Is It Time for NAFA To Get Out of The Measuring Business?

A while back, I wrote an article about conflict in the world of flyball. There are many who deny that they contribute to the rising rhetoric. What's it all about? In a word, "measuring". An example of rhetoric disguised as "trying to find a better solution" is Large Chest Penalty . This entire short article is written as a challenge. It utilizes such words as "unfair" and "penalizes". Nowhere in the article itself do the words "health", "safety", or "welfare of our canine friends" appear. Not until much later in the comments section does the author claim this higher purpose.

I agree, a solution needs to be found to end this kind of "baiting" and move NAFA forward. In todays world of "wicket vs leg bone", serious discussion is absent when people feel attacked before they are given the opportunity to comment. ....but, a serious discussion needs to take place if we are ever going to live in peace playing flyball and growing our sport.

The wicket method of measuring a dog from the withers to the ground is simply the way dogs have been measured for centuries. Since the majority of flyball competitors come from many other dog sports who also use the wicket or some form of measuring the dog's height from the withers, defending the "fairness" of the method seems silly. Certainly, it becomes "counterproductive" in terms of what's right for flyball or NAFA. It is not whether the wicket "unfairly" penalizes dogs with long backs and short legs. Given the variety of solutions suggested in the comments section of "Deep Chest Penalty", the question that should be asked is, "How do we work together to come up with a method of determining jump heights that is 'fair' to every dog, every team in every division, everywhere?"

Some members of the NAFA Board have asked DVMs and other dog professionals about measuring a dog's jumping ability utilizing just one leg bone. They could not get a recommendation that was "in favor" of just measuring a leg bone. Listening to the details of this inquiry, I wondered how the NAFA Board could recommend changing their method of measuring to the delegates if they could not get a recommendation from Veterinarians?

More and more, I think the solution just may be a radical departure from the "status quo". I don't believe that keeping the wicket is in NAFA's best interest. I also don't believe that measuring the leg bone will resolve these issues either. Debating "which" method is better is also leading us further down the "measuring" rabbit hole.

What if we did away with measuring entirely? What if we nullified the section that says a team shall set the jump heights to 4" below the shoulder height of the shortest dog? What if we instituted a "declare your jump height" rule instead?

Radical Solution

Let's face it, 4" below the shoulder is an arbitrary figure. It's "traditional" for NAFA but, NAFA has been in operation for only 24 years. Who set the jump heights before NAFA?

There is a proposal right now that will be decided by the delegates to increase that subtraction to 5". That may help some dogs but, not every dog. And, it doesn't resolve any of the issues people have with measuring since the proposal is not about measuring....only how we apply the results of measuring.

I can hear the 'gasps' now. Do away with measuring? Do away with 'height dogs'? How can this be a serious proposal?

I thought the same things when I first heard this idea discussed at a NAFA Board meeting in Detroit over three years ago.

It was the usual scenario that brought up the debate over measuring. During the discussion, one BoD member suggested that we stop measuring and have teams "declare" their jump heights. Of course, a lively debate ensued. After it was over, I asked this BoD member privately if he was truly 'serious' about "declaring" your jump height? Indeed, he was.

".....but, wouldn't that mean everybody would just jump the minimum jump heights?" I asked.
He didn't believe so and then asked me, "Would you? Given the opportunity to declare your jump height, would you choose to always jump the minimum?"
I answered "no".
"Why not?"
".....well, because my dogs run better (faster) at around 10" jump heights." I said.
"There you go!"

Internal Debate

That conversation took place nearly three years ago. The BoD member I was talking to was no "rabble-rouser" trying to stir things up. He was a respected long time Supervising Judge who had settled many measuring disputes in troubled Regions. He were familiar with the problems. The problems are human-centered. It's not the wicket itself. It is the various viewpoints surrounding it's proper use. NAFA can't get people to agree on interpretation of NAFA's Rules and Policies concerning measuring, or even agree on how to "resolve" the disagreements. Perhaps it is time to consider doing away with measuring entirely and turn to a different "focus" to challenge us in this sport.

1. Instead of a "height dog" to determine jump heights, a team must declare their jump height prior to racing. They must jump this height throughout the event.
2. NAFA would now track the "World Records" at all the different jump heights that would be possible in a Class. For example: The WR for 7" in Regular would be tracked separately from the WR for 8" and the WR for 9", etc.
3. All other Rules would remain the same.

What would happen to all the little dogs in flyball? Would they go away?

Under this proposed scenario, I don't think so. There are so many athletic, trainable small breeds that are suitable for flyball, I don't see this as causing them to "disappear". What will happen is that a team will be able to compete with any size dog(s) in any combination.

What will happen is that our focus will shift away from pure athleticism and will include intelligence and trainability.That is what we should be rewarding, isn't it? Isn't that what the fabled Herb Wagoner was demonstrating when the sport of flyball was invented? That dogs could be trained to work together as a team with each other as well as a human handler?

What about the "divisions"? Would we have to separate the 7" Division from the 8" Division, etc?

No, not the way I propose. Of course, discussions in the comments section may lead down a different path but, the Divisions are decided by seed time based on the team as a whole. Although the jump heights do affect speed, they will not "change" after you declare. In other words, if you find yourself running too fast, you will not be allowed to raise your jump heights in order to slow your team down and avoid breaking out. That decision would have to be made before racing.

Conclusions

I expect this idea to meet with some resistance. Historically, discussions have centered around the measuring method track. I expect some people to have difficulty giving up "measuring". But, to resolve the measuring issues, you have to think "outside the box." Until the discussion begins, we can't hope to change anything.

One thing I would really like to change is the practice of "baiting" the opposition. I want to invite people to feel "safe" to leave comments here without fear those comments will be used to ridicule or belittle an opinion. The idea I have presented here is just "an idea". A starting point for discussion. Who knows what somebody else may see in this idea that can possibly be used to end the conflict over "measuring". I'm hopeful. I really am.

Good Luck and Good Racing!

....and the Winners Are:

The NAFA Elections for Executive Director and three seats on the NAFA Board of Directors are over. One dog was inducted into The Clyde Moore Memorial Hall of Fame. 17 dogs were declared the MVP for their Region.

The polls are closed and the ballots have been counted. The winners are:



December 2, 2007
NAFA 2007 Election Results
918 total ballots returned (56.81%)

View the complete results/numbers here >

Board of Directors - top 3 vote getters:

Dale Smith – 768 (83.66%)
Scott Stein – 591 (64.38%)
Alisa Romaine – 417 (45.42%)

Executive Director:

Sam Ford

Clyde Moore Memorial Hall of Fame:

Lyric

Regional MVPs:

Region 1 - Divit
Region 2 - Lyric
Region 3 - Bainbridge Savannah
Region 5 - Heidi
Region 6 - Boomtown Jazz Ma Tazz
Region 7 - Dima
Region 8 - Jane
Region 9 - Joy
Region 10 - Jackpot
Region 11 - Harli
Region 12 - Remy
Region 13 - Beau and Hunter (tie)
Region 14 - Bandit
Region 15 - Riley
Region 16 - Hannah
Region 18 - Tula
Region 19 - Shelby


We congratulate all these winners, especially the dogs who have earned this special recognition.
We wish the best of luck to Sam Ford who will continue to lead NAFA for the next three years as our distinguished Executive Director. We also wish all success to Dale Smith, Scott Stein and new Board member, Alisa Romaine. Without volunteers to serve the NAFA Board, the North American Flyball Association could not function.

As for myself, I will continue to work for the success of NAFA. To all, a handshake and:

Good Luck and Good racing!

Tips & Tricks to Succeed in Open Class

For years, NAFA participants have asked NAFA to come up with a way to temporarily create teams that included dogs from outside of their club roster without penalty. The first class created utilizing this "combined team" concept was the Veteran's Class, which was instituted approximately 2 years ago. Many teams did not have enough dogs eligible to participate to form a 4 dog team. The solution became allowing dogs who participated in this class to not be subject to the 87-day rule.

Last year, an informal survey revealed that NAFA participants supported implementing "pick up" teams as a concept. Thus, the Open Class was created for a one year trial. Open Class will be closely monitored over the next year and if deemed worthy, may be extended for another year or outright fully adopted.

