Topic: It is all in the Game Plan

[steve zeigman]

"If you have everything to gain and little to lose by all means try and do it now" Clement Stone founder of the School of Positive Thinking

To my knowledge and experience there are no secret exercises or training methods. There is only accessibility, visibility, and capability needed for a progressively development program!

1 USA can set up a more competitive environment then we have by using the proven Record Makers formula to set up LWC gym meets where each athlete competes against a % of their PR. Coaches can time this with their training plans since each athlete is on a cycle of progress...aren't they?

2 LWC can set up a system of reward for winners based on local recognition, where it counts psychologically. Cohen did this. USAW can do this by developing an approved promotional recruitment package and allowing the LWC to present this in the USAW name. In my opinion local cabel companies would be more than willing to allow remnent (unsold time) for broadcast. One suggestion that comes to mind is "Turn your little boy and girl into a Giant Powerhouse athlete with Olympic Weightllifting" USAW is recruiting young talent for 2012 Olympics now. You can't tell in the beginning so let our expert coaches decide. Try outs will be held. Most will be accepted. You might be surprised! The cost for tryout is Free! 

3 Weightlifting has certain advantages that other sports do not. It has weight divisions where the competition is between people of similar size. So stop going after and thinking giant football and basketball players. Not going to happen. But go after aggressively the smaller classes that have the athletic talent available and no where for it to go. Every successful sports program seeks the talent it can find not what it cannot find.

4 And by all means USAW should at least try to raise money by a tax deductability donation program that feeds the money back out to the LWC that raise it! Parents and other local business may give something if they can see it work where they live and get a tax deduction for what they give. The Tax Deduction has power and it's legal and there already.

5 Start coaching for the nation and the athlete instead of coaching for themselves and the athlete. This is unselfish instead of selfish. The athlete will then train for the nation and themselves instead of for the coach and themselves. This is how you build international competitiveness instead of just national competitiveness. This is a change of attitude not money!

6. USAW can establish minimum standards of safety, cleanliness, etc. for LWC's to be graded by such as an A facility, B facility, or C facility using LWC's such as Hatches and Cohens and a few others as the standard for an A facility. This would enable the recuritment to be focused into facilites HS or otherwise where they can handle the flow and give a high standard of presentation to parents, unlike a C facility garage gym or non airieted, dirty, hot warehouse. 

You see it's not so hard to go outside of the box once you stop being nearsighted.

USAW needs vision not blindness. It needs progressive thinking not lateral thinking. It needs a change in the way not the how.

The rest should follow. And it's not Z's way. It's a way that can and should be seriously considered since it is possible to do, legal, and fits within the current organizational structure.

It doesn't cost USAW anymore money then is already being spent by USAW, just a USAW decision, a short 15 or 30 sec USAW recruitment video, and tax deduction paper.

I've thought about this for several years now. If you think any of these ideas are good ones use them. If you have any experience working with the USAW submit them. They're the best I can come up with considering the sate of US Weightlifting and it's okay with me for you to put your own names on them.

Thank you,
Z

[John Way]

obviously your ideas work Steve, you are very rich man with 1000s of Olympic Weightlifters at all levels of success, you must be from what you say, then again??

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

John, this is on the very edge of a personal attack. Lets stick to the ideas presented please, or ignore them.

[steve zeigman]

Yes let's stick to the subject! If I'm not mistaken it is a lacking of the ability to adapt to a changing environment that kills off species as well as sports. 

And NO I do not have a Federal Tax Deduction to give for a donation to a non profit "sports" corporation, a $600,000 annual operating budget, 2000 athletes with 100's of LWC branches, or a free training facility with equipment from which to operate...and I didn't inherit one either!

[John Way]

"Thought and ideas don't get things done...groups of people do. But groups of people without leadership don't get thoughts and ideas done either.: cough, cough, sorry for my dissent our glorious leaders!

None of my inventions came by accident. I see a worthwhile need to be met and I make trial after trial until it comes. What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

    * Statement in a press conference (1929), as quoted in Uncommon Friends : Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel & Charles Lindbergh (1987) by James D. Newton.

[steve zeigman]

Weren't they leaders, Edison, Ford, and Linberg, with thoughts and ideas, and groups of people that managed them out?

Just asking? Edison and then General Electric, Ford Motor company, Linberg I'm not sure of because he was a famous aviation pilot who flew the first solo flight from NY to Paris, but I'm sure he had a group of people he lead to build and manage the construction of his aircraft. 

Perhaps it should be Leaders with thoughts and ideas along with groups of people get things done. No?

If you step back and look at US Weightlifting overall how do you feel the rest of the world sees USAW is doing in the last decade? Gaining on them? Increasing access? Making progress in results?  Building solid infrastructure? Organizing national effort and unification? Growing the talent base? Expanding the public awareness?  Building a world class website?