USOC Reorganizes Sport Performance Division To Six Groups

The USOC "recently restructured its sport performance division, hoping to increase cohesion among winter sports, simplify communication with summer sports and provide greater visibility for Paralympic sports," according to Brian Gomez of the Colorado Springs GAZETTE. Four months after Mike English replaced Steve Roush as Chief of Sport Performance on an interim basis, "four technical teams, four sport partnership teams and a Paralympic team have been condensed to six groups." The group leaders are: Alan Ashley in the winter group; Wes Barnett in team sports; Chris Vadala in endurance; Kelly Skinner in strength and power; Rachel Isaacs in combat and acrobatics; and Julie O'Neill in Paralympics. Within each team are "support staff members, including managers, high performance directors, physiologists, psychologists and sport dieticians, who serve as liaisons between national governing bodies and the USOC" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 5/18).

MARKET CHANGE: AROUNDTHERINGS.com's Karen Rosen reported as the USOC "continues negotiations to keep" its HQs in Colorado Springs, "its marketing division has quietly gone its separate way." Outgoing USOC Chief Communications Officer Darryl Seibel: "We are in the process of reorganizing our Marketing Division. The reorganization will include the addition of several new positions, primarily in sponsorship sales and support. As to where those positions will be based, we have not made a final decision, but our priority is to operate from markets that create the best opportunity for success for the USOC and our Corporate Partners." USOC CMO Lisa Baird "will remain" in N.Y., but Seibel said that other staffers "could be based elsewhere." Seibel added if the IOC awards the '16 Summer Games to Chicago, that would "have some bearing on where these positions are located" (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 5/14).