USA Taekwondo Initiates All-American Program

[ATC]

http://usa-taekwondo.us/news/2010/01/13/usa-taekwondo-initiates-all-american-program/30519?ngb_id=10

Seems like a great idea, but will the achievers of this new status be entitled to anything or is this just a status. It seems to me that if you win any of the events needed to gain this status you already are going to be a Jr. Team member or at least have the opportunity to be.

So is there a point or reason for such a new title?

And what do they mean by "Program"? Just looks like a title that you are given if you win at the national level. No real program you will be in.

 

[terryl965]

I can see this going into a program developed for Jean and the rest of those guys. I can be wrong but knowing the USAT track record this is for the money down the road, what else could come from it? I mean they have no real grssroot program for developing athletes except those guys camps so why would this be any difference.

 

[Gorilla]

This is a marketing tool to get people to go to multiple events

 

[ATC]

This is a marketing tool to get people to go to multiple events

Seem about right. My thought is, if you already win at the national or international level, then you already have the title of National Champion and will most likely be ask to join or be a part of the National team. You just won the top prize other than the Olympics. So what meaning does All American title have?

I could see if this was a team sport (football, basketball, soccer and so on...) and you just happen to be on the team that won the championship but did not really contribute and as a team you all were titled AA's. But this is really an individual sport. Once you win the top prize you are pretty much it.

 

[Gorilla]

They are concerned that they are losing athletes. This is an attempt to make sure that people attend Nationals/US Open...We consider ourselves AAU people but we still attend USAT events. This will have no impact on our fight planning in 2010. I wish we could get behind the USAT but they don't seem to be concerned with our group...seems as if things are going to change at USAT...we will see!!!!

 

[terryl965]

Gorilla I am with you on this, the USAT does not care about my group except for Zachary developement and that is more of a certain person. I am and will always be A.A.U., we need the USAT for the sake of trying to make the Olympics and that is all.

mango.man I can see this as a tool to try and keep members, over the last four years there membership has dropped 48% and every year it gets smaller. At one time even all the younger B.B's had someone to fight, this past year we had 19 National Champions crowned and they never even fought one fight at the USAT, how is this possible?

 

[ATC]

...this past year we had 19 National Champions crowned and they never even fought one fight at the USAT, how is this possible?

Why is this even possible? At the least they should combine (move a class up or down) the single person class with another. It seems that a little common sense would make things a lot better.

We tried to do AAU but there just aren’t many tournaments on the west coast. There were a couple but it seems that the midwest and east coast have many more.

 

[terryl965]

Why is this even possible? At the least they should combine (move a class up or down) the single person class with another. It seems that a little common sense would make things a lot better.

We tried to do AAU but there just aren’t many tournaments on the west coast. There were a couple but it seems that the midwest and east coast have many more.

I understand the AAU is alot better about combinding groups and making sure people fight. May I ask why your club does not try and build the AAU out there, it is a great way to developed younger athletes.

 

[ATC]

I understand the AAU is alot better about combinding groups and making sure people fight. May I ask why your club does not try and build the AAU out there, it is a great way to developed younger athletes.

When you say build, what do mean? I think we have gone to one AAU event since my time here. If you go to AAU web site and look at the schedule for 2010 on the west coast you will see maybe 2 tournaments and one being a qualifier. So we have to do the larger local tournaments like the Stanford Open and the Berkeley Open. Robinsons TKD also puts on a pretty big tournament as well. Then there are the major USAT deals. Qualifiers, National/Jr O., and US Open. We may do a few other small tournaments but that is about it. We go to maybe 6 or 7 tournaments a year.

 

[terryl965]

When you say build, what do mean? I think we have gone to one AAU event since my time here. If you go to AAU web site and look at the schedule for 2010 on the west coast you will see maybe 2 tournaments and one being a qualifier. So we have to do the larger local tournaments like the Stanford Open and the Berkeley Open. Robinsons TKD also puts on a pretty big tournament as well. Then there are the major USAT deals. Qualifiers, National/Jr O., and US Open. We may do a few other small tournaments but that is about it. We go to maybe 6 or 7 tournaments a year.

I will send you a e-mail talking about it.

 

[Gorilla]

When you say build, what do mean? I think we have gone to one AAU event since my time here. If you go to AAU web site and look at the schedule for 2010 on the west coast you will see maybe 2 tournaments and one being a qualifier. So we have to do the larger local tournaments like the Stanford Open and the Berkeley Open. Robinsons TKD also puts on a pretty big tournament as well. Then there are the major USAT deals. Qualifiers, National/Jr O., and US Open. We may do a few other small tournaments but that is about it. We go to maybe 6 or 7 tournaments a year.

This is the deal on the West Coast the AAU doesnot have a great impact. Go to a qualifier(it won't be great). Then go to there Nationals it is as good as the USAT if not better. The team trials for juniors and seniors is better than USAT. The National Team experience is much better. And they have a Cadet Team for your young one...A much better experience for the parent...My daughter is on the Jr National Team and she has gone to Holland and will be going to Spain this year free of charge...they also give them uniforms and equipment...THey treat the parents very well

 

[ATC]

Thanks. Looks like the AAU is more interested in developing the athetes. Maybe I will have to have my Sabumnim look into this. Even though there are only a couple of tournaments here in CA.