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Dear Dan, Brice, Pat, Tom, Tess, Matt, Dan K., Mike, Kirsten, and anyone else involved in getting us to where we are with our state championship regatta still five months away! On behalf of all the other FSRA schools and clubs who didn't have anyone working with you on this difficult task, I thank you for your labors! Those of us here in Gainesville support strongly almost your entire proposed slate of championship regatta events.
I don't want to re-hash a lot of what's been said already. Rather, I'd like simply to make two points:
1. FSRA needs to vote on the "organization of the regatta" proposed by the Regatta Committee, and
2. Third and Freshman 8s are generally to larger organizations what Third and Freshman 4s are to us smaller programs.
The first point is pretty well covered on p. 5 of our annual meeting minutes just received. I'm not sure how best to poll FSRA organizations, but now that we've all seen the proposed regatta organization presented by the Regatta Committee, we need to approve it or modify it so that it satisfies a majority of FSRA members. I believe it would be a mistake to assume that silence in December will get us concensus in April.
And, although the second point is admittedly a little more parochial, I believe there are a lot of smaller programs here in Florida that will be disadvantaged by dropping third and freshman 4 events from our championship regatta. As our varsity womens coach Justin Burgess points out, last year at States there were 14 entries in WFr4+; 16 in MFr4+; 9 in W3d4+; and 12 in M3d4+. These are not small numbers. This represents 255 kids who, unless they scull, too, wouldn't have been able to race at States.
I don't think we should wait until Spring to settle this. It will surely come up again if we don't deal with it now. And, while I strongly support running an efficient and straightforward regatta, I want to be sure our kids have the opportunity to "row up". Although GAR is probably one of FSRA's larger small organizations, we simply cannot fill freshman or third 8s. I submit that we are not unique in this respect.
So I hereby propose that mens and womens third and freshman 4s be added to the 2007 State Championship Regatta Order of Events and that each FSRA member organization be polled for its vote on this issue. This is NOT something to be put off until after the upcoming championship regatta to see how we like this one. Obviously, we will abide by the decision of the majority of FSRA member organizations.
Very respectfully, Bill Feaster, Head Coach, Gainesville Area Rowing
-----Original Message-----
From: dsnewman99@...
To: fsra@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, 1 Dec 2006 2:20 PM
Subject: [FSRA] FSRA Championship, Regatta Packet 2.0
TO: FSRA Coaches
RE: 2007 FSRA State Championship
I appreciate the discussion amongst the FSRA member list regarding the many
changes for this year's event. Please see the revised Regatta Packet, which
should eliminate some of the confusion from my previous email.
The committee underwent an extraordinarily deliberate process with ample
discussion about even the minutest portions of our state regatta. We tried
to balance the need for creating the most competitive opportunities for our
rowers while also running an efficient and straight-forward regatta.
For the first time ever, we are moving to a two-day regatta. The FSRA
General Membership supported a progression from heats on Saturday to finals
on Sunday. Moreover, we've embraced a more fair system with reps and
semifinals (depending on the number of entries) to ensure that the best
teams lineup in the Sunday finals. The addition of reps and semifinals
ensures that many, many more boats will race two or three times throughout
the regatta.
The order of events is much improved over previous years and was designed,
primarily, to provide a reasonable progression based on the projected number
of entries. Our new order of events should work well. If there are issues
with it, we will have every opportunity to change it in the future.
Regarding the removal events from our championship, I can explain a bit
about the committee's thinking.
Our regatta has grown every year for decades and, with the move to a single
event with scholastic and youth programs, we have grown beyond the ability
to hold a one-day regatta. While the move to a two-day regatta creates more
time for racing, the addition of reps and semis more than fills the extra
space. We set a goal of concluding the regatta by early afternoon,
preferably around noon, on Sunday. For teams from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale,
Jacksonville, and Tallahassee who face 4-6 hour return trips, it's critical
that we get students home at a reasonable time on a school night.
Because of the limitations of a two-day regatta that ends by midday on
Sunday, we were forced to eliminate events. Sculling entries have been
growing and we did not want to limit those events. Accepting that certain
events were untouchable (V4+, V8+, L4+, etc.) we looked at lower tier
events. The lightweight 8+ has been effectively eliminated for years because
so few teams ever want to enter it. The move to eliminate the Frosh 4+ and
3rd 4+, however, was much more difficult.
