Did a “deep dive” on USOC structure and funding back when the Aspen Institute/Project Play guy was going nuts over Norway’s system. USOC has almost no money. That’s why all the non-revenue generating athletes go into hock just for the opportunity to try out for the Olympics. Another thing I thought was funny; although the USOC has coach education guidelines and a coaching framework, USA Basketball hadn’t adopted them. May be different now, but WTF?
When I wrote Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball in 2005, I asked someone at USA Basketball why they did not have coach education. I was told it was not their mission. Then, I was told it would take too long to put together and cost too much money. That's why I created my old Youth Basketball Coaching Association web page - just to show that it was possible. It took a month and $500 to put up the site. They told me it would take 10 years and millions of dollars.
I learned a bit more when I spoke at the USOC Coaching Conference. We take for granted that NBA teams should make billions of dollars because NBA games are televised because that's how it's been done. But, that's not how it has to be done...NBA teams pay up to $750,000 as a buyout to European clubs when they draft a player who is under a professional contract in Europe, but have no expense when drafting a college player. The NBA helps to fund clubs and development in other countries, but not in the USA!! In soccer, when a player signs his first pro contract with a different club than he played youth soccer, the professional club makes a training compensation payment to his youth club based on where he signs and how many years, much like the example above.
When the U.S. relied primarily on a school-based system that was free or relatively low cost, we did not notice the inequity. Also, TV contracts had not ballooned, and with them, the franchise values and college facility boom. When I was young, school sports were basically free; maybe you paid for practice gear and shoes, which you kept. Little League was inexpensive. As we have adopted a more privatized approach to youth sports, costs have ballooned, and simultaneously, TV contracts have skyrocketed, along with the franchise values. So, now even school sports are no longer free, much of youth sport is privatized, and professional sports hoards hundreds of billions of dollars and college sports have world-class facilities that are used 2-3 hours per day and unavailable to the masses, even at public universities that are, once again, supposed by tax revenue. Despite these changes, nobody wants to connect the dots...
Did a “deep dive” on USOC structure and funding back when the Aspen Institute/Project Play guy was going nuts over Norway’s system. USOC has almost no money. That’s why all the non-revenue generating athletes go into hock just for the opportunity to try out for the Olympics. Another thing I thought was funny; although the USOC has coach education guidelines and a coaching framework, USA Basketball hadn’t adopted them. May be different now, but WTF?
When I wrote Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball in 2005, I asked someone at USA Basketball why they did not have coach education. I was told it was not their mission. Then, I was told it would take too long to put together and cost too much money. That's why I created my old Youth Basketball Coaching Association web page - just to show that it was possible. It took a month and $500 to put up the site. They told me it would take 10 years and millions of dollars.
I learned a bit more when I spoke at the USOC Coaching Conference. We take for granted that NBA teams should make billions of dollars because NBA games are televised because that's how it's been done. But, that's not how it has to be done...NBA teams pay up to $750,000 as a buyout to European clubs when they draft a player who is under a professional contract in Europe, but have no expense when drafting a college player. The NBA helps to fund clubs and development in other countries, but not in the USA!! In soccer, when a player signs his first pro contract with a different club than he played youth soccer, the professional club makes a training compensation payment to his youth club based on where he signs and how many years, much like the example above.
When the U.S. relied primarily on a school-based system that was free or relatively low cost, we did not notice the inequity. Also, TV contracts had not ballooned, and with them, the franchise values and college facility boom. When I was young, school sports were basically free; maybe you paid for practice gear and shoes, which you kept. Little League was inexpensive. As we have adopted a more privatized approach to youth sports, costs have ballooned, and simultaneously, TV contracts have skyrocketed, along with the franchise values. So, now even school sports are no longer free, much of youth sport is privatized, and professional sports hoards hundreds of billions of dollars and college sports have world-class facilities that are used 2-3 hours per day and unavailable to the masses, even at public universities that are, once again, supposed by tax revenue. Despite these changes, nobody wants to connect the dots...
Enjoyed reading this. I learned a lot. Thank you for posting!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for posting.
Love your work, and insight.
Thank you. Appreciate it.