U.S. Soccer's National Council will meet Feb. 16 for its annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.
AGM: Book of Reports It lacks the buzz of last year's AGM at which
Carlos Cordeiro was elected president in an eight-person
race.
On this year's agenda is the uncontested election for vice president --
Cindy Parlow Cone will succeed Cordeiro -- and the confirmation of a new independent director to the
board as well as the 2020 budget.
Three organizations are seeking to join U.S. Soccer:
-- Asociacion National Futbol en EU;
-- U.S. Youth Futsal; and
-- U.S.
Association of Blind Athletes;
Action will also need to be taken on a dozen amendments to the by-laws (requiring two-thirds support).
They include clarifying the goals of the
organization and, in light of the recent suit by the NASL against 15 board members individually, a clarification of the policy on the advancement of defense costs.
The Athlete Council
proposes that the term of its three members on the board of directors be changed from two years to four years.
United Soccer Coaches has submitted a proposed amendment that would provide
all associate members, a category that includes the national association for soccer coaches, a vote for the At-Large board member that represents those members that do not have an automatic seat on
the board.
Currently, organizations that don't register players, like United Soccer Coaches, have the right to vote on the election of officers and by-law changes but not on the vote for
At-Large board member.
The current At-Large board member is
John Collins, a Chicago attorney who formerly represented U.S. Soccer and Concacaf.
Does it say something about the soccer glitrati that lines to be in the limelight and run for the President position and complains during the process about the 'lack of transparency' and 'uncontested elections' and 'democratic process', and when the winner is the standing Vice President, leaving a clear message to all that the pathway to the presidency is via the Vice Presidency, poof, gone, another uncontested election?
How 'bout a By-law to play decent soccer ...
LOL