USACA Constitution Draft Is A Disappointment

By Orin Davidson
The more things change they remain the same” is an expression each member of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) constitution committee should know very well.

Whether they believe in its meaning is another matter.

The odds are they do not because if one takes a good look at their draft for USACA’s new constitution, those members failed to act on the most important change one expected in the new document.

It appears those members see nothing wrong with having a single person administer the affairs of an entire Region which amounts to eight in the country.

In their minds, one director is good enough to handle everything from generating funds to organizing competitions to procuring facilities to upholding discipline among other responsibilities in an area as huge as New York.

Of the many changes proposed in the document, the new requirement of having a body of officials run the affairs of Regions expected by the level-headed followers of the sport, is glaringly absent in the proposed document.

Development of any sports organization does not start at the top, it is always from the bottom the seeds of growth are planted and as a result this committee made a big lapse in not addressing this abnormality.

The arrangement of a single director for the Regions has been in place from time immemorial, and it explains to a great extent why the sport has remained backward even in these largely enlightened times here in America.

For national teams to be formed they need players from the various Regions and for those players to worth their salt as national representatives they have to be exposed to a number of influences including coaching, facilities, quality competition and the knowledge they have a ruling body to account to.

In the present constitution draft, the director will have to become Superman to ensure that quality facilities are had, proper coaches teach the players and valuable competition is had to hone their skills. And of course finding the money to do all this is also his responsibility.

Some directors in the past have resorted to creating committees to meet those requirements, but from evidence that arrangement never achieved any success.

The lucky ones managed to procure help from friends and acquaintances but very few persons would give 100 percent without knowing they are fully endorsed by the national ruling body and that their work is fully recorded in the media as a direct link of USACA. Moreso when those officials are elected by the Leagues that comprise the clubs who are the sport’s core, the chances are greater of having capable officials making decisions for the Regions.

Also the burning issue of excess leagues in some Regions like New York was not addressed. It means that the constitution committee is satisfied that cases of seven leagues is good for the creation of strong competition and unearthing of talent as is evident in New York.

The one laudable change proposed is the abolition of the Presidency in place of a Chief Executive Officer who would be selected by the Board of Directors.
But that apart, the constitution draft has left much to desire.
Hopefully the powers that be, do not enact it without doing the right thing where the Directors are concerned.
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