Most of us in the Judo community understand that it takes a great amount of sacrifice to be able to compete at the international level. And it goes without saying that most American players get little or no financial support from USA Judo. I have personal experience with the money end of Judo because my oldest daughter Valerie has been to two Olympics. I raised the majority of the funds the first time around, and thankfully we had a sponsor the second time around.
In spite of this knowledge, I was not prepared for what my second daughter Natalie told me a few days ago as we were mapping out a strategy to fund the tournaments and training camps she’ll need to hit before she attends in August the World Championships in Paris. She’s got a five-figure tab on her credit card. It’s so high she couldn’t bear to tell me the actual total. For you math weaklings, we’re looking at a minimum debt of $10,000!
For the rest of the year, she’s looking at another $10,000-12,000 to get to events in Brazil, Florida, El Salvador, Venezuela, and yes, even Paris. Even though she won her place on the World team by winning the senior nationals, her trip to the Worlds in Paris, like most trips, is self-funded unless she can gain more international points. That, of course, takes more money.
The cost of competing and qualifying for the 2012 Olympics has escalated thanks to IJF decisions. Prior to the 2008 Olympics, if you were the best in your country, you qualified to go. Traveling abroad was expected, but not to the extent that it is today. In 2008, you had to be in the top 3 (women) and top 6 (men) within your continental union to qualify your country, and you still had to be the best in your country. Rankings were based on points earned at specific events, thus athletes had to travel more often to stay ranked within the continental union.
For the 2012 Olympics, qualification is even more difficult and convoluted since only the top 22 men and 14 women are selected directly from an international point roster. An additional 10 men and 10 woman are selected through a continental union point roster. The 2012 qualifying process requires even more travel than for the 2008 Games. One young American player who travels to some twenty events per year needs to raise $50,000 just to have a fighting chance to qualify. As he states it perfectly, getting to the Olympics is a point race around the world. The more money you have, the better chances of earning points.
If you are a self-funded athlete- almost every American is- there’s a vicious circle that bears down on you. To improve your competitive skills and gain more experience, you have to compete. It’s only when you compete more often and attend more training camps that you can aspire to place at tournaments. Once you start winning, because of your added experience, you move up the point roster. As the #1 ranked athlete in the country, and sometimes as the #2, you get more chances to represent the U.S. at events, which means more chances for earning points. If you’re lucky and you earn enough international points, you become eligible for financial support from USA Judo. In other words you need money, and lots of it, to get some funding. Without funding, you can’t travel as much, progress is slower, points are harder to get, and…well, you get the picture.
Even if you do have enough international points, you may not get the promised funding, because USA Judo may have run out of funds to disburse. For one, it takes a lot of money to support USA Judo’s outsized office staff. Then, there’s the fact that because of the plethora of Grand Slam and World Cup events, more athletes than USA Judo anticipated are traveling to events that are not well-attended. These athletes are placing, earning big international points, and qualifying for support. So, instead of the expected funds, you get, “ Sorry guys, we just ran out of funds. Maybe next year.”
Our athletes are also being picked on by the organizing committees of major events. To attend, you must stay in the official hotel. You are billed $150-200 a night per person, even if there are three of you to a room. No chance of sharing a $49 Motel 6 room with your teammates. Often, the hotel costs more than the flight over even if you are staying just a few days for the tournament. Double up with a camp and the hotel now costs much more than the flight over.
Then, the IJF jumps on you. First, athletes were forced to buy special back patches from one specific European company, which no doubt was kicking back profits to one or several of the IJF gangsters. Then the IJF said, “Oops! We’re improving the back patches for the spectators, so now you have to buy the new ones. Sorry.” Natalie has paid $100 for these patches. The IJF wasn’t quite finished plundering the athletes. They were also required to purchase IJF approved gis from IJF approved manufacturers. Another $150-300 per gi. Remember that two colors are required and many players have two of each color.
Natalie has a Master degree in education and is a California credentialed school teacher. Unfortunately due to budget cuts, there is little work as a substitute teacher in her city. So, in addition to teaching at her training center, she teaches Judo at a local YMCA, barely making enough for her living expenses. She trains twice a day, six days a week. The national training center where she trains seems unwilling or incapable of raising funds for her. She is 30 years old now, so the London Games will be her last Olympic hurrah. The cost alone would make it prohibitively expensive to continue to 2016.
So, here we are just a little over a year before the Olympics. I know that Natalie can be more successful if she traveled more to gain the needed experience, not to mention Olympic qualifying points. I’m taking the lead to get her financial support to attend more events. I have set up a web page for our fund raising efforts. Natalie’s home club, Judo America San Diego, will commit to raising $5,000 from its events and working budget within the next year. In addition, I hope that some of my faithful readers will consider donating to the fund to help raise another $5,000. Every little bit helps.
Thanks for your consideration.
IMHO the “amateur” label is a complete farce when used in conjunction with the Olympics or really any D1 collegiate level sport in the US. Would it be fair to say that with respect to World/Olympic judo in the US, as with many other sports, the player pool from which to draw from seems to be quickly reducing down to only the “best” of those with the financial resources to participate?
