Education (AORE) and NIRSA: Leaders in
Collegiate Recreation (NIRSA) are committed to cooperation in
expanding education and training opportunities for
our respective members who study and work in the field of outdoor
recreation and education. Click here to view the full release.
ACA
Olympic Discipline Hires New CEO and
Changes Long Term Strategy
Oklahoma City, OK USA Canoe and Kayak (USACK), the U.S. Olympic
and Paralympic paddlesports governing body is preparing for 22 men
and women’s Canoe and Kayaking medal events at the 2016 Olympic
(16 medals) and Paralympic (6 medals) games to be held in Rio De
Janeiro. Last night USACK
announced the new CEO and the shift in its strategy to recruit and
develop paddling talent.
The new strategy involves partnering with the American Canoe
Association (ACA), which was formed in 1880 and is currently the oldest
and largest paddlesports organization in the United States. The ACA
was the Olympic paddlesports governing body from 1924 until the early
1990’s when the organization split. ACA committed to focus on
recreational paddling, developing educational programs, stewardship,
exploration, recreation and competition. USACK was formed to focus on
elite competition such as the Olympics, Pan AM Games, and
Paralympics. USACK’s Board Chair, Bob Lally, announced yesterday
that ACA’s Executive Director, Wade Blackwood is the new Chief
Executive Officer of USACK in addition to his ACA role.
Paddlesports realize d when the ACA was splintered and USACK
became a separate organization, the U.S. stopped winning Olympic
medals. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Scott Strausbaugh (gold),
former USACK CEO Joe Jacobi (gold), Greg Barton (bronze), and Dana
Chladek (Bronze) were the last three Americans to medal. Rebecca
Giddens (silver) was the last American to medal in the 2004 Athens
Olympics. Robert Lally, USACK Board Chair explained, “There is an old
saying that if you continue doing the same thing over and over again, do
not expect different results. When the ACA and USA Canoe/Kayak
Team separated a lot of our canoe/kayak disciplines stopped competing
at the highest international levels. In order to change our results and
outcomes, we have to dynamically and strategically change the culture
and direction of our nation’s paddling enterprise. Creating a partnership,
once again, between the ACA and USACK is that dynamic and strategic
change required for USA to compete at the highest levels in all
canoe/kayak disciplines.”
Sharing CEOs is a bit unusual but in this case it demonstrates unity in a
relatively unique market. ACA’s Board Chair, Anne Maleady said, “Over
the last 4 years the ACA has grown significantly by focusing on
education and stewardship programs under Blackwood’s leadership.
The shared CEO role has the opportunity to give the millions of
Americans who engage in recreational and elite paddlesports the ability
to find programs of interest under a common organization. Whether its
stewardship activities or healthy competition; our organizations will offer
something for paddlers of all abilities.”