This implementation has not been without controversy. In my attempt to be fair and portray both sides of the question, I wrote about the pros and cons of Open Class in an earlier article on my blog. Some used the "Cons" that I mentioned as proof that Open Class would not work for NAFA and that the NAFA Board was wrong to implement pick up team rules in this fashion. These people did not want to give the "Open Class" a chance to succeed. As implemented, the NAFA Board has been up front and honest with the NAFA public in that this is a "trial" program which is subject to re-evaluation and change.

We are now two months into the 2008 NAFA racing year and I have personally participated on two Open Class teams. The first was in Batavia, NY at the "I Love NY" Tournament hosted by Buffalo Wings. The second was just this past weekend at the "Catch the Spirit of Flyball" Tournament hosted by Spirit Catchers in Brampton, ON. I would like to share some things I have learned about participating on an Open Class team.

Plan Ahead!

The NY tournament was fine as far as advance planning goes. Ruth & I brought our own dogs plus we had an additional teammate and her dog with us. We had planned to join up with a friend whom owned a littermate to one of my dogs and was the breeder to a second dog of mine. She had two dogs to put on our Open Team so, it rounded out the roster rather nicely. Monica also asked one of her teammates to box load for us and we knew this before we arrived in NY. Since it was an entry in the Wooferines club name, Ruth was automatically team "Captain". I mention this because it becomes significant later.

In Brampton, our Open Class entry was put together for us by the Tournament Director. She had several individual dog/handlers teams available and so we sent her the times our dogs ran, who was a height dog and what was their jump height, etc. She came back through email to tell us who we were running with and what was our team seed time, etc.

We arrived in Brampton and set up our crating area with the hosting club. Two of our dogs were from the hosting club and this made sense to us. A back up height dog was with a third club and so we hooked up with them to let them know where we were crated, what other teams they had entered that might impact the racing schedule, etc. We thought we were prepared. As it turned out, we were not prepared at all!

We reported to the ring for our first race. The first question I hear someone ask is, "Do we have a box loader?" Ooooops! First "oversight" for this team. The backup height dog was owned by Elva Bradley, Team Captain for "Dog on It". Since she was in the ring with us, word reached her husband that this team needed a box loader. He kindly volunteered his services. First issue resolved!

Next thing we knew, the Head Judge blows the whistle to end warmups. Wait a minute. We hadn't figured out our line up because we were distracted by the box loader issue. Looking around, we realized that we were missing a teammate. One of the hosting club's members that was running with us was still seated at the head table resolving some paperwork issues. Second, oooooops! Run to the crating area to fetch her dog!

The third issue of not designating a "team captain" revealed itself as we struggled to come up with a line up and a running order. We also lost time due to the need to instruct the boxloader about certain dogs "needs". (Which way does he/she turn? Big ball? Little ball? Squishy ball?, etc.)

Designate a "Team Captain"

Team Captains are soooooooo under-appreciated by the clubs they are charged with organizing. They determine which dogs go in, which dogs go out, strategize comebacks when things go "wrong". They remind people which races are coming up and what is the racing order. They line up box loaders, ball shaggers and line callers. Sometimes, they even do all this while racing their own dogs. They are the "Team Brain" and maybe we should also hang the title of "Team Mother" on them. They are in charge when no one else wants to be...

Arrange for a Box Loader

This seems so basic but, we forgot it!

Not only is advance planning for your box loader important, it is your responsibilty to inform the box loader if your dog has special needs, such as peanut butter "flavored" balls. Left and right turning dogs are one thing but, I know there are many dogs out there with some very "special" balls. If you are not the one instructing the box loader, make sure that someone who knows your dog's needs is informing the box loader.

While I am on the subject of the importance of your box loader, go over with them some basic hand signals. Not all hand signals are universally understood by all clubs. Hands crossed over your head may indicate a box malfunction during the race but, will you understand the signal for "I need balls!"?

Know Where Teammembers are Crated

The natural thing that Clubs/Teams do is crate together. This keeps everybody current on changing strategies and dealing with issues. It also makes it easy to usher people to the ring when it is close to race time. But, what if your "Team" is composed of two or more Clubs?

By knowing where the other members of your Open Class team are, you can stop by their crating area and check to see if they are aware of the current race number. Do they have enough time to potty their dog and report to the ring? If they are prepared before you check on them, that's great! Everybody's on the same page. ....but, if they're not, they may appreciate the reminder!

Hold a "Strategy" Session

As I mentioned earlier, we had not figured out who was running or what the race order was. Just as each dog has unique needs for their ball, some dogs have particular needs when it comes to racing order. Some height dogs must run last. Some others might not do well as a "start" dog. You need to know who are your "pack" dogs and who are your special dogs.

It also is necessary to know how much racing every one expects to do. Some dogs will run in every heat. Others may expect to only "share" a spot. Still, others may not expect to race at all unless a dog shuts down, etc. A few minutes to learn about everybody's expectations and needs will save you from being surprised and having to re-group later.

This is also the time to negotiate terms for paying for your tournament entry fees. Each Club has it's own rules or formula for dividing up the cost of entering a tournament. But, with a "combined" team, you may have "philosophical differences" when it comes to dividing up the expenses incurred for playing flyball with each other. Take time to learn everybody's expectations and be prepared to negotiate "terms". Since Open Class is new, I expect people will be flexible when dealing with these kinds of issues. We are in uncharted flyball waters and we have the chance to show how generous and understanding we can be!

Choose a Consistent Dog

The last piece of advice I have is offer a dog to an Open Class team if you are reasonably certain that your dog will perform consistently throughout the weekend. Of course, no one can predict what hasn't happened yet and any dog can "shut down" if something "bad" happens in the ring. But, a dog that has been racing for at least a year or has proven it can return to racing even after being chased or crossed on is your best bet to enter the Open Class.

The Challenge of Open Class

The "Dog Gone Wooferines" learned that there was a real "rush" playing with folks that knew "flyball" but, maybe didn't really know you. When you practice and compete in tournaments with the same people and the same dogs, you get into a certain "rythmn". A lot of us depend on finding and keeping this rythmn or consistency for success while playing. Some will even argue that you cannot find the consistency necessary for success without a lot of practice and playing together.

Well, it should be a goal to practice and play for consistency. Just don't allow "consistency" to become a "rut". Mix it up! Sharpen your understanding of flyball by learning to pass dogs of variable speeds and/or body builds! You cannot pass a setter the same way you would pass a Border Collie. I say that because the picture changed so much for me when I passed Kia (Red & White Setter) than when I pass a Wooferine "start" dog. (Usually, a BC) The picture changed so much, in fact, I had to change my passing "window".

It took several races for us to find this rythmn for our Open Team. In fact, we lost one handler for most of Saturday when she had to go to the hospital to be checked out. She was OK and returned to race late Saturday and all of Sunday. It simply challenged the rest of us to use all the skills we have in this sport to make the necessary adjustments and continue to play.

The result? We managed to overcome all of these challenges with people we were only "acquainted" with previously. In fact, there was a much faster seeded team than we were seeded in Open Class for this event. We took First Place. Why? Because we learned how to work as a team!

The unexpected benefit came after the weekend ended. We all agreed that it was so much fun to race with each other and work together to overcome these obstacles. We learned that we had a lot "in common" with each other and it was thrilling to discover these things throughout the weekend. Best of all, we agreed it would be just as thrilling to do it all again!

So, go ahead and enjoy the thrill of flying in the "unpredictable" Open Class! Strangers are only friends we haven't met yet!

Good Luck and Good Racing!

Why I Trust the Delegates

Every year, one third of the terms of the NAFA Board of Directors expire. Every three years, the Executive Director's term expires. The North American Flyball Association fills these positions by holding annual elections in the late Fall. The people who earn NAFA ballots and vote those ballots are known as the NAFA delegates. They are intended to represent every club who participates in NAFA sanctioned events.

The unintentional side effect of this arrangement is the injection of "politics" into this sport. This is both good and bad. "Good" because everyone who uses their ballot and votes is heard. NAFA decides as a whole group the direction that the organization is going. "Bad" because the nature of politics can be divisive. Some people just cannot gracefully accept defeat.

