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2006 USA Diving Convention
Hawaii Coach Delegate Report
Summary of Events at the Convention:
The 2006 USA Diving
Annual Meeting (Convention) took place in Dearborn Michigan, September 13-17.
It was a small affair, with fewer than 50 attendees (similar to last
year). It has been hypothesized that the numbers have dropped off
the last two years with the rise of the AAU diving program, with many of those
who feel disenfranchised putting their energies into the AAU.
However, it also made for incredibly less fractious
meetings. The Governance
Committee’s report was accepted without discussion, and the Rules
Committee’s report was accepted after discussion of only one item (which
should have been two – the item discussed regarded qualification to the USA
Diving Summer Nationals for individual events and the accompanying item
regarding synchro was not discussed). Each
General Assembly meeting ended at least an hour early!
I did not attend the CCE, the Grassroots, the Finance, or
the Membership Committee meetings. In
the General Assembly, those committees reported. Most of the CCE discussions centered on our recent success at
medaling during world-level events and explaining next year’s calendar.
The Grassroots committee reported on the inaugural National Grassroots
Invitational and its work on proposing the Future Champions program to replace
USA Diving’s current novice/intermediate program.
The Finance Committee no longer reports to the General Assembly, only to
the BOD, so I cannot speak to that, but it appears we are in better shape
financially now than in recent years, due to USOC Funding based on our medals at
world-level events. The Membership
Committee has been highly focused on the Grassroots area this year, and plans to
expand its focus to include the Junior level this year – it was noted that we
seem to have good plans in action for the Grassroots and Elite levels, but not
the “middle.”
The resignation of Todd Smith as Executive Director was
also discussed. Todd will leave USA
Diving effective December 31, 2007.
I spoke with both Dave Burgering and Ron O’Brien
regarding “transparency” issues that I think
USA Diving must confront. In
particular, I questioned how vacancies in elected/appointed positions are filled
(i.e., the fact that the replacement for the Junior VP position was announced
last year at the same time as the fact that the originally elected official
resigned and issues with the selection process of the Junior World Team Leader
position – there actually were two positions, a letter of interest and a
summary of qualifications was requested, but no criteria were provided to
potential applicants, and a vote on the candidates was taken without any
discussion ). Dave assured me that
the Board and USA Diving were working to rectify such issues.
The following sections discuss the major changes in Code
and Rules, the results of the Elections, Bids for Meets, and the happenings
regarding Coach Education.
Code Changes/Governance Committee:
There were 26 code proposals (despite this being an
election year, requiring 85% approval from the committee and -90% of the Board
of Governors for approval of Code changes)
Major changes approved follow:
Novice Program – now called Future Champions program
Clarification that Life Members who wish to coach must have current safety certification
(clarification of coach members
who have medical licenses – you do not need to take CPR/first aid – contact
national office for waiver)
Added four Athlete Reps to convention so that athletes are
not overworked, spreading themselves too thinly on committees.
Also added provisions for electing alternates when needed.
Revised election procedures to ensure that, in elections
for multiple positions, candidates who get a majority of votes cast are removed
from ballot and ballots are reprinted. This
way all remaining candidates get opportunity to have votes that had gone to the
successful ones.
Specified that three members of the BOD can call a special vote on any given matter.
Provided that any non-USA Diving member of the Finance
Committee not be given voting rights at Convention
Vice President Senior becomes an ex-officio member of the
CCE, instead of advisory
Changed CCE tenure to match the tenure of the position one
serves in USA Diving that qualify them to the Committee in the first place.
Changed criteria for membership on CCE – International
Subcommittee. Now any former
Olympian/Olympic Staff member or someone who has two instances of service to
World Champ’s, World University Games as staff or athlete, or Junior World
staff.
Added VP – Competitive Excellence to CCE
Specified that the Nominations Committee will give notice of upcoming elections by May 1st of the year, via the USA Diving website.
Added wording that code change proposals must follow same
format as rules change proposals.
All sanctioning will occur online, with LDAs being kept in
the loop and still having some responsibilities – fees go back to LDA
Transfers basically must happen at least 30 days prior to the earliest qualifying meet to any given national championship, or the athlete must remain unattached until after that championship. Exceptions are made for athletes whose clubs merge or dissolve.
Rules Changes/Rules Committee
There were 27 General Rules Change Proposals, 47
Senior Rules Change Proposals, and 56 Junior
Rules Change Proposals (despite
this being an election year, requiring 85% approval from the committee and
90% of the Board of Governors for approval of Rules changes)
Summary/Explanation of Major Changes Follow:
General Rules
US Open changed Name to
USA Spring Nationals – rules remain the same (allows NCAA athletes better
chance of participating, given varying compliance officers’ interpretations
and school funding policies)
CCE can designate that
athletes who miss a preliminary meet because they are competing in an
international event be allowed to compete in the quarterfinals/semifinals of the
upcoming nationals regardless of any previous qualification to that level.
This is also extended to synchro partners of such athletes.
Armstand DDs now conform
to FINA’s rules (basically, 6241 must be
B or C, not D)
All “official”
championship meets have been designated with particular names, and the rule book
will be consistent with the names.
Dive sheets can no
longer be changed to correct errors after the start of an event.
Diving Order for
championships now changed to conform with FINA’s policies.
Divers who fail to make
DD minimums will be disqualified
Proper procedures for
canceling judges’ awards in Synchronized and Individual events was clarified
and codified.
Senior Rules
Senior Subcommittee of the CCE now oversees all Senior
competitions in the USA.
Specifications for how long prior to the
quarterfinals of the USA Champs the prelims may be held were deleted.
If bids for a given meet are submitted during Annual Meeting, verbal and concomitant written bids now can be accepted later.
Approval for Site Selection Committee’s
recommendations/Corporate Partner’s naming of meets now goes to CEO instead of BOD.
Information to be sent out by Meet Directors now includes
whether registration is to be done online, by mail, or a combo.
Sheet drop deadlines set for National Preliminaries:
6 PM on night prior to first day of competition and noon on each subsequent day,
with a grace period of 30 minutes.
Meet directors of USA Diving Nationals/Preliminaries will
have someone available to accept and confirm dive sheet changes more than 3
hours prior to start of first event each day.
CCE may establish that Nationals be run in a tournament/cup
format. If so, the Senior Rules
Subcommittee shall establish the format for the competition.
DD minimums have
been dropped for ALL Senior events, since international competitors are now
selected by Selection Camps and not by meet results.
1M
3M
PL
S3M
SPL
Women’s Events
11.4
13.1
13.2
7.5
8.0
Men’s Events 15.4 16.8 16.3 11.1 11.2
If there are six or fewer synchro teams entered in any semifinals, then there will only be a finals for that event.
Synchro points now go to top 16 teams, not just top 4.
Changes in rounds judges for Panels A and B were revised to
match the competition standards.
All the “Hawaii Rule” Language reverted to what it used
to be. NOTE: JEFF STABILE DID NOT SUBMIT, DISCUSS, OR VOTE ON ANY
“HAWAII RULE” PROPOSALS – HE EVEN ASKED THAT THIS BE NOTED IN THE ANNUAL
MEETING MINUTES!
OVERSIGHT – We accepted a
proposal that makes synchro teams who placed 1st through 4th
at the previous two senior nationals eligible…
OVERSIGHT -- CCE may declare synchro teams eligible who they feel may place in international competitions
Language
clarifying present policy of adding surcharges to entry fees at the request of
the Finance Committee
Sheet drop deadlines for Spring/Summer Regionals and
Spring/ Summer East West are 6 PM on night prior to first day of competition and
noon on each subsequent day, with a grace period of 30 minutes.
Rule Book now shows the DD requirements and dive group requirements for the Platform events at the Summer East/West Champs.
Rules for making cuts at Spring/Summer Regionals if there
need to be…only for 16-18, only if there are more than 40 in an event.
