TO: FSRA Coaches
RE: FSRA State Championships

In the last week, there have been some long, thoughtful posts to the FSRA
regarding the Regatta Committee’s race packet for the 2007 FSRA State
Championship. Some of the posts, however, suggest that the Regatta Committee
had suspect or illegitimate motives, or that in its work, had an agenda to
undermine programs of certain sizes.

This could not be farther from the truth.

At the annual meeting, the FSRA General Membership voted on policies that
imposed certain limitations by having, for the first time ever, a two-day
regatta with a more sophisticated and fair progression system.

This move doubles the labor by the LOC, Officials, and regatta volunteers.
It will also be met with an increase in entry fees to pay for two days of
all required expenses. Additionally, because of the change, each team will
bear significantly greater transportation and lodging costs. To casually
suggest that an effort to limit the length or costs of the regatta stems
from malice and not from a good-faith attempt to produce the best possible
regatta is, frankly, offensive.

The FSRA General Membership, in a 4-hour annual meeting, is ill-equipped to
comprehensively analyze all aspects of a regatta, deliberate over intended
and unintended consequences of potential policies, and account for expected
revenues and costs. The very reason for a Regatta Committee is to tackle
these issues.

The Regatta Committee is not a new creation, but a permanent committee
created in Article VI, Section 2 of the FSRA Bylaws:

"The Executive Committee shall solicit volunteers and appoint a Regatta
Committee, as provided for in Article III, Section 1.d, of the Constitution,
at the Annual Meeting. The Regatta Committee shall be responsible for the
administration and operation of the Annual State Championship Regattas of
the Association, including judicious use of funds to produce a quality
event."

In creating the Regatta Committee, the Executive Committee, consisting of
the five officers, added four more members to the Committee to have a
geographically and program-size diverse group. The committee represented
small, medium, and large schools and clubs from all corners of the Florida
rowing community. In addition, Tom Lineberry and Brice Crossley do not
currently affiliate with any program and provide an institutional
perspective dating back to the early days of Florida rowing.

We produced a work product that is sound. While it may be a
work-in-progress, it represents our best effort to produce a regatta under
the constraints imposed by the FSRA’s decisions at this year’s annual
meeting. The trade-off, for instance, of adopting a progression with reps
and semis was the necessity of reducing the number of events. The two
policies should not be viewed separately.

We cannot now revisit individual decisions or changes without revisiting all
decisions comprehensively. Adding events into the schedule adds hours of
regatta time and volunteer hours. This requires work and costs, in most
cases, not born by the individuals suggesting the changes.

Rowing in Florida is growing at an extraordinary pace. The FSRA State
Championship, however, cannot continue to be all things to all people. I
hope that we can move forward with the regatta preparations, have an
outstanding event this year, and prepare to make 2008 even better.

Thanks,

Dan Newman
FSRA President

Leon Crew
Varsity Coach
850.321.0738

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