This system evolved from very humble beginnings. NAFA was created by the joint efforts of 8 dog obedience clubs in the Michigan/Ontario area. After one person sat down and wrote a small rulebook spelling out the basics of the game, each of the remaining clubs signed on as "endorsing" the Rules of Flyball as embodied in the North American Flyball Association. Since they saw themselves as "equals", they chose the democratic model as the means for making decisions. But, they also recognized that those with the most participation had the most at stake in the sport so they created a tiered system which awarded ballots based on the level of participation. The more teams your club entered in events, the more delegate ballots your club could vote.

There were no "Regions" and everybody knew everybody else. The goal was simple. A Rulebook standardized flyball wherever it was played under NAFA sanctioning. Certainly, events could be planned without sanctioning by NAFA and probably some were. But, once this fledgling Rulebook was featured in a Canadian dog magazine, NAFA was inundated with requests for event sanctioning. Flyball has experienced phenomenal growth ever since.

Growth and Politics

I can't decide which came first. "Growth" because everybody has an ownership stake in NAFA or, the political process and "elections" because of unbridled growth. Certainly, elections determine the direction NAFA follows and since it is NAFA's owners (delegates) who possess the power of the ballot, it is the delegates themselves who are "NAFA", not the NAFA Board. The individual members of the NAFA Board are, in essence, "public servants" of the NAFA delegates.

Think about that for a minute. If the NAFA delegates are the owners of NAFA, how can they be "wrong" in any decision they reach by a democratic election?

If I am the owner of a property, I can decide whether or not I build on that property. I decide the size of the building. I decide whether to use brick or a frame house. One story or two or more. I choose how many windows to put in and where they go. I even choose the color each room will be painted and the fabric of my drapes. I decide what furniture I will put in that house and arrange it as I wish. I can even change my mind and rearrange that furniture, etc.

NAFA is the NAFA delegate's "house of flyball". Since it is more efficient to make the "small" day to day decisions that run the organization by choosing representatives, that is how the NAFA delegates run NAFA. They choose representatives. They choose the NAFA Board and they choose the Executive Director.

Now, I can hear the voices of protest out there. How much of a "choice" do we have when there are only 5 candidates running for 3 seats on the Board? How much choice do we have when the Executive Director is running unopposed? My answer is that we need to look at our history of recent elections and that may help us to understand the choices we are presented with today.

I have already outlined that NAFA Board members serve three year terms and, may serve two terms in a row (6 years). If we look at NAFA elections from 6 years ago, we see there were several candidates and very clear differences of opinions on the issues of that era. Those issues and opposing views were debated over the next 3 election cycles. (2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004). A predominant view emerged from these election cycles. The delegates consistently chose Board candidates with this predominant view.

This election cycle has fewer candidates than in the past and the candidates themselves are more alike in their opinions about NAFA than they are opposed. This is a reflection of the choices that the delegates have voted upon over the course of the last 6 years. What has been the result? In terms of growth, NAFA continues to sanction more events in the current year than in the previous year.

The Numbers

In terms of events alone, NAFA sanctioned 340 tournaments in fiscal year 2007, up 15 events from 325 tournaments in FY 2006. Percentage wise, this is a 4.6% rise from the previous year. But, one year's growth doesn't tell us much. Looking at a bigger picture, annualized growth between FY 2003-2007, NAFAs events rose 5.5 % annually. If we go back 5 years (FY 2002) NAFA sanctioned 231 events. 2007 with 340 represents a 47% hike from just 5 years ago and annualized over 5 years represents 9.4% growth every year!

Conclusions

In spite of dire predictons by people who hold a minority view, NAFA's record of growth proves that NAFA is a thriving organization. The delegates are clear in their choice of the direction NAFA needs to go. It is the responsibilty of the NAFA BoD candidates to present their ideas for the future of NAFA in an honest way so that the delegates may cast their votes with the expectation that the NAFA Board will do what they said they would do when they were candidates.

In other words, let's all of us be as honest and transparent about our opinions concerning specific issues as we are about who we are, where do we come from and where do we see NAFA going in the future. That way, the delegates can be assured that the organization is going in the direction they voted for.

Good Luck and Good Racing!

Feelings ....or, "What is my Agenda?"

I would like to know what does everyone see as the biggest topic of discussion in their region or what is their agenda?

I don't completely understand the question. Are you asking us what is the biggest area of concern within our home regions?

I am wondering what your agenda is...what is the bug people are putting in your ear..everyone has a mission.

I have no "agenda". I love flyball. I love NAFA and I just want to make things better. Maybe I'm naive but, I think we need to think more along the lines of possible things instead of getting bogged down into who did what to whom, etc. This is a sport that I do to have fun with my dogs and sometimes.....I'm having more fun in life than people who don't play flyball. They don't know what they're missing

...so you are just there to kinda take on what you are told?

I would take on whatever is on the Board agenda....

The exchange I'm quoting above is between myself and a competitor taken from the candidate chat held on 11 October, 2007. For all of the issues and topics discussed and the concerns that flyballers have, what they really want to know is the hardest piece of information to obtain. What are you thinking? What is your "agenda"?

This is an exerpt taken from Activism on The Flyball Blog:

How do you really get to know that candidate from a on line chat? How do these candidates get to know you and what your (flyball) needs and wants are? How many of them have been to other regions and raced? I don’t mean just next door region but regions outside of their norm? How are they going to represent the people in flyball from across the country if you have never been out of your own region? How are you going to get input from other flyballers? I am not sure that one of the candidates will bring anything new to the bod as she is always on line supporting everything that the current bod is doing so what makes us think that she will be there for all of us and not just what the current bod thinks? Thinking outside of the box and not moving SLOWLY is what NAFA needs at this time.

How do you really get to know that candidate from a on line chat?

Several years ago, I was confronted by this very challenge for the same reasons that these people ask this question. I didn't believe that the people serving NAFA on the Board were serving the needs of the public. I also believed that the delegates were being challenged by the fact that our organization was scattered throughout North America and it was very difficult to make essential information available to voters so that they could make an informed choice when casting their vote. What could I do?

I went to the flyball list and posed some questions to the candidates that were of a very general nature. Why did I do this? Because, I wanted the candidates to reveal their "belief" system without any leading on my part. Why would I do that? Because I perceived that the real problems on the Board was not embedded in specific issues. It was the lack of curiosity of the Board in general. What do I mean by curiosity? I mean that the majority of individuals serving on the NAFA Board at that time already had all the information about issues and matters that worked their way onto the Board agenda that they felt they needed. They did not question, they did not investigate, they did not include the "public" because they already "knew" what was "in the best interests of flyball".

What happens when you stop being curious? When you have all the information you need or want? Well, you stop learning for one thing. You stop being neutral and you develop a bias. There is no longer the presumption of innocence in any matter that comes before you whether that matter is one of a disciplinary nature or simply, an "idea". Things may be easy from that point of view but, (and this is "Just my Opinion") they are hardly fair.

How do these candidates get to know you and what your (flyball) needs and wants are?

My answer is to ask questions. Ask alot of questions. ...but, on "Flyball Chat" the candidates don't get to ask the audience many questions. They may pose the types of questions they would want answered before reaching a conclusion and taking action. ...and, I hope that those who participate on chat and those who later read those transcripts pay close attention to those "theoretical questions" because that gives us an indicator of just how curious they, as individuals, are.

Why? do I think that is important? Because my "version" of a good Board member gives every matter brought in front of the Board a fair hearing. Every motion carries with it impact on our sport. Board members should be aware of whatever their "experience" is that limits their knowledge. They should ask questions in an effort to learn what they do not know. That's how you take into account regions far from your own.

How many of them have been to other regions and raced?

That is a good question that hasn't been asked on chat as of yet but, for those whom this is important, I will answer directly.

I live in and race primarily in Region 1. That is Michigan and Ohio. I also have raced in Region 2, Ontario, Canada. I have also raced in Region 13 in Massachusetts and New York. I have raced in Rockford, Illinois. Lastly, I attended Cynosports last year and had a chance to meet and greet teams from several regions.

