each, and then blog about the other issues on the sixth day. And on the seventh day, I'll . . . play table tennis.

BREAKING NEWS: I'm on the ballot! See my new USATT Election tab in the menu on the left.

Violence in Table Tennis

New Ball Prices are "Extortionate," Relative Costs, and a Poly/Celluloid Ball Comparison

Here's the article by Matt Hetherington. I too am a bit struck by how expensive they are. So I did a little research. The new Nittaku Premium 40+ poly ball (that's a mouthful) retail price is going to be $33.95/dozen, or $2.83/ball. (Maybe they are charging by the word? They are currently on sale for $25.95, but only for those entered in the USA Nationals, limit one dozen balls per player due to limited quantities available.) The Nittaku Sha 40+ poly ball costs $24.95/dozen, or $2.08/ball. Meanwhile, the regular celluloid Nittakus cost $17.95/dozen, or $1.50/ball. The Nittaku Premium ball costs $25.95/dozen, or $2.16/ball. The prices of the celluloid balls have been rising steadily for years, and now they cost more than tennis balls. (I'm using prices per dozen. When bought in smaller quantities, such as 3-packs, they cost more, and will likely be over $3/ball, as noted in Matt's article.)

Let's re-iterate: