May 16, 2022 Board Update
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by USA Racquetball
GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS -- CHANGES COMING!
At the Board’s Annual Meeting in College Station, the makeup of the Board (and consequently the content of the Leadership page on the USAR website) will undergo changes. A new Board member will join as an athlete representative, and new officers will emerge from the election held in the special reconvened meeting of the Board directly after adjournment of the Annual Meeting. Read on for a synopsis of some of the Board changes that will take place later this month.
- President Dan Whitley, Secretary Cheryl Kirk, and Board Member T. J. Baumbaugh will step away from the USAR Board of Directors for at least two years, per USAR Bylaws Article VII that stipulates term limits.
- Jake Bredenbeck will become the fourth Athlete Representative on the Board, joining Michelle De La Rosa, Danielle Maddux, and Charlie Pratt. Jake was elected to the post by his elite athlete peers (those who have qualified for the U.S. Team in the last 10 years). This fourth position was added to reflect the USOPC’s Bylaws that now require 33.3% athlete representation on all National Governing Body Boards of Directors and Designated Committees.
- All officer terms (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer) expire as of the end of the Annual Meeting, so you’ll want to take a trip back to the USA Racquetball website soon. Visit https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball/leadership/board-of-directors to view Board members’ photos and profiles. Just click on each photo to see the profile, and click on the name to send an email.
The Serving Up the News Board of Directors Update in mid-June will provide a recap of the Annual Meeting as well as the results of the post-meeting officer elections.
MEETING HIGHLIGHTS -- USA Racquetball Board of Directors -- April 25, 2022
Fourteen Board members were in attendance via Zoom. Additionally, Staff members Renée Isherwood and Connor Shane joined the first part of the meeting that involved updates from the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Following are some points of interest:
Executive Director Update (Mike Wedel)
Discussion included the National Event Calendar; membership report; Racquetball and Handball Leadership collaboration (20x40 alliance); Referee and IP Testing upgrade; process for moving the stadium court to Birmingham for The World Games (July 2022). As usual, Mike provided a comprehensive US OPEN update. Planned communication (website, social media, tournament site) is in the works and going out soon to the entire Racquetball world.
BUDGET/FINANCE COMMITTEE UPDATE (Steve Czarnecki)
Financial performance in March underperformed the budget in large part due to an unanticipated insurance cost and costs associated with transporting the portable court to Birmingham, Alabama, for the World Games being held this summer. Court moving costs will be reimbursed to USAR later this year by The World Games Association. Membership and sanction fee revenue both met budget in March. With the first quarter of 2022 in the books, the Finance Committee and staff will be completing a thorough forecast for the remainder of the year to compare against budget. This forecast will include current expectations for the financial performance of the national championships.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE (Cheryl Kirk)
All sports’ National Governing Bodies under the USOPC are subject to periodic review on a rotating basis of their bylaws, policies, and compliance requirements. As USAR continues forward to attain recertification with mid-June targeted for completion, this month the Board reviewed and approved Bylaws revisions––mainly regarding athlete representation in this phase––brought by the Legislative Committee for consideration.
These recent revisions (and all policies) can be viewed at www.usaracquetball.com -- About/Bylaws and About/Policies. The current USA Racquetball Bylaws document bears the date of 4/25/22.
An update was provided here last month regarding required additional SafeSport education/training for the Board and Staff as part of the USOPC recertification process. We are happy to report that as of 4/25/22, all USAR Board and Staff members have completed the required sessions.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 -- Annual Meeting at National Doubles & Singles in College Station, Texas.
--ADJOURNED--
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USAR has taken a hit in membership, which is not unusual with so very many organizations dealing with hard times due to the pandemic. Now that so many indoor and outdoor events are scheduled for the coming months, whether or not you plan to compete soon vs. a few months down the road, please renew your membership now if it’s expired, or gift a friend or family member with a membership. With support from new or renewed memberships that amount to $5/month per player, USAR as the National Governing Body will be able to continue to provide ever-improving programs and competitive events for you and for everyone who values racquetball on the local, state, and national level. Please help!
Something to think about: Committee needs are analyzed every year directly after the Board’s Annual Meeting (this year on May 25th at the USAR National Doubles & Singles Championships). For the list and description of committees, please visit www.usaracquetball.com. Choose About/Bylaws and review Article IX, 903.0. If you find you have specific interest in one or more committees and would like to know more, i.e., time commitment and what to expect from committee service, please write using one of the contact email addresses at the end of this article. Alternatively, seek out a Board member in Texas at the end of May. We’d love to say hello!
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We hope you are finding this newsletter feature informative, and we always welcome suggestions and/or questions to include in future updates. Please contact Stewart Solomon (VP) or Cheryl Kirk (Secretary).
If you have questions about the Staff’s activities, please contact Mike Wedel.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone!