I would like to add that my team usually races in Regular Division 3,4 or 5 (depending on the size of the tournament) and Multi-breed. We regularly enter two teams, sometimes we double enter individual dogs. We have never achieved a Regional Championship or hosted a tournament.

For what it's worth, I agree that it is valuable experience to visit and race in regions outside of your own. But, it is not the only way to learn about the issues and concerns in these regions.

How are they going to represent the people in flyball from across the country if you have never been out of your own region?

That is the challenge of the entire NAFA Board. I cannot speak for any individual. This is only from my own viewpoint. The answer is to ask good questions starting with "Who does this decision affect? How does this affect them?" My personal favorite is, "What is it that I don't know about this matter? How can I learn what I need to know?"

How are you going to get input from other flyballers?

Again, I only answer for myself, not for the other candidates and not for the current NAFA Board members.

"Getting input" arrives in two ways. The first is through existing fixtures. There is NAFA Chat and flyball chat. There is my personal contact information and email address. There is my Blog. These fixtures exist but, they don't necessarily include everybody. What else might there be?

I've said in private that I want to make certain in my mind that everybody gets the chance to be heard. Not just the vocal ones but also the "ones who read and lurk but never post or speak." What does that mean? How can one hear the voice of one who is silent? The answer is to seek these voices out. To ask for input through surveys or a formal vote. To look at what is being offered at tournaments and how many entries are being generated.

I am not sure that one of the candidates will bring anything new to the bod as she is always on line supporting everything that the current bod is doing so what makes us think that she will be there for all of us and not just what the current bod thinks?

That could be me. I can't read minds and so I do not assume anything here. What the questioner doesn't know and fails to ask is why? Why am I always online on my blog, on The Flyball Blog and the flyball list supporting the actions of the NAFA Board of Directors?

The answer is contained purely within my perception. It's not that I think the NAFA Board is "perfect" or that I necessarily "agree" with everything they do. Far from it. I can think of many ways that NAFA can improve.

So, what motivates me to "support" the NAFA Board and run as a candidate? It is the deep desire to see to it that everybody gets a fair hearing. Not just the individuals and proposals that come before the Board but, also the NAFA Board itself. It seems that some individuals in their desire to improve flyball present their views in a somewhat narrow perspective. They assume that what "they" think is what everybody thinks. That makes it appear (to me) as though the NAFA BoD is not getting fair treatment. It is my nature to challenge lazy thinking and challenge assumptions.

How do I define lazy thinking? Lazy thinking is whenever we substitute our own assumptions for facts. Lazy thinking gives us answers but does not give us truth. It is our assumptions that say "I feel this way, therefore everybody feels this way." It is our assumptions that say, "I feel this way, therefore you should feel this way." It is our assumptions that fear, "If you are not for me then, you are against me." Our assumptions are not at all based in facts. Quite the opposite, our assumptions are not facts. They are the absence of facts.

Thinking outside of the box and not moving SLOWLY is what NAFA needs at this time.

I would like to clarify what I meant by the above reference to moving "slowly". I did not mean to hinder independent thought. Far from it. What I meant was to give true innovative and independent thought enough time for a fair hearing. In disciplinary matters, we must judge the accused before us from the presumption of innocence. It is not just the prosecution that presents a case. The defense also is given the time to be heard. We do not adjourn to return a "verdict" until both sides have fully presented their case. We do not rush to judgment.

The same responsibility is true in the arena of ideas. The Open Class is a new idea for NAFA competitors. Some will like it. Others may not. It all depends on personal opinion. The Board will not make a final decision for at least one year. It has made the allowance for competitors to make their own choices and question their own feelings. The one thing that the NAFA Board has refrained from doing is publishing an opinion. That is as it should be. The NAFA Board does not "own" NAFA. It's competitors do.

What do I want the public to "know" about me?

I want them to know what I "believe in" from my own words. I believe in "fair" treatment. That means keeping my opinions separate from the facts. It means challenging myself about what I don't know because I can't know it. (What others are thinking) It means listening to all sides of a question with the willingness to be persuaded. It means identifying what is others opinions and keeping those "opinions" separate from facts.

Why? is fair treatment so important to me? It is because I desire to be treated fairly. To be presumed "innocent" when I have erred. I am human and I make mistakes. That does not make me evil or conniving. It makes me human.

I desire that my ideas be given fair consideration. An idea is just an "idea". It should stand or fall on its own merits and not because I am the one who suggested it.

I desire to make my own choices. If I blindly accepted what The Flyball Blog "concludes" about NAFA, then I would just assume that NAFA is doomed for failure. It is interesting to me that whenever U-FLI is compared to NAFA, NAFA always loses. I might accept that if there were any "facts" offered to support the conclusion. But, what I read is the author's opinion which never is quite separated from "facts". That is why I challenge it.

What is "fun" for me is quite different from what is "fun" for anybody else. Why? ....because, nobody lives "in my skin". Nobody feels what I feel. I accept what I cannot know because, I can always learn it. All you have to do is ask a question. People can be honest with their opinions when respectfully asked.

That is my basic belief system. I realize that my candor here may have just cost me the NAFA election. Whatever the outcome of the election may be, I stand by my principles. I'm not asking anybody to believe as I believe. I'm just asking for a fair chance to be heard.

Good Luck and Good Racing.

Performance Teams-"Here We Come to Save the Day!"

Sooner or later it will happen to any Captain. That late Thursday evening call (...or maybe Friday) before a Tournament. It's a teammate informing their club that they cannot attend the flyball tournament they committed to weeks earlier. The reasons are varied. It can be dog injury or illness. It can be a family emergency or an employer. It really doesn't matter. What matters is that the best laid plans for a flyball weekend have now gone astray.

In the past, clubs faced with this dilemma had only two options: Declare themselves "FEO" or pull out of the tournament all together. Nobody likes pulling a team. They lose their entry and teams scheduled to race against a pulled entry were now forced to race a bye race for a time and NAFA points for a title.

This past weekend, at the Howl-o-Fest Tournament hosted by Canine Express, I had the good fortune to talk to two teams who had requested and been granted permission to run "Performance". It was an interesting mixture. Two separate clubs had teams in jeopardy because teammates had backed out of the weekend. The first club had called in the cavalry from a nearby club that they knew. Then, they received a call from a third club that was also in jeopardy because of multiple emergencies. They relayed that "S.O.S." to the club that was helping them out and more troops arrived. So, in the end, a club that was not originally entered in this tournament was providing temporary teammates and dogs for two other clubs. What unexpected fun!

Terms:

"FEO" means a team competes For Exhibition Only. A team cannot enter a tournament as an FEO team. Once a team declares it is FEO, it cannot return to regular competition. FEO teams cannot earn tournament points or NAFA points. FEO teams are ineligible for (tournament, division) placements and are placed in the lowest seed of any elimination rounds. An FEO team may not run if the opposing team raises an objection with the Head Judge. See NAFA Rules of Racing, Chapter 6 (e), (i-vi) Reporting for Races, for more information.

Performance teams include dogs that would otherwise be ineligible to compete because the dogs earned points on another club's team within the preceding 87 days. The intent is to allow teams that have already entered a tournament and find themselves unable to field a complete team the ability to compete. Consult the NAFA Official Rules of Racing, Corporate Policies and Procedures and By-Laws Appendix B for more information.

How does this work?

1) You must declare the team "Performance" prior to the start of racing. Once a team is declared to be Performance, it remains a Performance Team for the rest of the Tournament.

2) A dog's club affiliation is not affected by reason of running on a Performance Team.

3) A dog may be listed on an additional timesheet (double entered) provided the entry is in another class that allows a second entry. As an example, if the Performance Team is competing in the Regular Class, any dog listed on the Performance Team may also compete in the 4 Breed Class or the Open Class. It may not be listed on a team in the Veteran's Class since the Veteran's Class does not permit dogs entered in that class a second entry.

4) A Performance Team is not eligible for any tournament placements or awards.

5) A Performance Team will not be awarded any wins for races or heats.

6) Performance Teams cannot set a World Record Time.

7) Performance Teams cannot earn Regional Points.

8) Times recorded by a Performance Team are used to calculate NAFA points for titles for the dogs and no other purpose.

