USAA Nationals : Part I
Posted By Jennifer Housley on 26 July 2004
Many of us, at one time or another, have sat glued to our computers, tuning into the latest freediving competition or world record attempt. We celebrate the success of one athlete and feel the heartbreak of another from afar. We are able to share in these moments and be empathetic with the successes and failures because we, too,are freedivers and whether we compete or not we are well versed in the depth of personal experience that freediving brings to our lives and those of our brethren.
What we don’t often hear about are the experiences of those who organize, host, volunteer or judge at these events. Though they are not necessarily in the water, these individuals are no less driven by their dedication and passion for the sport than are the competitors.
As a co-organizer and judge at USAA’s first U.S. National Freediving Competition, I hope to share with you the experience I had working with such individuals. Not everything went perfectly, but many lessons were learned. The most exciting outcome of all is finding out what a group of motivated individuals can accomplish when they come together as a team, and discovering what the word “team” really means.
Planning
Preparation for US Nationals began long before our first competitor entered the pool. USAA’s Board of Directors met frequently in the months prior trying to overcome major obstacles in our path. The goliath of obstacles was insurance. Months of work put in by Grant Graves and Tec Clark resulted in USAA obtaining insurance on an event-by-event basis. Though it was less than we all had hoped for, we celebrated our ability to announce, finally, that the U.S. would be having Nationals this year. Better late than never. We decided they would be held in Southern California as that region most closely approximates the conditions our teams would experience at the World Championships in Vancouver, Canada. From that point on, our jobs got more challenging.
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