For the past several months, USATT has been methodically torn apart. All of its money has been frivolously wasted, its talented people insulted, abused and abandoned. Why? For the personal 'glory' of a tiny few? Please take a moment to find out about this pattern of abuse:
September 23,
2000
USATT News - Major Announcement
Sad news to report.
Y.C. Lee, fresh off of running the best tournament in the history of USA Table Tennis (the 2000 U.S. Open), has been pressured into resigning his committee chairmanships by USATT President Sheri Pittman in her continued political maneuvers.
For those of you unaware, YC almost single handedly brought about the positive turnaround the USATT experienced over the last 5 years. YC ran the US Open, US Closed, and US Team World and Olympic Trials for the last 5 years. He did this on a purely volunteer basis, with all of the profits of these events going directly to USATT. Prior to YC's efforts, these events had consistantly lost money. The direct result of his work is hundreds of thousands dollars of revenue for USATT. Recently, many have claimed success on his coattails, while doing virtually nothing except watching him work and occasionally getting in the way, making his work even harder.
YC is a tremendous manager and motivator. Under his watch, USATT brought its officiating level up to among the best in the world. Respect for USATT in general world wide soared because of this effort. While American players have continued to struggle with mediocre levels of performance, USATT has recently commanded a great deal of power in the sport internationally based on the efforts of YC and the Officials that have blossomed under his tutelage.
His loss is an incredible blow to the sport of table tennis in the United States. The negative results of this, and other political maneuverings by glory and power hungry people will be felt for years to come. This selfless man worked tirelessly and vigorously (for no reward other than the knowledge that he had improved the sport) for the last 6 years. Rarely, if ever, was he given credit for his incredible work. He was frequently targeted in personal attacks propagated with grossly unfair accusations by political foes who had personal agendas. Still after suffering unbelievable indignities, he kept working in the background.
Finally, despite political pressure to the contrary, he was inducted into the USATT Hall of Fame. However, what he saw happening to our organization recently was simply more than he chose to handle. This loss will be one that USATT may not recover from for decades.
Thank you for all of your work YC. We will miss you.
Today, Shonie Aki, 2000 US National's Tournament Director and 2000 US Open Tournament Director also resigned under political pressure applied by USATT President Sheri Pittman. Shonie is a California Table Tennis Hall of Famer and former Vice President of USATT.
Ms. Pittman is systematically eliminating all of those that oppose her on the destruction of USATT's tournament system which includes the US Open, US Nationals and US Team Trials. Her viewpoint is that these tournaments should not be run by USATT, but should be doled out as financial political favors to her supporters. One of her first political pay-offs as President was to pay her largest political supporter with a $25,000+ a year stipend from USATT funds for work that was previously done internally by USATT staff.
Next was to purge all of those that stood in her way on her goal of seizing USATT funding for her own use and political dissemination. This includes demanding resignations of duly elected USATT Board Members and then restructuring the USATT by-laws to allow her to pack the new board with political cronies, and altering USATT elections so that she can stay in office.
Ms. Pittman is currently in Sydney,
Australia, paid for by USATT funds, on a private trip for her own
pleasure.
Bob Fox, USATT National Team Leader
and Olympic Manager has resigned. Pittman appoints completely inappropriate
political crony as replacement. Ms. Pittman has returned from her
two week, political photo op/vacation (paid for by USATT funds)
in China. , USATT membership
not consulted, nor told. This means
Ms. Pittman will run another US Open, and, get yet another two week vacation
in Japan (paid for by USATT funds). This is an extremely liberal
definition of "Election Reform", just eliminate them!
(Known) Free Personal Vacations for Ms. Pittman paid for entirely by table tennis funds
| Location & Duration | Official USATT Reason |
| 2 weeks in the Netherlands | 3 day ITTF BGM meeting |
| 1 week in Winnipeg | NONE (went to watch Pan Am Games) |
| 3 weeks in Australia | NONE (went to watch Olympics) |
| 2 weeks in China | NONE (went to watch junior exhibitions) |
| 1 week in New York | NONE (went to watch Olympic Trials) |
| 1 week in Toronto | Beg ITTF for money & watch some TT |
| 2 weeks in Las Vegas | 2 - 1 day USATT BOD meetings |
| 2 weeks in Maylasia | 3 day ITTF BGM meeting |
| 2 weeks in Colorado | Financially "Straighten out" USATT |
| 3 weeks in Maryland | NONE (went to NA Teams) |
| 2 weeks in Florida | NONE (went to watch US Opens) |
| 1 week in Southern California |
NONE (wanted to watch Team
Trials)
News Flash, Pittman bows to your
political pressure, forced to cancel planned California paid vacation |
| 2 weeks in Japan | 3 day ITTF BGM meeting |
| 1 week in Florida | NONE (went to US Open to campaign on our dime) |
| 1 weekend in California | Brief morning meeting with NA Tour Sponsor
Real reason to campaign at local tournament
|
| 1 weekend in New York |
NONE (went to pay back a political debt)
|
| 1 weekend in Colorado | USATT BOD meeting |
| 1 week in Las Vegas |
NONE (went to watch National Championships)
|
| 1 week in China |
NONE (went to watch Pro Tour Grand Finals)
|
People are starting to realize that with USATT's loss of $183,000.00 in 2000 (and the potential bankruptcy of the organization if this is allowed to continue), we are at a critical point in our history.
The question looms large. How do we stop this bleeding?
It is up to you now. Do you care enough to save USATT? If so, how?