What is the "benefit"?

1) It allows Performance Teams to compete directly against regular seeded teams thus keeping divisions filled and competitive.

2) It keeps the competition "fun" by providing close racing among competitively seeded teams instead of the possible "bye" race created by a pulled team.

3) It allows teams to earn points towards NAFA titles making declaring Performance more valuable than declaring "FEO".

Conclusions

NAFA is testing the concept of temporary teams (pick up teams) for a period of one racing year. Performance Teams very closely resemble the current model presented by U-FLI. Both organizations allow temporary teams that include dogs that would otherwise be ineligible to be listed due to earning points on another club's team. Both organizations allow these temporary teams to remain seeded in the regular racing divisions. And, both organizations allow dogs competing on these temporary teams to earn points towards titles.

In addition, both organizations do not allow temporary teams to earn race or heat wins. They do not allow tournament or divisional placements. They do not recognize "record" times to be recorded by temporary teams. NAFA does not allow Regional Points to be earned by temporary teams. U-FLI has no regions and thus, no counterpart to NAFA's policy.

The only difference in treatment of temporary teams between NAFA and U-FLI is that NAFA does not allow a team to declare itself "Performance" after a tournament has commenced racing. It's a minor difference. Since it is a one year pilot program, that question can be re-visited during the year-end review and adjustments made if feedback from the NAFA community justifies it.

Good Luck & Good Racing!

NAFA's Open Class - Pros & Cons and Why I Like It

On Monday, October 1, a new racing year for NAFA began and many new Rules of Racing took effect as of that date. One of these "new" Rules was Appendix B added to the back of the book creating NAFA's version of the pick-up team concept spearheaded by U-FLI, Inc.

One of these changes was the creation of a new class. The Open Class allows dogs to run for points and titles outside of the 87 day waiting period rules concerning dogs switching clubs.

I have received from a competitor a list of concerns about the new Open Class and I will draw upon that list for my "cons". I will comment from my own perspective and my attempt to see both sides of the Open Class issues.

Con: It has no value that is different from Regular/Multi

"1) Most teams do not run for Regional Points or World Records - they run for individual dog points and tournament placings.

2) As an example, a team running in Regular Division 4 has no more benefit to a team running in Open. "


My view on this goes to the heart of the pick up team concept. Teams in Open are allowed dogs outside of their club without being subject to the 87 day rule. That automatically changes the dynamic of a team by adding just one dog this way. The fact that Open Class does not "earn" Regional Points and cannot set World Records is an acknowledgement of the purpose for having the 87 day rule. That purpose is to protect Clubs who are working and training to be "Regional Champions" are not taken unfair advantage of by two or more competing clubs that might work together and form a "Dream Team".


My challenge to this concern is this: If it is not your Club's goal to run for Regional Points or World Records, why? does it matter that Open Class is ineligible for Regional Points or World Records? The "benefit" is the ability to form teams irregardless of the 87 day waiting period.

Con: It negates the 87 day rule

"A person can move from one club to another and start running immediately with the new club. The new club can just enter the new dogs team in Open instead of Regular/Multi. This eliminates all penalties or waiting periods."

The 87 day rule was never intended to serve as "punishment" for those who wished to leave a club. In the beginning of NAFA's creation, the source for teams were clubs that were organized for the purpose of training and competing in AKC/CKC Obedience Trials. The "Club" focus was training and competing for individual dog/human teams.

NAFA was organized by representatives from these pioneer Obedience Clubs, hence the "Club" concept for teams. When NAFA had grown to the point of desiring to offer "championships" to its competitors, it needed to protect clubs that were working towards a championship goal from individuals who might organize a Super "Dream Team".

NAFA has been organized for 20+ years. In the beginning, it was not visualized that there would be clubs organized for the sole purpose of competing in flyball - and nothing else. It also didn't visualize that there would be clubs who would not desire to work towards a "championship". Individual flyball titles were developed much later and, even after adopting flyball titles, it was still thought that it was preferable to work towards flyball titles within the structure of a "Club".
Finally, the time has come when NAFA recognizes that control and ownership of individual dogs rests with their individual "owner" and not the "Club" that owner is affiliated with.

Con: Open Class reduces the need or desire to train Multi breeds

"A club can now enter a complete team in Regular and double into Open without having to develop any other breeds This eliminates the necessity to develop a slower learning breed and can over time reduce the desire for unusual breeds all together."

In the very beginning of NAFA, there was concern that flyball was becoming a sport that was almost exclusive for Border Collies. Other breeds need not apply. In fact, there was a significant number of people who were against the 4 Breed Class because they did not want to restrict flyball in any fashion whatsoever. They wanted flyball to run as fast as it could possibly go and creating a Class that required 1 each of 4 different breeds was perceived as "hindering" flyball.

Thank goodness that this anti-4 breed group was defeated by people who saw the value in spreading flyball to every breed that was physically and mentally capable of learning the flyball course. ....but, now the Open Class calls into question whether or not the incentive still exists to train and develop other breeds for flyball. I believe it does.

4 Breed exists solely to showcase many breeds in flyball. It was not intended to be a second class for those desiring to double team their dog. In fact, there are a few Regions where 4 Breed is not offered in enough Tournaments to qualify any club competing within that Region to be named a 4 Breed Regional Champion. I think that is sad but, Tournament Directors are going to offer the classes that attract entries. It is my understanding that the areas that do not offer 4 Breed as a class do not have enough clubs with multiple breeds to attract enough entries to make 4 Breed viable.

So, the question becomes, "Will the Open Class supersede 4 Breed in popularity?" I'm not sure if it will or not. There are no Regional points in Open and thus, would be a hindrance for a Club that is working towards a 4 Breed Regional Championship. On the other hand, there will always be an incentive for some people to train and showcase the less popular breeds for flyball simply because they love that breed and they love that challenge. There are four breeds that make up over 50% of all flyball dogs. Border Collies, Mixed breed (mutts), Jack / Parson Russell Terriers and Labrador Retrievers represent 53% of all dogs who possess a CRN from NAFA. The choice to train and develop a dog not of these breeds is a personal challenge that probably cannot be "discouraged".

Con: Allows the "non team player" personality a way to play the sport without having to work it out on a team

"One of the things that sets flyball apart from all other dog sports is the team aspect. Not every human can play in a team environment. For many people, it is much easier to not participate in a club. The Open Class will open the door for people to train their dogs at home and come to a tournament and run as an independent (not part of any club). This can eventually change the entire culture of the sport."

Flyball is truly "unique" in the world of Dog sport competitions in that it is the only dog sport that requires a team of "humans" in order to compete. Even dog sled competitions only require one musher to compete.

I can see this as a viable concern. However, I wonder just how successful a trainer can be without proofing their dogs at least occasionally to perform in the "dog team" environment of flyball. You have to teach "passing" and running left lane or right lane with a dog in the other lane. This is nearly impossible without proofing somewhere in practice sessions. My Captain would not allow a dog that had not been team proofed to participate on a team. Is there a Club Owner/Team Captain anywhere that would risk an unproofed/independently trained dog in their line-up?

On the other hand, what about the "marketing" aspect of this question? How do we keep people in this sport if they are having difficulty staying with their current club? There may be more reasons staying with a particular club may be difficult than just being a "non team player". There may be financial reasons. (My club doesn't enter enough tournaments or, my club doesn't travel to tournaments). There may be practice/training issues. (My club doesn't schedule practices. My dog isn't getting trained).

....and, another aspect of marketing flyball is, "How do we introduce flyball into geographic areas where it currently does not exist?" Wouldn't it (Open Class) help to continue growing flyball if a trainer lived too far away to be a permanent member of a club? What about the Obedience Club that is geographically separated from experienced flyballers? It could help them to know that they could rendezvous with a seasoned player and their dog(s) at a long distance tournament. Opportunities to "grow" flyball increase when we expand the options for participation.

Con: Reduces need/desire to develop height dogs

"If a team is short a height dog - under the prior rules a club would have need/desire to find or develop one. Under "Open Class", all a club would need to do is find someone with a height dog that wants to double and enter their team in Open instead of Regular/Multi."

