The following text is a letter (reprinted with permission and unedited)
to USATF from an elite athlete. It provides an insight into the
athlete's view of the sport and why change is needed.
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Hello Mr Logan,
As
I sit back and look at all the transitions of power in USATF and read
the findings of Project 30, I find myself still questioning the real
benefit of being an "elite" athlete. First, let me address the title of
"elite." What exactly is that label? Beginning with the intangibles,
"Elite" athletes sacrifice time, effort, pride, sweat, tears, just to
name a few. Tangibly, I can list from the weekly massages, agent and
coaching fees, medical bills for injuries and rehab, traveling
expenses, the list continues. And good luck if you don't have a shoe
contract, which is the only consistent source of sponsorship in our
sport. The shoe companies have so much control, athletes
find themselves and their career at the beckon call of others when it
should be vice versa.
Now if you were to actually take the
numbers of all the athletes who you label "Elite" and complete a
traditional ROI formula that any corporation/Individual (that's what
we label ourselves on any 1040 form) would use, we would be considered
a beyond the doubt statistical business failure. So how should we view
things from our perspective? Statistically like any other business?
Based on the average ROI of the USATF "Elite" athletes, collectively
we are statistically an organized failure, who expenses outweigh the
revenue.
