Discussion: entry fees

What AP users/readers think about free entries to be given away at big meets ??( individually to promote a champion, world or best classified NA in WRE list ) or previous winner ( as aprice like a lot is given in some running races, even I got some at Adventures runs that GHO put up ), or need it runners( like this year women WRE at NAOC ).

I think it is a way of advertising of the sport and of some elites ( of course we don't have Hanny or Holger, but we could /need everynow and them somebody like them)

like this

Entry fee for all competitiors which have run any A final race on WOC in Japan or Denmark or JWOC in past two years will be reduced 50%!!!

http://www.vihor.hr/Zagreb2006/invitation.htm

http://www.transilva.gmi.ro/download/Bulletin_1_2_... have listed "anyone with minimum 2500 hundred points in the IOF WRE ranking list is FREE ENTRY"

That sounds like a really good idea to me, Nick. In NA we wouldn't be talking about that many free entries, so club revenues wouldn't be impacted much, but they would be so valuable from the perspective of WR points.

I also agree with the concept - particlarly for WRE events, in order to ensure that:

A) it is actually a WRE (at least 4 ranked runners show up)
B) we get the best possible fields out to WREs

Hopefully with the NAOCs we will newly mint a whole bunch of ranked runners, but we still need to encourage them to show up. You could even have a sliding scale of benefits - maybe free entry for those with a certain point average, 50% entries for those with a certain point average, etc...

The possibilities are endless and I would leave it up to the organizers' discretion. But organizers of a WRE, if they're going to apply for it and advertise it as such, should be taking whatever (creative?) steps are necessary to ensure that enough ranked runners show up to the start.

I have been working with kids in schools, some of whom come from low-income families. They could use this kind of help, along with assistance in traveling to both local and national meets. I guess this post, after several advocating financial support for the elites, highlights what may seem a tension between supporting elites and supporting expansion of the sport at the beginner level. I hope some people see that as more of a synergy.

Only downside is that entry fees for O meets are so low that they are dwarfed by the travel costs to get to the meets. Covering those expenses would definitely impact a club's revenues.

Free entries into events are common prizes in adventure racing, but in that's usually worth hundreds (or thousands) of dollars.

Free entries might also help to convert a few of the more casual orienteers and encourage development at some small level.

I think you should be looking at getting your clubs to help with elites entries, rather than organizers. If it's a hit-or-miss with qualifying for WRE status then maybe. In many sports, the club will pay the entry fees of their members.
I do like the free or reduced entry to defending champs to add some glory to the event. I'm surprised the Billygoat doesn't do this, maybe the NA Sprint Finals could as well.
I would argue that the types of runners that should be targetted are those in their early 20s, former national junior team types who are now faced with senior level entry fees without the help of travelling with parents or a junior club system.

This is how we do it http://www.dontgetlost.ca/ghocanadagho/ click on athlete support. Basically a carbon copy of what most Scandi clubs do, but in a much smaller scale.

Yeap Sudden , actually I seen that earlier this year. it's great, and will gave me some ideas , how can I do something similar to the new club I just started.(of course at a way much smaller scale then even GHO, and slightly different ).

Nice program - would have been nice to have something similar in place when I was a poor indebted student....

But asterixes or not, it would have been pretty expensive for the Falcons after this year's Canadian Championships if we had a similar one....

At last count, the Falcons took home 12 of the 18 possible elite medals at the COCs (!!!).

And Nick - do you mean you broke away from the Gators and started something fresh? If so, good luck - looking forward to seeing your new club in action as it gets going these next few years....

yes Wil. and thanks..
also the GHO plan is good but in order to be used by Falcons ( after this year results ) it has to be said that so much ( % or from a total, can be used per year for athletes support ). no more then 10 % ( of the profit ) in the first year for the new club will be set aside for club trips ( gas , entries, etc). see us in action starting at NAOC

Does this club have a name?

yeap

And what might it be?

The Waterloo Stars
(apparently my wife had an influence on the name selection)

Congrats on the new club Nick. But you should have gone with the Waterloo Blackberry Racers and mapped RIM park and got a big sponsorship.

some hints:

Goals :committed to quality and performance
1. to help the development of orienteering ( foot-o and ski-o ) in Ontario.
2.to achieve stars ( for a successful B meet-from general feed back from attendance , will award ourselves one big star *, a successful A meet **, a successful Ontario champs ***, a successful championship (Canadian or NA) meet ****, more then that.. 5 *****.

the club will receive small stars every time one runner from the club wins a gold medal at the COC, NA champs ( Elite classes only, or minimum 10 runners in his/her age group)...
It's a big goal,
max 5 of each..

now : the first person guessing it we'll get free entry ( since this is the topic ) at the first event (he/she will be attending ) (Hammer and his sister excluded.. cause they know )

Ummm... I guess 'the Waterloo Stars'.

oh well. Hammer posted 11 seconds ahead of me.

that makes 'feet' receives the first free entry given away.
to hammer : first I will contact RIM if they are interested and it could be an event there and the name should be "Blackberry Racers ". but great idea . thanks

Congratulations, Nick! It's exciting to have another new club nearby - the second one in southern Ontario in two years.