This is only partially true. No club can survive for very long without a resident "height dog". I firmly believe that you can never have too many height dogs. I also believe that it is a mistake to assume that someone wants to "double" their height dog in Open. Maybe, this is an event their Club decided not to go but, they want to attend. Should the fact that their club decides to stay home force somebody to not participate if they are able and willing to attend?

Several years ago, my club was impacted by "insufficient" HDs to accommodate all the dogs that were trained and wanted to participate on a team. The one dog that suffered most for it was an aging Australian Shepherd that was working towards her "Onyx" award. Ouzo was slow but reliable. ...but, what was frustrating and heartbreaking was that everybody on our club was working to help get Ouzo the Onyx. It wasn't happening because the only height dog on our club that was fast enough to earn a 25 point run had shut down. Pretty soon, Ouzo would have to retire.

As a club, we made the heartbreaking decision to allow Ouzo to run with another club that had sufficient HDs. We had always intended to move Ouzo back to our club roster after achieving the Onyx. By the time she was eligible to return, Ouzo was unable to run on any team and now rests permanently with the club she ran with to achieve the Onyx. If Open Class or Vets had existed in her time, we could've found speed dogs (Vets) or HDs (Open) and finished her Onyx title while remaining always a Wooferine. So, due to the memory of this challenge, my club is always "in the hunt" to add height dogs to our roster. I'd rather have too many HDs and be willing to lend them out then to be "short" and beg teams to allow us to borrow a dog.

Remember, Open Class is optional. Unless the TD offers Open Class in their tournament, there is no Open Class to participate in. ...and, unless it is offered, there's no opportunity to "double" your dog. It's that simple.

Con: It is not just a pick-up team but, a completely new class with no restrictions

"The fact that a club can enter an entire team without having to actually pick up a dog from another club seems unfair."

This is a "loophole" that was apparently overlooked when the Open Class rules were drafted. If a club enters a team without including at least one dog from another, that circumvents the purpose of creating "Open Class". This is an example of the reasoning behind having "sunset" clauses for new rules. We don't always "see" the loopholes when developing a new concept within our rules.

Whether or not a club actually takes (unfair) advantage of this oversight, I would be in favor (in principle) of closing this loophole for one reason. To clearly demonstrate that the purpose of this class is to allow clubs to enter teams while including dogs that are outside of their roster. Since you can list as many as 6 dogs for one team, I can visualize the day when a team might enter with all 6 dogs coming from 6 different clubs. ....but, I am against a club entering a team in Open for the sole purpose of being able to "double" run their dogs and not invite a dog outside their club to participate with them.

Con: Reduces / Eliminates a lot of the strategy of the sport

"One of the fun aspects of this sport is the strategy, most of which incorporates making and developing teams. Say a club has 10 dogs wanting to go to an event. Without Open Class, that club would need to develop a strategy of either doubling dogs to establish three teams or rotating dogs through two teams, etc. Now, all a club would have to do is enter two and place the two "extra" dogs on an Open team. No more strategy"

.....aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! Your regional bias shows just a little. There are Regions that do not normally offer Multi-breed class so, no opportunity for "doubling" dogs exists in these events. Would a TD offer the "Open" class and not offer Multi-breed first? I don't know. It is a Regional difference in some areas. It depends heavily on the reasons that Multi-breed is not offered in the first place. I suspect the new restrictions that have been placed on the number of potential heats scheduled per day per team, that will have an impact on this practice. Only time will tell us what people will exercise as their "option".

This is a "concern" that I would rely heavily on feedback from many people in different regions before I form any permanent judgment of my own.

Con: Open Class significantly "cheapens" the value of titles

"Now it is possible for every dog that would ever want to double the opportunity to do so. Some of the internal restrictions that have kept dogs from doubling, like a club not having enough height dogs, or multi breeds to field additional teams are now gone. So, you will see a lot more dogs running double entered. This will make the amount of points they earn at a tournament significantly increase, which will make titles MUCH easier to obtain."

I understand the concern that is voiced here but, I also see three "offsetting" facts. One, there is the new restrictions concerning the total number of heats that may be scheduled for one team per day. NAFA's Corporate Policies and Procedures, Section 6.3(b)(iv), p 29 states: "The Race Schedule shall not call for more than a total of 35 possible heats per day per team" Never before has NAFA limited the number of heats a team could run. Maybe, this restriction will cause some people to "double-run" their dogs because, before this restriction was adopted, there was no limit. ...but, that could happen at any event that would offer Multi-Breed as well. Your concern is that the "club" could not restrict these individuals. I see other factors "outside" of the club that have the potential for restricting "double-running".

The second offsetter is that someone who wishes to "double-enter" will have to find an event w/Open Class AND a club willing to enter an Open Class team. What if they can't find a "willing" club?

The third "offsetter" is that Open Class is optional. Unless a TD offers the Open Class in their tournament, the possibility of "double running" does not exist. There are, in fact, a significant number of events that only offer the Regular Class. I seriously doubt that Open Class will impact these restricted events. ....but, I've learned to "never say 'never' " so, I will be watching this over the next year to see what impact on individual dog points this will have.

Con: Will over time reduce the need/desire for a Club

"As the Open Class gains popularity and entries - the need to be part of a club will be diminished, thus, changing the culture of the sport."

I agree, the possibility exists it might diminish the need to be part of a club. .....but, the basic definition of the sport will not. What makes it flyball? Flyball is a relay race for 4 dogs over 4 jumps for a ball. If it doesn't have 4 dogs - if it doesn't have two lanes - if it doesn't have 4 jumps to retrieve a ball ......then, I don't know what it is but, it isn't flyball. I don't know about anybody else but, I can't train/teach my dogs to play nice with other dogs (both, on their team and their opposing team) without the other members of my club pitching in.

I support widening the door of opportunity for growth. Traditional dog obedience clubs have "grown" in number since the AKC adopted the Dog Obedience classes at dog shows and separate Dog Obedience Trials. Agility has far outstripped flyball in growth both, for Agility trials being offered and Agility classes taught and Agility Clubs organized. Do you think maybe it's possible that when we (NAFA) offer more choices and more "options" to participate in flyball, we open the door to more people who want to try flyball? If more people want to participate in the sport of flyball, then doesn't that "increase" the need for more clubs to organize?

Con: Will soon become the largest class at tournaments - because it is easiest and least restrictive to enter

" For all the reasons stated above - it is likely that the Open Class will soon become larger than Multi at most tournaments and could even become a larger class at some tournaments than Regular - which will completely change this sport again - for all the reasons stated above."

I don't have a crystal ball. I can't predict the future but, I don't fear it either. If Open Class surpasses Multi and Regular Classes in popularity, it will be due to marketplace demands. Is it a "bad" thing? I don't know. ...but, I do know that flyball grew because of popular demand. Multi-breed Class grew because of popular demand. Whatever the outcome for the future of Open Class, it will be a result of "free" competition within the "marketplace". Translation: increased entries at tournaments.

I have observed the evolution of this sport since BN (Before NAFA). NAFA itself was an "innovation" by enthusiasts who wanted to standardize flyball. The moment the first "rulebook" was published, the original organizers were inundated by requests for copies of the rulebook and an interest in "joining" NAFA. That significantly changed this sport. The invention of the wedge-shaped box significantly changed it again. The two-hole box and introduction of the "swimmers turn" changed things yet again. Introducing the EJS totally revolutionized the game.

Were any of these changes detrimental to the sport? I don't think so. What might've happened if Multi-breed (4 breed) had never been adopted? I don't even want to imagine!

Since 90% of flyball doesn't compete for Regional Championships or Regional points, that is the sector that will drive the growth of the Open Class. The possibility of further widening the gap between the fastest 10% and the rest of flyball because of the Open Class certainly exists. I will be watching this and listening to both supporters of Open and its detractors. Whether or not I am elected to the NAFA BoD, the Board will be receiving "feedback" from me on this class when it comes up for review next year. I urge everyone who has an opinion to contact NAFA and give them your input. Likely, the pilot program will continue as a "pilot" for one more year before permanent adoption. I urge everyone to keep an "open" mind (pun intended) during this trial and give it a fair chance to evolve. Use your imagination and see the "possibilities" that the Open Class will promote flyball and NAFA. Keep in mind the reasons this class was considered by the NAFA BoD - that there were numerous requests of the Board to find a way/means of competing in flyball on teams that were outside of participants regular clubs and that these people wanted a "vacation pass" so to speak. If possible, enter the Open Class with a team of your own -- or, find a club with an Open Class team that needs a solid dog.

