News & Media

President's Semi-Annual Report (Year 2007)

By Lawrence Fleischer, USADSF President
August 2007

Since the House of Delegates meeting in Washington, DC in December 2006, there were several positive and negative developments.

The positive developments are:

1. The grand success of 2007 Winter Deaflympics in Salt Lake City with many thanks to Sorenson Communications and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD).
2. The multiple successes of sending the USA teams to different international sporting events:
   
   Guangzhou, China for the 2nd World Deaf Basketball Championships
   Munich, Germany for the Dresse & Maere Tennis Cups
   Valencia, Venezuela for the 4th Pan American Deaf Games
   Taipei, Taiwan for the 2nd World Deaf Swimming Championships
   

In addition, the USA soccer team participated in the United Kingdom Tour and USA individual athletes in Horsens, Denmark for the 3rd Nordic-Baltic Deaf Orienteering Championships.

The continuance of the agreement between the USADSF and CSD for the home office in Sioux Falls - without the home office, the USADSF heads to chaos. Thus, CSD has our everlasting appreciation.

The negative developments are:

1. The USADSF revenue that is drastically dropped through the major reduction of individual membership dues from $16 to $5.
2. The USOC's firm standing on not recognizing the Deaflympics as part of its focus. Currently, Olympics, Paralympics, and Pan American Games are the focus of the USOC.
3. USA athletes had to raise so much funds by themselves for participating in the aforementioned international sporting events.

As you can see above, there is an explosion of international sporting events. I know that hard work is required for the NSOs to send their teams overseas. Their willingness to accept challenges for sending the teams to international events must be duly noted. The USADSF is now exploring an establishment of a foundation as a way to help finance some of the cost for international competitions. We should have more details about the foundation at the next House of Delegates meeting in Washington, DC on November 30th - December 2nd, 2007. Another way to help the NSOs for such international expenditures is an increase of individual and organizational membership fees. Through the constant dialogue with the USOC, we remain hopeful that the USOC recognizes the Deaflympics as part of the focus.

The Deaf Sports Reform Symposium in Zagreb, Croatia on July 5-6, 2007 was a wonderful meeting and addressed the needed changes if we want to push the world of deaf sports to a newer height. The two-day gathering did not carry any official business but the delegates agreed on the future directions:

1. The name change to International Deaflympic Committee (IDC) from International Committee on Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) may also impact each country for renaming its organization. For example, the USADSF may be renamed to USADC (USA Deaflympic Committee). The rationale behind it is an easier and common understanding of the word "Deaflympics" around the world. It could result in more support from both governments and sponsors toward the Deaflympics.
2. The tasks preparing for Winter and Summer Deaflympics have proven to become too large and cumbersome. Under the proposed plan, the IDC will focus exclusively on Deaflympics and relinquish its traditional responsibility for conducting World Deaf Championship events to another organization. In addition, another organization separate from both the IDC and World Deaf Championships will be devoted to promoting sports for deaf youth.
3. Each organization will have its own headquarters with paid staff. They conceptualized that the IDC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland so as to be near the IOC; the World Deaf Championships Headquarters in Munich, Germany; and Sports for Deaf Youth Headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia.

For the success of the Symposium, much credit must go to Donalda Ammons of USA along with Jaromir Ruda of Slovakia and Marijo Lusic of Croatia for their outstanding leadership and vision by pushing us to elevate the world of deaf sports to a newer height.

As part of the House of Delegates meeting on Saturday, December 1, 2007 in Washington, DC, the whole day will be devoted to understanding the proposed changes in the structure of ICSD as explained above and how the USADSF can be properly restructured to align with the expected changes. The December 1st meeting is open to everyone who is interested in learning more about the developments in the world of deaf sports. More information on Deaf Sports Reform is forthcoming.

The USADSF Executive Board with the Standing Committee Chairs will have its fall meeting during the weekend of September 29th at California School for the Deaf in Fremont. Please feel free to share any concern you may have to one of us for the betterment of USADSF.

Lawrence Fleischer, President
Jack Lamberton, VP of International Affairs
Bob Steele, VP of Financial Affairs
John Knetzger, VP of Member Services
Jeff Salit, VP of National Sports Organizations
Mark Apodaca, Chair, Budget Committee
Jim Revell, Chair, Governance Committee
Dennis Platt, Chair, Hall-of-Fame Committee
Billy Bowman, Chair, Games Preparation Committee

It is indeed so much work to make the USADSF a productive organization in terms of serving USA deaf athletes better and more. You are very much welcome to become involved in the USADSF and/or NSOs. Needless to say, sports promote world peace.

Posted: September 7, 2007