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!