From the video that
@Tricia posted, the dude needs to lose the hat, find a jacket that fits rather than one that tries to hide his girth and join the 21st Century.
I bet that the YSC group could fund the whole shebang let alone filling the gap.
I am ashamed that our national ski team is not ranked higher given the resources we
should have at our team’s disposal
I love this perspective, from somebody fairly new to the sport, with incredible interest and passion, and who is NO stranger to high level, professional, and global athletics. It's a very sincere, "what the heck?" perspective. A great one.
There is a lot of inertia, as some describe it, with this organization. Well intended, but just doing maybe not the same thing, but similar things year after year. I think that rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic would be a harsh metaphor, but it needs a lot of "new" in countless ways. Much of what they do is same old. Many alums. Like there is magic to solving this that has to come form having been part of the system.
Yes, any one of a number of the YSC members could write a check to cover the entire budget, and not miss it. If you approach this with some serious targeting, I just don't see how this is such an ongoing struggle. If this crowd could meet some of these athletes who are self funding, they would be very, very impressed with them as people. They are very good people. And my hunch is that those approached would be shocked to learn of the way this does NOT hang together. It is not logical to many.
When you hear some race families in conversation, it is eye opening. The friends make a comment like "You must be so proud that your child is a "professional" athlete. Skiing at the highest level of the sport." And they parents, if these are close friends, explain that their child is NOT on the USST, because she is two months "too old", and that they are paying about $100K a year for her to represent the USST. Yes she races with MS and LV, but unlike them, who earn multiple millions, we pay and sacrifice. She tries to raise money, but this sport is demanding. You only have so much time. Oh, and we understand that life is not fair, and that she is no MS, or LV. But she's one of the best 100 in the world.
That conversation has taken place, with "kids" of both genders, for many, many years.
I had never thought of this one, but last weekend over dinner, a friend who is quite clued into this made the comment that he wonders if the organization is to some degree embarrassed at how things are, in terms of approaching individuals for a big ask. If so, that is really bad and foolish. I sure hope there is no hint of that.
I'm not a complete neophyte to this. I am with respect to the USST, and their internal development plan. In other lives in volunteer work, I have done a fair amount of "asking." I recall asking a couple for a $1Million gift. For a school. The guy asked me what on earth they should do it, as we were in such trouble. I was brutally frank. Told him that we had all new leaders, swept out the old. Told him that his gift would make a huge difference, etc. Then I said, to be honest, I'd like to ask you to consider $2Mil. The next day, he gave us $2.5Mil. Said that he believed in the case made, and appreciated our honesty in discussing how bad things were, how we had fallen into the mess, and how we planned on moving forward.
I don't know how the USSA pitches things. Do they admit that the "Center of Excellence" was possibly a real misuse of funds? Do they admit that the "US Team Academy" was a mistake? I have no idea. What I do know is that when you approach people with the resources and a potential interest, you need to have a strong case for why their support will make big difference, and on why your organization needs to move up the list of their philanthropic priorities. As one of my friends who does a lot of this says "Why you should give a S***, much more."
The challenge here is, IMO, that this has the perception of being a rich, white kids sport. And it's almost inconceivable to many a smart person that you could not secure corporate sponsorships, and partnerships to cover the entire thing. I have heard that over and over again. People not so familiar with this just shocked.
It's a serious challenge. I really hope that it can be "fixed." And one last time, I KNOW that people tasked with this care, and are working hard at it. Sometimes, you need to shake things up. More.
I am very glad that my kids did not follow the USST dream, and instead raced though college, and stopped. That was costly, and emotionally, rough enough. This ride of being so close, but not on the team, and not being funded is brutal.
Best of luck.