USA Triathlon Releases Strategic Plan

USA Triathlon September 15, 2008

Based on an extensive process incorporating input from USA Triathlon's key constituencies, including a survey in which more than 17 percent of our members participated, the Strategic Planning Committee presents the following recommendations to the Board of Directors for consideration.

The Board of Directors will use this document, along with input from members and other constituents to refine a strategic plan to be voted upon at the November Board meeting. Please send comments and suggestions to lightning-rod@usatriathlon.org.

Strategic Plan (PDF)
Membership Survey (PDF)
Evaluation of USAT (PDF)
2008 USAT Business Plan (PDF)
Link to Strategic Plan page
Discuss the Strategic Plan in the forum or comment below

I largely agree with USAT's vision for the future. I especially enjoy following the age-group rankings from year to year and setting a goal of improvement in my personal ranking each year. I applaud USAT for such incredible effort to compile the results. I have only one concern about USAT's strategic plan. The possibility of drug testing for age groupers presents several potential issues. While I would love to know that the fellow age groupers I'm racing against are not gaining an unfair advantage through performance-enhancing substance use, I am especially concerned about potential "false positive" test results and the thought of an innocent age grouper being banned, even temporarily, from the hobby that he/she loves. I'm certain that no test is 100% accurate (especially if a reasonably inexpensive form of testing is utilized), and the average age grouper does not have the time or financial backing to respond appropriately to an allegation of performance-enhancing substance use that he/she believes is inaccurate. If USAT moves forward with testing of age groupers, I believe it would be of critical importance to have a user-friendly and economical appeal system in place. Otherwise, I would rather deal with the possibility that a handful of fellow competitors are gaining an unfair advantage than the possibility that an innocent age grouper who uses a supplement that contains an unadvertised ingredient might be banned. Further, the knowledge required of most age groupers to monitor whether they are using potentially banned substances (depending on how extensive the list is) might be unrealistic. Thanks for all you do on behalf of us age groupers!!

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On October 21, 2008 Javier Gomez wrote

I think the USAT does what I need it to do. But here are some comments that stood out to me about the strategy: 1) I like the idea of more education and helping the sport grow more regionally by encouraging more clubs and offering more training for coaches 2) you Waaaay overestimate the importance of the ranking system to the average athlete. I have done triathlons going on 4 years now and have only looked at it twice. I belong to many online triathlon related websites and most members in those are members and pay little to zero attention to rankings. Why? becaus it is not pertinent at least not to any of the athletes I know, I only see it at the end of the year, when all my races are done. If I could see this online on a moer frequent basis I could see it being something I could use and be more of interest to me.
On November 06, 2008 Dan Matheson wrote

I largely agree with USAT's vision for the future. I especially enjoy following the age-group rankings from year to year and setting a goal of improvement in my personal ranking each year. I applaud USAT for such incredible effort to compile the results. I have only one concern about USAT's strategic plan. The possibility of drug testing for age groupers presents several potential issues. While I would love to know that the fellow age groupers I'm racing against are not gaining an unfair advantage through performance-enhancing substance use, I am especially concerned about potential "false positive" test results and the thought of an innocent age grouper being banned, even temporarily, from the hobby that he/she loves. I'm certain that no test is 100% accurate (especially if a reasonably inexpensive form of testing is utilized), and the average age grouper does not have the time or financial backing to respond appropriately to an allegation of performance-enhancing substance use that he/she believes is inaccurate. If USAT moves forward with testing of age groupers, I believe it would be of critical importance to have a user-friendly and economical appeal system in place. Otherwise, I would rather deal with the possibility that a handful of fellow competitors are gaining an unfair advantage than the possibility that an innocent age grouper who uses a supplement that contains an unadvertised ingredient might be banned. Further, the knowledge required of most age groupers to monitor whether they are using potentially banned substances (depending on how extensive the list is) might be unrealistic. Thanks for all you do on behalf of us age groupers!!