Info needed! Has anyone jumped clubs outside association?

Need your help. For the past three or four years, my wife and I have been dues-paying members of the Southern California Striders, a masters track club based in the USATF Southern California Association. But Chris and I live in the USATF San Diego-Imperial Association. And even though we pay $50 a year, attend the annual dinner banquet and proudly wear our Striders uniforms, we aren’t Striders in the eyes of USATF. Instead, we’re listed as “unattached.”  The Striders don’t need our points in nationals, but we’re not even allowed to count. Why?  It appears that  SCA and SDI  have a philosophical aversion to granting athlete requests to jump clubs outside their home association. And yet I’m told by friends that nowhere else in America is this roadblock set up.  So here’s my appeal: Post or send me details on how you or someone you know got permission from your home association and destination association to change clubs.


With such examples of others joining clubs outside their home association, Chris and I (via a friend in a similar bind) can make an argument before the SDI board Wednesday night, hoping to be allowed to have our USATF membership cards eventually reflect our genuine affiliation.

“Unattached” just blows. And it’s deeply unfair to San Diego athletes who wish to be fully kosher members of SCA clubs.

Here’s all I know about the process of changing clubs:

USATF has some vague language about changing clubs here (also see text block below): http://www.usatf.org/about/governance/2009/09_Governance_Sec_III.pdf

Some Web sites have detailed the process:

http://georgetownrunningcompany.blogspot.com/2008/11/grc-items-for-review.html Here is what one site said:

If you are current USATF member, as I am, here is what you need to do:

Process for Changing Affiliations

You can view your current affiliation(s) in your Member Profile. Affiliation-change requests will be handled through your Association.

Local Club

Only an athlete (or his/her legal guardian) can request a club affiliation change (coaches may not make this request).

Send a “Club Transfer Request” as an e-mail, fax, or letter (phone calls not accepted) to the membership chair of your Association (hnich17650@comcast.net, Mr. Nichols) and include the following:

Your name and membership number

The reason for requesting the change

Your current club affiliation (including “unattached”)

The name of the new club you want to be affiliated with

The name of the event/meet, location, and date where you last competed for a club After reviewing the request, the membership chair will either make the change in your member profile or request additional information.

If your affiliation has not been updated in your member profile and you have not heard back from your Association within 7 business days, e-mail membership@usatf.org with the above information.

Also see an old blog post on the issue:
http://masterstrack.com/blog/003160.html

Here are highlights from the 2009 USATF governance rules (see my boldface):

REGULATION 7

REPRESENTATION

A. General: An athlete shall be considered a member of the Association in which the athlete is a bona fide resident except as otherwise provided in paragraph B below:

1. Athlete Affiliation: An athlete may compete as a representative of a local club, educational institution, or other organization, and additionally may be listed as competing for a club and/or sponsor, subject to regulations of the USOC. The club and athlete must be members in good standing of USATF. An athlete may compete as a representative of any local club, educational institution, or other organization that is a member of the athlete’s Association. Any such athlete shall score for the athlete’s team in any championship or other competition; 2. Unattached athletes: An unattached competitor is an athlete member who represents no club, educational institution, or other organization. An unattached athlete may compete in the Association in which the athlete is a member;

3. Notification of changes: Only an athlete, or his/her legal guardian, may give notice of a change of representation. An athlete member who wishes to change representation shall notify the Association, in writing or online, prior to the effective date of the change;

4. Fees for changes: All applications for changes of representation must be accompanied by a fee, if any, to be determined by the local membership committee and/or local Sport Committee.

B. Residency exceptions:

1. Residency exceptions: Except as provided in Article VI, Section 1, Youth Athletics, Rule 300, General Rules, 1

(g) of the USATF Competition Rules, an Association may permit an athlete who is a bona fide resident to be a member of another Association by the agreement of the two Associations. An agreement may concern individual athletes or all athletes who reside in a certain area. An athlete who is unable to obtain agreement of the two Associations may appeal to the NABR, which shall conduct a hearing by conference call and make a determination on the basis of what is in the best interests of the sport and of the athlete.

2. Team Scoring: Sport Committees may establish residency requirements for championships’ team scoring and participation in USATF sponsored events (e.g. Youth Athletics/Junior Olympics) which shall be reflected in the competition rules and/or in the information provided by the event in its athlete information. The Club Council may establish residency requirements for participation and team scoring in open club championship events.

