Newest bombshell to drop at USAT

ATC

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Very interesting indeed. Thanks for the post.
 

Daniel Sullivan

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You mean that it takes that to ask this?

What is the USAT coming too??

From the posts that I see in the taekwondo section of MT, easily 60 to 80 percent revolve around grievances against USAT. If this is in any way reflective of how the majority of USAT members and athletes feel, then it amazes me that any of you stay with them. It would seem that somebody would have started an alternative league by this point. The way many of the postings read, USAT is in some kind of ivory tower and incapable of steering itself in any meaningful way.

I'm not on the inside, so I certainly don't know.

I would hope that Lopez is suspended pending an investigation. Trouble is, he is the team owner, so far as I know (if I am wrong, someone please correct me), so it isn't as if he can actually be kept from working; just kept from coaching at USAT events. Some clarification from those of you in the know would be appreciated.

Daniel
 

terryl965

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He is the U.S. Olympic Team Coach for U.S A. Tae Kwon Do, if this is true it is a black eye for all those involved in the upper organization. They would have alot of explaining to do and would have to make amends to alot of people. This could be the final straw to make the USOC to step in and re-organized the complete org. in itself.

Last thing Daniel remember the USAT is the NGB for the sport side of TKD for anybody trying to make the Olympics. Yes we do have alternatives AAU and USTC right now but the USAT is the NGB.
 

granfire

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oh, great, another yahoo beating on his wife...giving actually all MA folks a black eye in the process...coach or player...
 

puunui

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From the posts that I see in the taekwondo section of MT, easily 60 to 80 percent revolve around grievances against USAT. If this is in any way reflective of how the majority of USAT members and athletes feel, then it amazes me that any of you stay with them. It would seem that somebody would have started an alternative league by this point. The way many of the postings read, USAT is in some kind of ivory tower and incapable of steering itself in any meaningful way.

The real problem is that the current USAT members complain, and yet they continue to support the organization with members, competitors and coaches at USAT state, regional and national events.

Prior to the remediation (not decertification) of the USTU, the USTU had a membership base of about 40,000. When it became apparent that the USOC was not interested in remediation but rather complete reorganization into staff driven leadership model without state associations, the overwhelming majority of Korean born instructors BOYCOTTED the organization and left, taking their students with them. Those instructors left completely, with the only ones that remain were their students who had national team potential.

That resulted in a 75-80% drop in membership, to current membership levels of 8-10,000. This has crippled the organization, but it wasn't enough to kill it. What needs to happen is to have the rest of the instructors BOYCOTT the organization, leaving only those who have national team potential remaining. If everyone did that, then membership would drop to maybe 1000, and the organization could not survive on those numbers.

It would only be for one or two years. We know USAT is hurting because they came out with that membership task force which tried to find ways of building membership while still maintaining control. USAT recognizes the problem, but still think they can keep control while keeping them in survival mode.

Those instructors can go take all their color belt students as well as younger black belts and compete at the AAU for a couple of years. If everyone did that, then the level of competition would be the same, because all of the same competitors would be there.

Complaining about Jean or Juan or what the organization is doing to the membership does not work because it requires whoever the members are complaining to (i.e., the USOC) to care about what is going on. They don't. We cannot control the reaction or response of the USOC, which is what everyone is hoping will happen. The USOC isn't coming to the rescue.

What we can control is the amount of money that flows into the organization. That is the way to kill USAT, by cutting off their funds. That means cutting off as much financial support to USAT as possible including but not limited to membership fees, state/regional/national tournament fees, coach fees, seminar fees, club registration fees, referee membership fees, and everything else. You can't control the USOC but you can control how much money you give them.

Put another way, there already is in place an ongoing boycott of USAT five years now and it has resulted in an 75-80% reduction in membership. What needs to happen is for another 15 or more percent of the membership to stop participating. It is ironic that the ones who have the most sincerity and the most hope that things will turn around, are the very ones that prevent the turnaround from happening.

Stop going to USAT events for one or two years. It's really that simple.
 

terryl965

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Well the problem with that is alot of parents believe little Johnny is going to be the next Lopez. Mainly because there so called money hungry instructor keeps filling there minds with ******** plan and simple. If all this si true about Jean then this will atke the USAT down because they invested to much into him being like GOD status.
 

puunui

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Well the problem with that is alot of parents believe little Johnny is going to be the next Lopez. Mainly because there so called money hungry instructor keeps filling there minds with ******** plan and simple. If all this si true about Jean then this will atke the USAT down because they invested to much into him being like GOD status.


