I'd like to point out the simply complaining won't help anyone. With that
said I guess I have a question, is this a final schedule? If it is, we can
start throwing ideas for 2008 States. Otherwise, let's talk about some
simple solutions. There are a few points I'd like to make:

1. States is a 2 day event, would it kill us to bring the F4+ back?

2. We might be the only ones in this situation, but I have 3 8th grade boys
(with one more coming next semester after soccer), and 3 senior guys. This
means that 2 seniors will race the double, 1 will race the single. Since
the 4 8th graders can't race in F4+, they can only race in the V4+ event.

3. Devisions are not made to "give" more people a state championship, they
are used to allow more people to be competative. Would we expect a
lightweight boxer to fight a heavyweight? Now I do agree that at some point
you go too far. I don't see the point of 3rd boats and think we would do
just fine with V, JV, Fresh. There's a reason I prefer the Fresh category
over the 3rd. At the ages we are talking about 3 years is a huge
difference. From my understanding a team with 24 seniors could have an all
senior V8, JV8, and 3rd 8 (and probably win every one of them). The
freshmen category allowes our youngest members to become competative, which
in turn builds a strong athletic state of mind needed for later years iin
racing. Giving us much better races later down the road.

Happy rowing,
Yuval


>From: Dan Kempinger <kempinger@...>
>To: "Riedeburg, Ted" <riedeburgt@...>, <fsra@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: RE: [FSRA]
>Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2006 11:33:40 -0500
>
>
>Greetings-
>I hope this email is read without predetermined feelings attached. I am not
>interested in offending anyone as a coach or person. These
>are only my opinions.
>As a member of this committee, I will tell you that some of the decisions
>we made were not easy. As a coach of a smaller program, I was
>responsible for giving insight to the comittee on what the smaller teams
>were looking for.
>I will tell you that I voted to eliminate the Frosh 4+. It may be well
>attended, and that's debatable when you look at the numbers. We
>have 40+ organizations in the State. If we break that down to boys/girls,
>we are pushing 75+ organizations that could potentially
>enter a said event. We have too many events.
>What we have to look at is not what works best for "me", but rather what we
>want the future of Florida rowing to look like.
>
>FSRA was established to organize a State Championship for the Scholastic
>teams. That is
>their only jurisdiction. However, the organization voted to allow clubs
>into that Championship race a few years ago, and since then
>clubs have the same amount of power in the Scholastic organization. The
>annual fall meeting has become an intimidation festival, with
>newer, smaller teams taking a back seat verbally and organizationally to
>the more established larger teams (both club and scholastic)
>This year was an amazing site to behold with motions and seconds being made
>without discussions as if we could fix the problems later.
>We have 1 time/ year that we meet to discuss our State Championship, and we
>weren't afforded that time. Not to mention that our
>bylaws state that all changes to the constitiution require advanced notice
>to vote on, which we rarely get to do. We cannot hold
>a vote via internet, so really the point is moot. Unless we want to all
>meet at a regatta this spring and hold a vote.
>Thankfully Dan Newman was able to get this comittee established to look at
>some of the challenges we have to face.
>
>The State Championship event should not be a place where you can go and
>find a race to become a State Champion. If it were up
>to me, we would have 5 events/side @ the State Championship: Varsity 8+,
>Varsity 4+, Varsity 4X, Varsity 2x, and Varsity 1X. If you have
>9 rowers, you can enter every race. If it's important for you to win the
>all points trophy-teach your kids how to scull. If you only want to win
>the V8+ race the 8+. If you want to see if your program has improved over
>the past 10 years, continue to enter the 8+ and see where you finish
>we have no indicator as to who really has improved their programs, because
>we find events to race that sometimes have 10 entries and sometimes
>have 5.
>Clearly that isn't what many coaches want- it would require teams to teach
>sculling, and it would limit the number of kids that would
>get to race @ States. I think it would level the playing field somewhat,
>and at the same time give us a true State Champion. The V8+ results would
>not have changed over the past 10 years, the V4+ definitely would have.
>What we have now is a fair race that follows a format of racing from around
>the country. I will tell you that not everyone is going to be happy with
>any decision that is made, but we need to remember this when it comes to
>our fall meeting next year. I vote now that we eliminate guest speakers,
>and allow time for business to be discussed.
>
>Thanks,
>Dan
>
>
>
>Dan Kempinger
>
>
>________________________________
> > To: FSRA@yahoogroups.com
> > From: riedeburgt@...
> > Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2006 21:39:46 -0500
> > Subject: [FSRA]
> >
> > Members of the FSRA,
> > I did some research regarding participation in the Freshman 4+ vs. the
>3rd 8 over the last 8 years and it is very interesting.
> > First of all, I was extremely disappointed when the decision was made to
>eliminate the F4 from the state championship, and event that Bolles has had
>some success in – 3 state championships over that time. And coming from a
>2A school, I feel that is a great accomplishment. What I like about the
>Frosh events is that it makes for an exciting race and evens the playing
>field. They are boats comprised of kids of the same age and ability –
>anyone’s game if you will. By eliminating the 4 event, you take away that
>excitement from the smaller programs and only allow the larger programs
>that can put together a competitive boat – which don’t necessarily need the
>success at a young age - to spread the excitement of rowing in their
>school. And, since the elimination of the novice events in the 2003 race,
>the F4’s have remained consistent while the 3rd 8’s have only increased by
>one or two entries (in 2005 and 2004, Winter Park represented two boys
>entries and in 2005 Winter Park had two girls boats in that race).
> > So, I have compiled a small spread sheet (see attached) showing the
>entries over the last 8 years, and you will see consistent entries (and
>more for that matter) in the Freshman 4+ event and ups and downs in the 3rd
>8, even after the novice entries were eliminated. After looking at this,
>maybe you too not understand why the decision was made to eliminate an
>event that has been consistently well represented by schools of all sizes
>over one that only a few larger programs can enter.
> > Also, in regards to the “new regatta decisions” I was under the
>impression that they would present an idea to the FSRA group and we would
>be able to vote on it – I didn’t think this was going to be a final draft
>presented to us from the regatta committee. Did I miss something at the
>meeting? I was pretty sure I heard a discussion about voting via email or
>reconvening before the spring season.
> > Regards,
> > Ted Riedeburg
> > Head Coach – Bolles Rowing
> > The Bolles School
> > 7400 San Jose Blvd.
> > Jacksonville, FL 32217
> > (904) 424-2869 (cell)
> > (904) 256-5082 (boathouse)
> >
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Express yourself with gadgets on Windows Live Spaces
>http://discoverspaces.live.com?source=hmtag1&loc=us
>
>Check the FSRA website at: http://www.FloridaRowing.org
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

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