The Role That "Respect" Has When Organizing a Team

The Twelve Principles of Team Organization

Respect

This is the second in a series about organizing a team.

Organizing a team is NOT limited to the "early" days of a newly registered team or club. "Organizing" is a continuous process that is dynamic, always changing both as the sport of flyball "evolves" and as personnel change on your roster. "Experience" becomes a teacher as strategies and tactics are tried and kept or discarded depending on their success or failure. Every new team captain has a learning curve and everybody wants to know this "secret" of flyball success. How do you keep all the people on your team "happy"? How do you keep people on your team over a long period of time? How do you get them to work together?

The answer is developing a set of principles and sticking with the formula. Some people may disagree with what you consider your principles to be but, that's OK. NAFA doesn't think a team's roster should be set "in stone" and neither should you. Over time, you want to attract the kind of people you get along with and will "work" with you towards a common goal. That's what makes flyball - as a "team" sport - so much fun. Discovering a second family called your team.

"Respect" is as simple as it is important. Respect means that you treat others with the same personal/professional consideration that you expect to receive. Have consideration for their time as well as their thoughts, ideas and property. In short, "respect" is an attitude. It is at the forefront of your behavior and it is priceless when it is received.

When you use respect as a core principle, something magical happens. A lot of things get done because the people on your team will feel "validated". No one wants to be taken for granted, especially those who are "volunteers". When you feel your efforts are appreciated, you tend to give more of yourself in terms of personal efforts. It no longer feels like "work" at all!

It even gets easy to enlist help from "outside" your club. You might need that outside help the first time you host a tournament. Borrowing equipment or securing help judging are just a couple of ways that outside clubs help one another for the greater good of flyball. Banding together to secure a practice facility or combining the costs for renting a venue are another. Showing consideration for the time and efforts of others is how you ensure the future success of your club.

Good Luck and Good Racing!

..........Chris

When You Have to Pull Your Team

I'm wondering what host teams do with entry fees paid, if a team has to pull before the tournament begins.

-E.W.
Most clubs do not offer refunds AFTER closing. If you stop and think... the judges have been hired, awards ordered, possibly extra space rented, etc,. All based on number of entries at closing. If everyone had the option to pull and be refunded it could crash a tournament pretty fast.

Some clubs have been known to offer a "reduced fee" for another upcoming event if the reason was totally out of your control...like kennel cough (MOST clubs appreciate it when a team pulls for that reason).

That seems to be common practice throughout Region 1. No refund after a tournament closes. Our team has an internal policy as well: If you commit your dog to a tournament and you pull out AFTER the tournament has closed, you are still responsible for paying your portion of the entry fee to the club. The only way out of paying the club is for you to find a "replacement" for your absence.

If your replacement is a member of the club, then that releases your obligation to pay. If your replacement is OUTSIDE of the club and we have to declare that team "PERFORMANCE" then, you are still responsible. We expect you to work it out with whoever you find to replace your dog as to who actually pays. Probably, the replacement dog and handler are more than happy to pay their fair share for the opportunity to play flyball. But, that's not the club's responsibility. That is yours for committing to a tournament and then backing out.

If it seems to be an issue for your club, check with the Tournament Secretary or Tournament Director before you enter and WELL before closing. Ask as many questions as you need to and be sure you understand their policies before entering. It is the HOST CLUB that sets refund policies for any particular event, NOT NAFA. NAFA only "sanctions" an event and only charges fees in accordance with the cost of that sanctioning. The balance of a team's entry fee belongs to the host club that is putting on the event.

Good Luck and Good Racing!

.....Chris