Discussion: NPR on USOF organization
in: Orienteering; General
Aug 27, 2008 1:41 PM
#
jima:
Was listening to NPR on the way to work this morning and Frank Deford's commentary http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story... made me sit up and take notice. (OK - it was his 3d principle, followed closely by the 4th). Ties in with the ongoing thread about creating a paid / professional executive director position.
The four guiding principles of sports organizations:
No. 1: It's much easier to run a team sport than an individual sport.
No. 2: It's much easier to run a domestic sport than an international sport.
No. 3: Any sports organization that has the word "federation" in its title is probably a mess.
And No. 4: Any sports organization in which volunteers have a lot of power over the professionals is really, really going to be screwed up. The subset to No. 4 is: Beware of any sports organization in which too many people in authority wear blue blazers.
1 - Orienteering is definitely an individual sport.
2 - We're undeniably International.
3 - US Orienteering Federation and International Orienteering Federation, a double whammy.
4 - Are there any professionals for the volunteers to have power over?
4a - I haven't seen any blue blazers at least, although it's been a while since I've been to an USOF meeting and I've never been to an IOF meeting.
The four guiding principles of sports organizations:
No. 1: It's much easier to run a team sport than an individual sport.
No. 2: It's much easier to run a domestic sport than an international sport.
No. 3: Any sports organization that has the word "federation" in its title is probably a mess.
And No. 4: Any sports organization in which volunteers have a lot of power over the professionals is really, really going to be screwed up. The subset to No. 4 is: Beware of any sports organization in which too many people in authority wear blue blazers.
1 - Orienteering is definitely an individual sport.
2 - We're undeniably International.
3 - US Orienteering Federation and International Orienteering Federation, a double whammy.
4 - Are there any professionals for the volunteers to have power over?
4a - I haven't seen any blue blazers at least, although it's been a while since I've been to an USOF meeting and I've never been to an IOF meeting.
Aug 27, 2008 6:06 PM
#
4 - not yet, but the transition committee's report is newly available, viewable on Robin S's site, linked from the USOF website. You can take a look at what they recommended.
There may be a way to comment/respond to the committee; I think there will be a notice on the Clubnet and in ONA soon, and they'll most likely state where you can make comment. Just don't keep all your comments on AP as only a subset of the US O community hangs out here.
4a - Would the proposed professional staff person/people wear blue blazers? I doubt it.
There may be a way to comment/respond to the committee; I think there will be a notice on the Clubnet and in ONA soon, and they'll most likely state where you can make comment. Just don't keep all your comments on AP as only a subset of the US O community hangs out here.
4a - Would the proposed professional staff person/people wear blue blazers? I doubt it.
Aug 29, 2008 11:47 AM
#
He's definitely right on #1 and I have no idea why. You'd think that running an adventure race or ROGAINE would be a lot more work than putting on an A-meet, but it's not. I think the team aspect has something to do with it; competitors just respond differently in team settings. Perhaps you are less thrown by something that isn't exactly right when you have teammates around you. At any rate, I've put on quite a few meets in quite a few sports and the pressure to get everything just perfect is unique to orienteering.
Of the sports where I've organized events, I would say the effort required to have the bulk of the competitors happy at the end of a "regional" level event (roughly half the field comes from out of town) shakes out like this:
Most effort: Orienteering
Followed by: Auto racing (closed course), swimming, road cycling (closed course), adventure racing, road cycling (open course), road running, mountain biking, trail running.
All of those, except adventure racing are individual events (amatuer cycling and swimming are basically individual even though there are teams involved).
Then come the remaining team events, all of which are waaaay easier: Auto rallying (open course), ROGAINE, golf (scramble).
Of the sports where I've organized events, I would say the effort required to have the bulk of the competitors happy at the end of a "regional" level event (roughly half the field comes from out of town) shakes out like this:
Most effort: Orienteering
Followed by: Auto racing (closed course), swimming, road cycling (closed course), adventure racing, road cycling (open course), road running, mountain biking, trail running.
All of those, except adventure racing are individual events (amatuer cycling and swimming are basically individual even though there are teams involved).
Then come the remaining team events, all of which are waaaay easier: Auto rallying (open course), ROGAINE, golf (scramble).
Aug 29, 2008 4:17 PM
#
You missed the punchline... a non-federal / team / domestic / professional sport "works even better than Putin runs the Kremlin.". That'll be a good thing then?
I think in a team sport you moan at your teammates first, as an individual you go straight to the organisers. I certainly agree about the desire to get everything perfect in orienteering.
I think in a team sport you moan at your teammates first, as an individual you go straight to the organisers. I certainly agree about the desire to get everything perfect in orienteering.
This discussion thread is closed.