Large teams have very few options other than entering a full slate of
eights. Eliminating the 3rd 8+ (which had 9 entries last year) would
actually have the impact of expanding the regatta schedule and lengthening
the amount of racing on Sunday. We could not eliminate the event without
having many students arriving home after 9pm on a Sunday night.
Eliminating the Frosh 4+ and 3rd 4+ keeps the day short by condensing those
rowers into sculling and eights events. Those events will be more
populated, and therefore more competitive. The day will be shorter and the
schedule more efficient.
We appreciate the helpful insight into the Regatta Committee’s work. I’m
excited about how much progress has been made in creating an excellent event
for this year, but we have much more work in front of us.
If you have thoughts or ideas, do not hesitate to find me or any other
Regatta Committee member throughout the year. Additionally, do not hesitate
to call me anytime with questions about the committee’s process for this
year or next.
All the best,
Dan Newman
President
FSRA
Varsity Coach
Leon Crew, Tallahassee
850.321.0738
__________________________________________________________
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RE: 2007 FSRA State Championship
I appreciate the discussion amongst the FSRA member list regarding the many
changes for this year's event. Please see the revised Regatta Packet, which
should eliminate some of the confusion from my previous email.
The committee underwent an extraordinarily deliberate process with ample
discussion about even the minutest portions of our state regatta. We tried
to balance the need for creating the most competitive opportunities for our
rowers while also running an efficient and straight-forward regatta.
For the first time ever, we are moving to a two-day regatta. The FSRA
General Membership supported a progression from heats on Saturday to finals
on Sunday. Moreover, we've embraced a more fair system with reps and
semifinals (depending on the number of entries) to ensure that the best
teams lineup in the Sunday finals. The addition of reps and semifinals
ensures that many, many more boats will race two or three times throughout
the regatta.
The order of events is much improved over previous years and was designed,
primarily, to provide a reasonable progression based on the projected number
of entries. Our new order of events should work well. If there are issues
with it, we will have every opportunity to change it in the future.
Regarding the removal events from our championship, I can explain a bit
about the committee's thinking.
Our regatta has grown every year for decades and, with the move to a single
event with scholastic and youth programs, we have grown beyond the ability
to hold a one-day regatta. While the move to a two-day regatta creates more
time for racing, the addition of reps and semis more than fills the extra
space. We set a goal of concluding the regatta by early afternoon,
preferably around noon, on Sunday. For teams from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale,
Jacksonville, and Tallahassee who face 4-6 hour return trips, it's critical
that we get students home at a reasonable time on a school night.
Because of the limitations of a two-day regatta that ends by midday on
Sunday, we were forced to eliminate events. Sculling entries have been
growing and we did not want to limit those events. Accepting that certain
events were untouchable (V4+, V8+, L4+, etc.) we looked at lower tier
events. The lightweight 8+ has been effectively eliminated for years because
so few teams ever want to enter it. The move to eliminate the Frosh 4+ and
3rd 4+, however, was much more difficult.
Large teams have very few options other than entering a full slate of
eights. Eliminating the 3rd 8+ (which had 9 entries last year) would
actually have the impact of expanding the regatta schedule and lengthening
the amount of racing on Sunday. We could not eliminate the event without
having many students arriving home after 9pm on a Sunday night.
Eliminating the Frosh 4+ and 3rd 4+ keeps the day short by condensing those
rowers into sculling and eights events. Those events will be more
populated, and therefore more competitive. The day will be shorter and the
schedule more efficient.
We appreciate the helpful insight into the Regatta Committee’s work. I’m
excited about how much progress has been made in creating an excellent event
for this year, but we have much more work in front of us.
If you have thoughts or ideas, do not hesitate to find me or any other
Regatta Committee member throughout the year. Additionally, do not hesitate
to call me anytime with questions about the committee’s process for this
year or next.
All the best,
Dan Newman
President
FSRA
Varsity Coach
Leon Crew, Tallahassee
850.321.0738
____________
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