Our Team, Representing our Country

By John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC

For the past five years and, in some cases, the past eight years, dedicated, talented chefs and pastry chefs have represented the United States of America in international competitions. I would like to discuss what it means to be a competitor at that level, but until you have been there, it is difficult to describe the dedication, desire and devotion of these chefs. As a former international competitor, I understand the time-consuming work of coming up with just one platter. The detailed workmanship that is required to develop a whole table representing the national team at the international-competition level is daunting.

Let's start at the beginning: First, you have to make some serious commitments to your job, your family and everything you do daily to try out for ACF Culinary Team USA. There will be lost hours with your family and friends, you will pull double duty to keep your job, and you will complete a large amount of research to come up with your part of the program. I have had the honor of witnessing our U.S. teams for the past 32 years, and every one of them has represented us magnificently on the international stage. We see little of some of our previous Team USA members, because they are making up time lost to their careers and with their families. Some of them are no longer ACF members, and I sometimes think the reason for this is that they are suffering from burnout.

Trying out for ACF Culinary National Team USA or ACF Culinary Regional Team USA is just the beginning. The next step is a series of meetings for team members to bond, and also to discuss the concepts of their respective cuisines that the team manager molds into a team philosophy and, eventually, the team program. Former competitors make up the coaching team, because previous knowledge is so valuable to new competitors.

A few months after they are selected for ACF Culinary National Team USA, the team competes at the World Cup in Luxembourg. They continue to meet on their days off, and every month to show their workmanship and their updated platters. Every five years, in November of the following year, they go to Basel, Switzerland, to compete in the Grand Prix. After the 2006 competition in Luxembourg, I took the team out to dinner following the medal and trophy presentations. They were extremely grateful to have a couple of hours together without competing, but they were totally exhausted. The next day, they flew home and went straight back to work, because the competition fell over Thanksgiving. I was so proud of them, and all I can say is, what a wonderful group of dedicated people we have representing us in international competition.

In October, we will see them compete at the national level at the "culinary Olympics" in Efurt, Germany. And, for the first time, we will have an American Academy of Chefs regional team as part of the team concept. Our second regional team will also compete, and a student team will represent us in the international youth team competition. An apprentice team will assist all the teams during the competitions in Erfurt.

When I was manager of Team Midwest, I was interviewed by a local newspaper, and the reporter asked how I raised money for the team. My answer was that 75% of the money came from companies and the members of my local chapter, and the other 25% came from private donations and the team members. This made me realize that if every ACF member donated $10 to the team each year, we would be self-funded.

In the modern corporate world, it is extremely difficult to continue to raise funds for such projects as Team USA. We have been extremely lucky to have good managers who were able to go to corporations and raise funds for the team, but with the diminishing corporate dollars, this is going to be much harder in the future. So I ask you, our members, to reach into your pockets and give $10 to Team USA in appreciation for the dedication and devotion to the principles of great American cuisine.

Yes, some of us will never compete, and that is fine. But with the new styles of cuisine that have to be developed, what better vehicle to keep us on the cutting-edge of new product development than Team USA. So, as your national president, I am reaching into my pocket and donating $100 to assure that Team USA will represent us in the foreseeable future. I also have a goal to raise $5,000 for our 2008 youth team.

Finally, what a wonderful way to thank these great culinarians for all they have given up to ensure that the United States of America will continue to be the leader and on the cutting-edge of the new cuisines of the world.

Go, Team USA. We are so proud of you, and we support you in your endeavors.

Donate to ACF Culinary Team USA online.