C. Transfers:

1. Between Associations: In order to transfer membership from one Association to another, an athlete shall present a document from the previous Association indicating the last date of competition in an attached or unattached status and that the athlete is in good standing in that Association;

2. Between clubs/organizations: To transfer representation from one club /organization to another, an athlete must not have competed for the first club in sanctioned competition for the previous ninety (90) days regardless of residency, unless the athlete falls within one of the exceptions herein ; and 3. Exceptions:

a. Student: An athlete who is a member of a club or organization who wishes to compete as an undergraduate student for a college or university (two- or four-year institution) shall be automatically released without notice by the club or organization upon commencement of the collegiate season to compete for that college or university in open competition (so long as the collegiate team is a member of USATF) and shall similarly be automatically released without notice by such school immediately upon termination of the academic eligibility period, to represent the club or organization of the athlete’s choice. Verification of collegiate academic eligibility period commencement and termination dates must be provided by the athlete upon request of either the local committee or Association membership committee involved; . . . .

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June 15, 2009

7 Responses

  1. Ken Effler - June 15, 2009

    When I resumed my masters career in 2004 I registered as unattached in the New England Association. At a track meet that winter I ran into the former president of the club I ran for as a collegian, and he asked me to rejoin his club, the Shore AC, which is in the New Jersey Association. I had to file paper work with the New England Association for my release, which they approved with no problem. I then registered in 2005 with the Shore AC.
    In 2007, I decided that I wanted to belong to a club closer to home, so I contacted the New Jersey Assocoation via e-mail, and requested a release so I could rejoin the New England Association, and my new club. It was a matter of a few e-mails, and I was released to register again in New England, and join the new club of my choice.
    I’ve gone through the transfer process twice and both Associations were very prompt and accomodating with my request.
    I believe the only hurdle now, if I were to transfer back to the New Jersey Association, is that I would have to renew my USATF membership via snail mail. You can’t renew on line anymore if your home address is outside of your association.

  2. John Stilbert - June 16, 2009

    “Unattached” is my club, and I think it’s the best.

  3. Mark Cleary - June 16, 2009

    Ken, the Southern California Association has an open door policy we accept anyone in and let anyone who wants to leave go. The roadblock is Jay Beltz and Graeme Shirley–they don’t want anyone leaving San Diego–even though there are virtually no Track & Field programs offered in San Diego Imperial Association for Masters.They will tell you they have one of the best Track Clubs around in their Association, but accept for maybe 5 athletes they don’t do Track.In the recent past the San Diego Track Club has had no real interest in a Track program they are road race and Cross Country minded. Your battle will be with the San Diego Imperial Associan they have to honer your request to be transferred. If you get their blessings then you can go anywhere you want as long as the Association which you want to go to accepts you and I don’t know of any that turn athletes away.

  4. anonymous - June 16, 2009

    Maybe the San Diego people are looking at that wall on their southern border and thinking it would be a good idea on the northern border too.

  5. keith A McQuitter - June 20, 2009

    Keith McQuitter/june 20,2009.I live in wisconson for the last 4 years there is no masters team in wiscomson I have run for the Shore AC from 1979,move to wisconson in 2005,al WIUSATF MEETS I run unattached,use use usa uniform some team meets at pennrelays and indoor,milrose, run unatached for 90days cant file in at meet under shore ac this is not fair im not running for a wisconson and new jersey team so I should be ok to run for any team long as im paid for thru usatf,i could use my moms address to file in nj but it should not make any sence,the rule should be you cant run for 2 teams in 2 differnt states

  6. keith A McQuitter - June 20, 2009

    Keith McQuitter/june 20,2009.I live in wisconson for the last 4 years there is no masters team in wiscomson I have run for the Shore AC from 1979,move to wisconson in 2005,al WIUSATF MEETS I run unattached,use use usa uniform some team meets at pennrelays and indoor,milrose, run unatached for 90days cant file in at meet under shore ac this is not fair im not running for a wisconson and new jersey team so I should be ok to run for any team long as im paid for thru usatf,i could use my moms address to file in nj but it should not make any sence,the rule should be you cant run for 2 teams in 2 differnt states

  7. keith A McQuitter - June 20, 2009

    Keith McQuitter/june 20,2009.I live in wisconson for the last 4 years there is no masters team in wiscomson I have run for the Shore AC from 1979,move to wisconson in 2005,al WIUSATF MEETS I run unattached,use use usa uniform some team meets at pennrelays and indoor,milrose, run unatached for 90days cant file in at meet under shore ac this is not fair im not running for a wisconson and new jersey team so I should be ok to run for any team long as im paid for thru usatf,i could use my moms address to file in nj but it should not make any sence,the rule should be you cant run for 2 teams in 2 differnt states

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