Yes, it is sad to say with all the new changes and regulations in judo for this upcoming Olympics that those that have a chance are those with the most resources aka money.
Natalie is a great competitor- I am actually on Team USA with her…and am experiencing the exact same issues…Natalie isnt it wonderful to have a supportive father? I am so proud of you…that I want to make a donation to you…out of the donations I have received for myself to go to the same places. I know it sounds silly…But I believe in you…and hope we get to continue this journey together mamma! <3 you and all the best in the world! Too bad im not in Brazil with you right Now DUE TO MONEY..arghh but hey..its our journey and we will make it happen one way or another…again <3 you!
I like your stuff. So PMD for $200. Just email me your address so I can send a check.
Good Luck!!
BT
Your post brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much.
An amateur athlete raising money for judo is very much like a developmental and trial stage biotech company raising fund, it’s a constant effort to find money to keep the operation going until you hit the big one.
I agree that the current IJF qualification system is favored toward countries whose judo federations have strong social support from the government sport programs. They could afford to send a national team to qualification events. Even though not to all the qualification due to budget and schedule restraints.
The official hotels they use for these competitions do not offer exactly the most competitive rate. Just take a look at the World Cup in Miami, a shared room cost $290 per night a person. For a four-day event it costs nearly $1200! Even San Salvador’s hotel cost over $100 a night, which is probably the monthly salary for the locals.
Let me take another example, the Qing Dao Open, which used to be an event ran by the Qing Dao Judo Association in China until it became an IJF Grand Prix. The old Qing Dao Open used to provide free room and board to all athletes and officials, I doubt that’s the case now.
Even European open tournaments are affected, the B-Tournament in Istabul used to offer free board and room for all athletes, but now it changed to “European Cup”. They charges about 60 euros for a share room, which is still on the mid-lower end for an European Cup.
Even the Mongolians are flying all the way to the U. S. A. and Brazil to compete in World Cups and they have very little money. It’s something they have to do to ensure somebody qualifies.
Since you are a non profit I can get you another $200
BT
Just came across this page… I know the situation VERY well as my son Nick Tritton is an elite level judo competitor at 73kg. for Canada. Its particularly difficult since Judo in North America has a low profile – not too many interested sponsors…. I am currently trying to get our fund raising efforts off the ground for Nick’s push towards the 2012 Olympics. I am a contractor and our main effort will be to build a house with the participation of a local college carpentry program. The house will be sold in May of 2012 with profits going to Nick and 5 local charities that he has chosen as co-benefactors (2 food banks, 2 youth groups & an animal shelter).
Follow our progress on Nick’s blog at : http://www.gonicktritton.com
Good luck with your fund raising efforts and best of luck to Natalie at the upcoming events.
MT
What a wonderful fundraising concept! And what a blast it is to be the parent of an elite athlete. Perhaps we parents should form a support group to help us deal with the financial insanity of living the Olympic dream. 🙂
Hope you make a ton of money on the house. Best of luck to Nick.
I totally agree with you that it takes a lot of money to reach the expected goals mostly in the US where one athlete has to fly just to get a good training or compete at the Nationals.
When I was back in Paris, we never had to worry about money, as there are hundreds of excellent clubs within
affordable reach (Via subway). To reach a good level Judokas have to train in different clubs, and also enter mutiple tournament.
In the US, you will be very lucky if you find 3 or 4 clubs in the same city. and on top of that they are not competitive clubs.
So yes, it takes more money. I used to fly everyweek to Miami to train at the Budokan of Miami with very good Judokas, some
recently in the US from Cuba. On top of that , Sensei Evelio Garcia always had a very good training. However to place in the World, it really takes more than that. In France, for example, there are over 2 million licensed Judokas, and therefore the selection is tougher.
Someone who just place 1st at the Nationals is not guaranteed to be selected for the World or Olympics.
Conclusion: Sure money is important, but I’m sure Mongolia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Greece, or Uzbekistan have as much if not less
financial resources than us in the US, so how it is that they have better resources. Greece just got a Gold with Iliadis, and Cuba took the Bronze last week in Paris. Brazil is also certainly doing a lot better than us.
Many countries, even the poorer ones, give government support to athletes, especially the ones capable of winning medals. Success in sport is a big deal for these countries. National pride is often driven by winning sporting events. In addition, many of the poor countries that you list are relatively close to other countries where Judo is an important sport. This cuts down on travel expenses. American athletes have to fly across oceans to get adequate training and competition.
Hi:
After a long year of planning and building we have almost completed our fundraier building project for Nick (see my earlier post from June 2011) and the house is sold. Its involved the efforts of MANY trades, suppliers and of course the students of the Advanced Housing Program at our local college – Algonquin College in Perth, Ontario Canada. Thanks to all those conrtributors we have achieved our goal and Nick can prepare for London and compete without at least having to worry about the financial costs of getting there. Check out our web site for a look at the project’s history and details (www.pertholympichouse.com). Our wrap up celebration is on May 19th when Nick will be on hand to present the keys to the new Owners and cheques to various local chariites who will share in the proceeeds. Go Nick!
Congratulations. Good luck to Nick.