Where's The Money?
Money was a big factor in my decision not to renew my membership. At that time I felt it was too expensive for what I got in return. After seeing what US Diving has been doing over the years, I am happy with my decision. I can't afford the organization. If I ran my household budget the way they run the organization's budget, I would be broke.
The senior divers that recently confronted the USD President because they felt that they were lied to just may get one of their wishes. All trips were cancelled at that time because there were no funds to pay for them. If the Governing Board continues to spend money at its current level, one prediction has surfaced that says US Diving will be broke within 3 years. The reason is really very simple. Spending is way up and sponsorships are almost non-existent. This is the same problem we saw back in 1998.
Who is responsible for sponsorships and the spending that may make the organization go under? That same small group of people who keep playing musical chairs are responsible for this recurring problem. It happened once before and here we go again. Over the past few years millions of dollars have been spent in chasing the elusive International medals. Now they are spending more money on training sites. Last year $130,000 was spent on the Indianapolis site. They have spent over a hundred thousand dollars on this site already and the year is not over yet. The Oklahoma site is now operating and it will cost a lot of money to run. Rumor has it that the President has asked for at least two hundred thousand dollars for these sites to operate next year. Don't forget that there is also a National training site just over the horizon and it will need support too. Remember these sites were supposed to be self-supportive when it was just an idea.
Where else is US Diving money being spent? In the recent past some or all of the officers' travel expenses were paid for going to various meetings and trips that could have aptly been handled by teleconferencing. Money is being spent unwisely and without regard for any budget constraints. This behavior could lead one to believe that they feel it's theirs to use as they please.
Since the guiding principle in any business is its bottom line (money), then someone has to keep an eye on the funds. It 's called accountability. This has been a sore point with the administration because they don't want the world to know how much they have. Unfortunately that mentality keeps the membership from knowing where the funds come from and where they go. This cycle of secrecy must be broken if US Diving is going to continue being the National Governing Body for the Sport. To continue as they are doing may mean the demise of US Diving Inc.