2007 Budget

Member News

August 6, 2007

USA Judo Invests More than $800,000 in America ’s Athletes

USA Judo continues to achieve new marks by announcing that during the 2007 calendar year, more than $800,000 will be invested in athlete support, including nearly $600,000 dedicated to high performance and $232,000 spent organizing five major championship events that provide competition opportunities to more than 1200 athletes, from grassroots to elite to masters.

“I think it is important to note that the success that our USA Judo athletes have had at the Pan American Championships in Canada and later at the Pan American Games in Brazil did not “just happen,” but is the direct result of the programs that we have invested over the last two years,” said USA Judo CEO Jose H. Rodriguez.

The High Performance budget of $590,000.00 is a first for USA Judo and includes programs such as direct athlete support payments of $82,000 for our two top athletes; $200,000 for our five USA Judo National Training Sites; $25,000.00 to our top four athletes (performance-based contracts); $20,000.00 for monthly stipends to athletes achieving a minimum of 27 or over international points; $65,000 for travel to international events for our U.S. Teams; $45,000 for the USA Judo Elite U-23 Team; $45,000 for domestic and international training camps; $20,000 for athletes to compete in European B-Level events; and $40,000 for junior programs athletes… just to name a few or our top programs!

“Besides the High Performance funds we also are providing $40,000.00 in scholarships to student-athletes who are nationally ranked and have the potential to be a part of one of our national teams. When you add these numbers to the more than $60,000.00 that has been donated to USA Judo athletes via our innovative Adopt An Athlete program our direct athlete support funds will be nearly $700,000.00 in 2007 in addition to the funds spent providing top-quality competitions to our athletes in the United States,” said Eddie Liddie, USA Judo Director of Athlete Performance.

USA Judo is very appreciative to the United States Olympic Committee for their continuous support of our athletes and is very proud of the way that our athletes are achieving success through a well funded and thought out plan by USA Judo.

“A tremendous amount of credit needs to be given to our USA Judo Board of Directors for their vision to provide our coaches and athletes with the tools necessary to achieve the success that we have seen,” Rodriguez said.