From what I see, most parents will go along with what the head instructor decides. So if the head instructor says we are going to AAU this year and so are all my friends, then what is the parent's option at that point? Pull their student out of the program? If there are athletes who do have national team potential, the ones in the 14-17 or adult black belt team trial track divisions, then send them and only them to USAT events. The rest, like the color belts and other who form the bulk of the team at USAT national events can go to AAU.

And I don't believe Jean is well liked by USAT. I think they know he is a screw up with a lot of personal problems, and they have known that for a long time. What they like is the Lopez athletes' possibilities of winning Olympic medals which add to the USA team count. But even that has a finite time frame.

Mark has a full time job and career and is almost out of Taekwondo. Diana hates it and would have retired long ago if it weren't for the pressure of the Lopez Family Power thing. Her heart isn't in it anymore. Steven is a machine who will fight at least two more Olympic Games. He will be 32 in London, and perhaps his last hurrah will be 2016. So they keep Jean around because of Steven.

Maybe it will work. Maybe the USOC will say this is bad and we need to change things. If so, then the highest probability will be that the will take Jean out, but the organization will remain. That doesn't solve anything. And you are still relying on the action of the USOC, something that cannot be predicted or controlled.

The key remains to kill all cash to USAT. The Korean born instructors have already done that. What needs to be done is for the american born coaches to get together and make the jump to AAU for a couple of years. That is within people's ability and control.
 

terryl965

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Well I left them long ago and been with AAU and will remain sountil they make a change.
 

miguksaram

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Well the problem with that is alot of parents believe little Johnny is going to be the next Lopez. Mainly because there so called money hungry instructor keeps filling there minds with ******** plan and simple. If all this si true about Jean then this will atke the USAT down because they invested to much into him being like GOD status.
There have been other accusations worse than this against the Lopez and it hasn't brought them down yet. I hope Lil' Johnny will not be the next Lopez. I hope they will strive to achieve better. This can still be done within the AAU just as much as the USAT.
 

terryl965

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There have been other accusations worse than this against the Lopez and it hasn't brought them down yet. I hope Lil' Johnny will not be the next Lopez. I hope they will strive to achieve better. This can still be done within the AAU just as much as the USAT.

Well yes and no they achieve alot though the AAU but to make the Olympics it is solely the USAT right now.
 

Gorilla

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I support the AAU completely and have been active in that organization for 4 years now! We attend USAT events only because we have too!!! They are the NGB and my daughter is a legit contender!!! If we had any other choice we would not attend any USAT Events!!!!
 

puunui

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Well yes and no they achieve alot though the AAU but to make the Olympics it is solely the USAT right now.

that's why you send your 14-17 year old and 18-32 black belts to USAT events and everyone else you send to AAU. Another group that people have no choice but to send to USAT are national poomsae team track events.

But the point is, give USAT as little money as possible. Don't even buy anything from the vendors, which will discourage the vendors from wanting to go to USAT events in the future. Make it as hard financially on them as possible because they are right on the edge of financial failure. We just need to give them one last coordinated push over that edge.
 

terryl965

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I only send a few those that have a real chance of doing something other wise it is and has been AAU for ten years.
 

puunui

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I only send a few those that have a real chance of doing something other wise it is and has been AAU for ten years.

I guess you followed Greg Tubbs to AAU. :) But encourage your friends to do the same. The way to get to USAT is to financially starve them out. That is within the control of the membership, not complaints or elections, which are rigged games.
 

terryl965

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Actually I was at AAU a year before Tubbs came along, but since Greg is a very close friend of mine I will agree. USAT like it or not is in serious danger with everything and everybody that is coming down the pipeline. I hope we get a real NGB for TKD but who knows maybe not.
 

Gorilla

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that's why you send your 14-17 year old and 18-32 black belts to USAT events and everyone else you send to AAU. Another group that people have no choice but to send to USAT are national poomsae team track events.

But the point is, give USAT as little money as possible. Don't even buy anything from the vendors, which will discourage the vendors from wanting to go to USAT events in the future. Make it as hard financially on them as possible because they are right on the edge of financial failure. We just need to give them one last coordinated push over that edge.

Terry and I have been a proponent of this idea for quite a while...You added the vendor element...great idea!!!!
 

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