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Show FJe v U.S. Id Team Director i Outlines New j Goals j Inez Aimee is the new Executive Director of the; U.S. Ski Team and the U.S. Ski Educational Foundation: headquartered in Park City. : Aimee comes from New York where she worked for a television sales representative representat-ive firm after spending thirteen years with NFL Films. When asked how she felt about being in Park City, Aimee said, "It's a big change from New York. I like it." Team and Foundation pres-. ident, E.A. Hammerle said her media and promotion background is an asset they're counting on to raise more than $5 million in funds for the team this year. Hammerle says the money is needed to" expand the year-round U.S. Ski Team developmental programs, to purchase a building in Zurich, Switzerland as a home for competing skiers in I Europe, to expand coaching capabilities and to consider additional opportunities for the U.S. Ski Educational . Foundation. Aimee said she hopes to use some of the successful plans she used for the National Football League in an effort to raise needed revenue for the ski team. She said the money and more visibility for the team are her two main objectives now that she's taken over the job from former director Bill Traeeer. "Mv biegest job is to make i .I.UIP UN I I ' l.Uli I . ) the public aware of why we're asking for the money. So many people have their hands out .that people get anesthesized to it," said Aimee. "There are 14.5 million skiers in this country. If every one of them gave a dollar to the U.S. Ski Team we'd have it but for some reason we're not reaching . the public." Skiing has changed from being an "elitist" sport noted Aimee but it is still expensive for a youngster who doesn't live near a ski resort to get to a mountain and pursue the sport of skiing. "If he's poor but talented, it's pretty much out of the question for him or her to go after a racing career without financial help," she said. Aimee said she hopes to come up with a dynamite national fundraising idea for the team as well as possibly putting together a special ski team film crew to sell race coverage to the television networks. When asked how she felt about U.S. Olympic team regulations that prohibit U.S. Olympic athletes from being part of commercial ventures during their amateur amat-eur careers, Aimee took a strong position. "I think it's unfair to impose upon athletes in this country a situation that sets them a pace or two behind other competing countries. An awful lot of kids get hurt, mostly the ones that can't afford to get on the bottom of the ladder and work their r way up. The U.S. Coaches are great but our athletes can't get the same grassroots training because other countries count-ries fund athletic training up to 75 percent," said Aimee. Aimee added that solving the visibility problem should help the ski team's financial position even though it . probably wouldn't match what other countries are : doing with respect to backing . the sport. She said young athletes are giving up their educations or I life's pursuit in the interest j of the sport and she feels recognition is warranted for i that. She cited the example j! of Phil Mahre's first place jl World Cup victory last year I as an example. "That World j Cup victory was just as important as the famous U.S. Hockey team victory in the j Olympics. Look at the hoopla i around the country for that. ( I There should have been; ? similar recognition for! I 'Mahre." 1 r ' - J. ' ' ,t " 5 ' I V In - . - ' . Inez Aimee, Executive Director of the U.S. Ski Team. v - " .ill i J-P " 1I.IU! I I iiii.i iajM''w.MLIMi..Wl..JWW' j Donations to the U.S. Ski : Team will be gratefully ! accepted, said Aimee. They ; ' can be sent to P. O. Box 100, ;Parfc-CityUT 4060f i |