It's possible that "Open Class" will actually help clubs to stay together. That the reasons for leaving a team will be less important if you can enter a tournament and run on another club without having to leave your club to do so. It will also give us the opportunity to become flyball ambassadors if we can enter tournaments on long distance trips. We would be able to meet and get to know flyball enthusiasts in places far removed from our home regions. Let's give the Open Class a fair chance to win your approval. Flyball is changing -- NAFA is changing -- we are only afraid of change because of the "unknown". A year of evaluation will tell us more than we know now.

Good Luck and Good Racing!

Club Insurance-Do You Need It?

I recently received this email:

Hi Chris-

I've enjoyed your blog and noticed your "suggested topics" section and thought I'd write you and ask.

Could you write something about insurance in the future? We are a newer club and are researching it.

We are aware many clubs don't have it.
What are the benefits and what are there reasons to get it or not get it ? How much do you need? Where do you get it? What does it cost- different per state I would imagine....

another topic - what about profit and not for profit status for a club? Why would you want to do one over the other? We don't have a lot of formal stuff at this point(just a group of us that have gotten together) and as our budget is very low and we are funding everything ourselves, we don't want to pay for things we really don't need.

It would be nice to get opinions from others on this so that we can make an educated decision.

thanks,

Name Withheld


I'll admit, I didn't know much about insurance myself. My flyball club consists of about 8-9 people. We do not host a tournament (a fact I am working on to change) and haven't been contacted to do a flyball "demo" in several years. I had to take some time and do some research in order to answer these very good questions. How do you know if you need insurance?

1. The first question you need to ask is this: What do I own that I am willing to risk? Insurance protects you in the event that you are named in a lawsuit due to an incident/accident that results in property damage or personal injury. If you do not own much--maybe, you rent your home and live paycheck to paycheck. Your vehicles are old and not worth much. Since, you don't really have any "assets", if you were named in a lawsuit, the plaintiff couldn't collect much of anything from you anyway. That's one way to look at it.

......but, what if you own a nice home? ....a late-model vehicle? ....a boat and/or RV? ...and have a bank account and investments? You could lose a lot if you were sued for liability and had a judgment entered against you in a Court of Law.

2. The next question you and your club need to answer is: What are the chances that an accident may occur? We don't "host" flyball events and we don't even do flyball "demos".

On the surface, that may seem to be a "low-risk" situation. What else do you need ask?

• Does your club rent a practice facility? ...or, do you use some one's private residence?
• Do you or your "club" teach dog training (flyball) classes?
• Do you give private flyball lessons during your practices?
• Do you ever invite or allow a "guest" to attend your practices?

If the answer is "yes" to any of the above questions about teaching or guests, then you have a liability risk. If you rent a facility, the building owner may require proof of insurance before renting to your club because, as a property owner, they have a liability risk. If you meet at some one's home to practice and you have a "guest", again, that property owner has a liability risk and may not even realize it!

If a property owner requires anybody renting their property (such as may be necessary to hold practices) to carry insurance, then the choice of whether or not to carry insurance has been made for you. ...but, don't make the mistake of assuming you do not need insurance just because nobody is requiring your club to prove it carries insurance in order to carry on its activities.

3. How much do you need? First, you need to understand what kind of insurance you need to cover your "risks" as a dog club. Commercial General Liability Insurance is the type of policy you and your dog club typically should carry. The word commercial is in the title because, in the eyes of the law, the activities of your dog club are considered commercial in nature. Money does not need to be exchanged in order to be considered commercial. Any benefit, (such as learning how to train a dog) can be considered commercial.

General Liability refers to any incident or scenario which could result in a liability lawsuit. It could be a "slip and fall" injury. It could be weather related property damage. Anything can happen and, if it does, somebody might seek damages for their loss.

My research has revealed that policies for this type of insurance are generally written to pay out a maximum of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 maximum payout for the policy term. There may be other "limits" depending on who is quoting the coverage, which state it is in, etc. Premiums typically run between $350.00 up to $700.00 per year. Seems expensive, doesn't it? Still, how "expensive" could defending yourself against a lawsuit be?

4. Where do you get insurance? The best advice I can give for this question is to contact an Insurance Agency or Insurance Broker that specializes in Commercial General Liability Insurance for dog clubs. Dog sports and activities carry with them the added liability of a possible dog "bite" and there are some policies that specifically exclude dogs so, make sure your policy covers this specialized risk. Two good companies that can issue such policies are:

• Sportsmen's Insurance Agency Plan, Inc has been insuring dog clubs for over 25 years and carries several specialty policies that cover different "risks". Visit their website at Sportsmen's Insurance Agency Plan, Inc for more detailed information.
• R.V. Nuccio & Associates, Inc Kennel Club Plan is a special program of insurance specifically designed for a kennel or dog club. The program is available nationwide and is underwritten by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, one of our nations oldest and most respected insurance companies. Please visit R.V. Nuccio & Associates, Inc for more detailed information.

5. What about profit and not for profit status for a club? Why would you want to do one over the other?

A non-profit corporation is a special type of corporation that has been organized to meet specific tax-exempt purposes. To qualify for non-profit status, your corporation must be formed to benefit (1) the public, (2) a specific group of individuals or (3) the membership of the non-profit.

Non-profit corporations enjoy the same "liability protection" as regular corporations and limited liability companies. In other words, your directors, trustees, members, and employees are not responsible for corporate debts and liabilities. There are also significant federal and state tax benefits available for incorporating as a non-profit. One of the most attractive benefits of forming a non-profit is "tax-exemption".

Forming a non-profit is a great way to keep the "business affairs" (money) of your club separate from your personal money. As a non-profit, your dog club is eligible to receive grants or tax-deductible donations, which are critical to your fundraising (sponsorship) efforts. Non-profit recognition also reassures potential donors that you are a legitimate organization.

You do not need to go the entire route of "incorporation". You can file a simple "DBA" (Doing Business As) with your state which will allow you to open a bank account in the name of your DBA. However, doing so will not afford you or your dog club "liability protection" as incorporation will. A DBA may be a "first step" towards eventually filing for non-profit status and tax-exemption as your club grows and becomes more active with more members.

For more information about business structure matters, please visit legalzoom.com For more information on tax matters for non-profits, please visit the IRS.

The Bottom Line

My conclusion after all my research is this: Every flyball club has a "liability risk". If you do not take some simple steps to protect yourself and your club from being held liable, you could spend a fortune defending yourself and the other members of your club in a lawsuit. If you cannot afford to pay an insurance premium to carry Commercial General Liability Insurance then, you should take the time and spend whatever dollars is necessary to incorporate your club which will protect the individual members of your club from personal liability. Seeking "non-profit" status for your club will save you from being liable for taxes for your club's activities. This would include a simple thing such as collecting for "dues".

Good Luck and Good Racing!

9/11 Tribute

According to experts in natural history, canines chose to live with us as a species. I've often marveled at that fact.

I've also marveled at their devotion to us.

Today, I want to pay tribute to the dogs of 9/11, their handlers, the veterinarians who cared for them and anyone who made it possible for them to do their work. The rescue workers at Ground Zero would have been lost without them..









"When the last scene of all comes,
and death takes the master in its embrace,
and his body is laid away in the cold ground,
no matter if all other friends pursue their way,
there by his gravesite will the noble dog be found,
his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness,
faithful and true...
even to death."

-Author unknown

Training a Deaf Dog

Our team had the pleasure of competing in Vassar, MI this past weekend at the 10th Anniversary of Ballistics' "River Run" Tournament. We do it every year because they make it so much fun on the banks of the Cass River in the lovely town of Vassar. It is a beautiful setting with an open air ice rink pavilion. Lots of opportunity for pictures, good food and leisurely walks through town.