If the above happens, and meet director feels it necessary to make cuts,
then divers to optionals first, and the top 24 move on to the finals
(voluntaries).
All references to judges’ reimbursement has been
stricken, as such has not been given in many years.
Prequalification of divers from Summer East/West champ’s
to finals of the Junior Nationals has been stricken – language added so that
top 12 from East/West move on to preliminaries of the Junior Nationals.
All the “Hawaii Rule” Language reverted to what it used
to be. NOTE: JEFF STABILE DID NOT SUBMIT, DISCUSS, OR VOTE ON ANY
“HAWAII RULE” PROPOSALS – HE EVEN ASKED THAT THIS BE NOTED IN THE ANNUAL
MEETING MINUTES!
Finals at Junior Nationals are now optionals only.
Addition of new status level at Junior Nationals that all
top-six finishers in finals are designated “All Stars.”
Finals Judging at Junior Nationals will have seven judge
panels. Two high and two low awards
will be cancelled.
Changes in rounds judges for Panels A and B were revised to match the competition standards.
Alaska and Hawaii Rules explicitly extended to Spring East/West Champs.
The Future Champions Program was delineated.
Too much to report here in detail.
Basically, FC has levels of competition.
In each level, athletes choose skills from a skill bank.
The top level is equivalent to a 13U junior list.
Competitions can be help by Level or by Age Group, or by Level within Age
Group. For specifics, see the www.usadiving.org
website.
Elections:
All incumbents retained their positions, except in the
Foundation. There were no contested
elections whatsoever, except for the Foundation.
There was some disagreement as to whether “Officers”
who have been elected to vacated positions by the BOD should have to be elected
by the BOG at the next Annual Meeting or not.
One code says they are elected to serve the tenure of the term, another
says that all vacancies are to be voted upon by members.
New code proposal needs to be submitted next year to rectify this!
It would not likely have made a difference, since there were no
challengers in any of the open positions. The
VP Admin, the VP Junior, and the VP Competitive Excellence would have been open
for vote had the more sweeping code prevailed, but the Governance Committee
voted that the more specific code trumped it.
Keith Miller and I disagreed, and Camila McLean abstained.
There were no other Zone D representatives at the meeting
willing to take my positions on the Rules and the Governance committees, so I am
still serving :/
The three elected members of the Foundation are: Jared
Book, Steve MacFarland, and Ed
Richmond.
Bids for Meets:
Most meets are now selected by Site Selection Committees.
However, the Junior Regionals and the Senior Preliminaries are still up
for bid. Region 9 offered either of
the 2007 Regional Meets to Hawaii (default will be Southern California) and
there were no bids whatsoever for the 2008 Zone D Senior Preliminary meet. I put in a
verbal bid on the 2008 Zone D Preliminary meet, so we can discuss it at out
Annual Meeting. We can pull out if
need be at any moment without losing face.
Rose Bowl Aquatics agreed to host the meet if we cannot.
Coach Education:
This aspect of convention is getting better each year!
There were two sessions on Thursday with Dr. Jeni McNeal about
periodization and dryland training, as well as one on Friday by Janet Gabriel
about long-term athlete development.
Better yet were the hands-on workshops (and opportunities
to be certified) in hand-spotting on the floor, hand and belt spotting on the
tramp, and belt-spotting on the dry board and wet board.
Dry platform spotting was supposed to be help, but wasn’t.
Jim Stillson was EXCELLENT with the handspotting, and Dick Kimball was
his incomparable self on the wet-board. I
challenged the dry-board, so didn’t get any training there.
Time ran out for me and trampoline, but I did trampoline at the last
convention. The results of our
certifications from the last convention have never been given out – hopefully
we can follow-up and get actual certifications.
A free safety certification course was also held in conjunction with the convention, which I believe will become a regular feature.
If any of you have questions or want more details regarding the happenings at Convention, please feel free to contact me at twisterj@tmail.com. You can also contact the National Office to get a copy of the minutes of the General Assembly (and request any information about individual Committee notes) at todd.smith@usadiving.org.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Stabile,