We had our ups and downs as most teams do. ....but, one outstanding achievement was watching the deaf dog run.


"Luna" is a white Border Collie who is completely and profoundly deaf. A lot of dogs born with this condition are put to sleep without ever having a chance at life because it is assumed that nobody wants a deaf dog. That isn't true, of course. It is a lot of work to find a willing home for a dog with such a handicap. Luna's owner not only was willing to take on the challenge of owning and training a deaf dog, she went looking for a deaf dog purposely. Luna was "wanted".

Luna is approximately 2 and 1/2 years old. She was born in Idaho and came to Michigan through Utah by way of a wonderful group that rescues deaf dogs of all breeds.

Training a deaf dog to play flyball is a challenge but achievable. You need to decide ahead of time what hand signals you are going to use for each desired behavior. The signal for "NO" or "STOP what you are doing right now" needs to be taught very early. Since Luna can't hear, the handler needs to jump up and down or use other exaggerated moves to create excitement for the dog. You should also decide on a simple gesture to indicate the dog's name. It doesn't matter if these signals are accepted sign language gestures or not. The point is that if you are training a deaf dog, you need to easily remember how to signal your dog for the basic things. Luna's name is signed by holding your right hand, palm down and fingers together and waving. Just the hand moves, not the wrist or arm. I really don't know what, if anything, this means in sign language. BUT, Luna knows it means HER and she'll come bounding over to see what you want.

Anyway, this weekend was supposed to be warmups for Luna. Our policy is to train with proofing for consistent performance. We want Luna (and every dog we train) to succeed without any pressure. I guess Luna was tired of all our caution because she was playing consistently, clearly showing us she was ready to run! Luna was a Rock Star!

We were so involved in Luna's success, we often forgot to inform the Head Judge that Luna is deaf. NAFA doesn't require this but, it is a good practice anyway for judge's discretion calls.

I admire Luna's owner for seeking out a deaf dog and proving to the world that they are trainable and can do something as complicated as flyball. AND have fun! I am proud that Luna is part of our team.

Good Luck and Good Racing!

Yes...I am Running for the NAFA Board

NAFA Board of Directors nominations announced

Every year, NAFA's Board members are elected for three-year terms. Terms of office are staggered so that approximately one-third of the board members' terms will expire each year. No NAFA Board member may serve for more than two full consecutive terms.

Once every three years, the term for the Executive Director also expires.

This year, both the Executive Director and three NAFA BoD terms expire. It has been announced on the NAFA website who has been nominated to fill these positions.

......and, yes. My name is among those seeking a position on the NAFA Board of Directors. My reasons for doing so are embedded in who I am so, I would like to introduce myself:

Hi! My name is Chris VanWert. I have been doing "dog" stuff all my life. My interest in dogs began with my parents who raised Papillons and showed them in AKC Conformation classes beginning in the 1950's.

Personal History

A NAFA Board member is an unpaid volunteer. I believe so much in "volunteering" that I spent 5 years (1973-1978) serving this country in the U.S. Navy. From that experience, I learned how to deal with difficult situations. The Navy doesn't expect natural born leaders. The Navy trains its personnel to become leaders.

After leaving the Navy, I came home and followed in the footsteps of my parents raising and showing AKC Papillons. I supported my sister's interest in AKC Dog Obedience competition. Her interest led to her joining the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club. In turn, I took classes at the AADTC . Through our involvement in the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club, we were introduced to the sport of flyball around 1981. This was prior to the creation of NAFA.

Flyball

Sometime during 1999, I joined a new team called "Runnin' Ruff". It was through this team that I acquired Eddie. Eddie had been trained to do flyball by my sister but, she didn't have time to handle him and so she gave him to me fully trained. I later acquired a Miniature Australian Shepherd I named Blast. I trained Blast and handled both Eddie and Blast beyond the 40,000 NAFA points level. I also have two "new" flyball dogs. Strut is a Miniature Australian Shepherd and Pivot, a Jack Russell Terrier.

My current team is the Wooferines Flyball Team. I am responsible for creation and maintenance of the Wooferines website.

I have served on the NAFA Nominating Committee for three years. I also was the special project manager in charge of creating vinyl banners that are displayed at NAFA tournaments celebrating NAFA's 20 years of flyball. NAFA should take advantage of every opportunity to market NAFA and promote the sport of flyball. The delegates have an "ownership" stake in NAFA and it is important for the NAFA BoD to encourage a partnership role for the delegates in major decisions that have a far reaching impact on our sport. A copy of my nomination letter can be found here.

Vision

The future for NAFA is a bright one. Flyball is about having fun with your dogs and other dog lovers. It's about bragging rights for accomplishments. The "driving force" that built this sport is the camaraderie enjoyed by people who live with and train dogs.

I have introduced a proposal for Divisional Championships that is designed to recognize the skill and competitiveness of teams that do not race in Division 1. Although it is a rough draft and not quite ready for adoption, I support the concept of recognition for teams in all divisions that the Divisional Championships proposal represents. I encourage everyone to read my proposal and offer suggestions on how to improve the concept presented.

Open Communication

I have an "open door" policy for communication with the flyball community. I only speak for myself and no other entity. Your concerns and issues are my concerns and issues. You can be sure that I will listen and try to find common ground among all parties. Ultimately, it is the delegates that own this organization and their choice that determines NAFA's direction. I will work to insure that the viewpoint of the delegates is sought and followed. No single Director on the Board has the "answer" to the issues that confront NAFA today. We must all learn to work together-Regional Directors, delegates, The Executive Director and the NAFA Board-to find the solutions that will work best for NAFA.

This blog is an open forum for all topics in the flyball community. I encourage you to write to me at chrisandblast@hotmail.com or chrisandblast@gmail.com and tell me your concerns, ask me about my opinions or offer your suggestions and I will answer in private and/or on this blog.

Good luck and good racing!

NAFA Board of Directors nominations announced

NEW! Email Subscription Service Powered by FeedBlitz!

I am grateful to my readers and I sincerely hope that I offer a service that is of value. I am pleased to announce that I have added FeedBlitz email subscription service to this blog. Now, you can get the latest edition of "It's Just an Opinion..." delivered right to your email inbox.

FeedBlitz is easy to use. It is a "double opt-in" subscription which means after you fill in your name and email in the box on the right side column, you click "Get Email Updates". Then, you will receive an email and a link which you will have to click again to confirm your subscription. I have tested this system out and it works beautifully! No more "missed" posts. And, the emails are easy to read with links to recent posts which allows the reader to catch up if they haven't visited the blog in a while. FeedBlitz also provides an easy way to "unsub" yourself in each email sent.

Tell your friends and family and TEAM mates if "It's Just an Opinion..." has helped you in any way. ....and, please, add your comments to any post here. This blog exists for all who love flyball!

Good Luck and Good Racing!

The Challenge of Hosting

I was browsing through the NAFA Website looking at the current Tournament schedule and I was amazed to learn that out of 381 "active clubs" only somewhere between a third and one half host a tournament.

I think we should give special recognition to these "Hosting clubs" because without them, there would be no points earned, no titles earned because there would be no tournaments to play in!

Hosting an event is a lot of hard work. You have to find a venue and secure it. Some venues require a non-refundable deposit.

You have to find equipment such as jumps, backstops, tables and chairs. Some Regions hold their events primarily indoors because of possible inclement weather. They usually use mats to provide solid footing for both the dogs and their handlers.

You have to find workers who set up the ring and workers who keep the ring and grounds clean. You have to super clean up and tear down the ring at the end.

You have to provide "judges" both at the line, box and table AND an approved Head Judge for the sanctioning body you are hosting your event under. ....and, it really helps if you have a computer and the proper software for scoring at the table.

You have to provide prizes though, I know of a few events that advertise "no frills" flyball -- just racing for points and placements. It's not required but, some clubs go in the opposite direction and have huge "Welcome" baskets/packages and a Raffle table in addition to prizes for placements.

Yes, it's certainly alot of work and I just wanted anyone who who helps out with these tasks for hosting that I and many, MANY others really appreciate all that they do to put on an event.

Take a bow, Hosting Clubs! Take a bow!

Good Luck and Good Racing!