Division Scheduling

[Don Badowski]

An issue has come up in my division and I'd like to get some feedback from other divisions on how it is handled.

The division is finally getting a good number of clubs, and some of the newer clubs are looking to schedule a lot of tournaments for this year and next. The club wants the division to put the new tournaments on the division calender. They are getting some resistance from the division officers, who are concerned about overloading the calender. So concerned, that they would like to deny the clubs request, at least until they come up with a more reasonable list.

While I agree that the division schedule should not be overloaded with tournaments that conflict, I'm don't believe a dues paying USFA club can be denied a request to use the division schedule. Any case history on that?

Second, how have other heavy divisons handled this? We've had scheduling conflicts before, but they could normally be resolved by moving a date here or there.

I proposed a system for priority of events, based on national events hosted by the division, Regions Youth Tournaments (including Supers), previous turnout, club reliability in holding events, etc. I admit this puts new clubs with no prior history at the bottom of the list, but I think it fair. A club should have to prove it can do the job of providing a good venue, refs, enforcing the rules (especially safety) and reporting results, before they get the priority for a weekend.

[jfarmer]

This really isn't a club corner thing, you might get more reaction in the main room. But I will take a swing at it.

Go look at what your division by-laws states. It should define what role the division plays in determining tournament scheduling, etc. If it doesn't, then ask your division officers what rules have been following the past.

Not that what you proposed is bad, but if it's not part of the division charter, then it's meaningless. But IANAL so YMMV...

John Farmer
Co-Vice-Chair, TN Division USFA
Coach, Oak Ridge Fencers Club

[jjefferies]

Originally Posted by Don Badowski

While I agree that the division schedule should not be overloaded with tournaments that conflict, I'm don't believe a dues paying USFA club can be denied a request to use the division schedule. Any case history on that?

This is a matter of sanctioning an event and there have been several threads about that subject that you might care to review. As I remember it the Division board which is made up of the elected officers and the club representatives can deny sanctioning any time.

Originally Posted by Don Badowski

Second, how have other heavy divisons handled this? We've had scheduling conflicts before, but they could normally be resolved by moving a date here or there.

I proposed a system for priority of events, based on national events hosted by the division, Regions Youth Tournaments (including Supers), previous turnout, club reliability in holding events, etc. I admit this puts new clubs with no prior history at the bottom of the list, but I think it fair. A club should have to prove it can do the job of providing a good venue, refs, enforcing the rules (especially safety) and reporting results, before they get the priority for a weekend.

There are a lot of tradeoffs to be considered here. The fencers' needs, the clubs desire to make some money ( and yes that's a legitimate need) and the Division's responsibilities to the USFA and to the game. I'll assume by "heavy division" you mean large membership. NorCal Division has some 30 clubs and joins with CenCal (10 clubs) and MtnValley (8 clubs) to put on the Bay Cup, a series of six events in each weapon and the multiple variations of sexes and mixes). Chat with EDEW who is the Chief Operations Officer (runs it). Before the Bay Cup the three divisions were frequently having conflicting events. In part the Bay Cup is an answer to that problem. But more importantly it is the vehicle to improve the events we do have. Pushing clubs to hire "real" directors or at least outside directors, have minimal standards for events, and try to match clubs sizes with events. Each year after summer nationals and before the Divisions have their first membership meeting Eric sets up a schedule based on inputs (dates of events) from the USFA , Section and YRC? The Divisions then approve the Bay Cup schedule at their general membership meeting. In effect the Bay Cup becomes the tournament organizing committee and the Divisions approval acts as a blanket sanctioning for all those events. Then in a meeting open to all clubs from the three divisions the events are shared out. This is not as easy as it sounds as there are always conflicts over certain events, age groups, weapons etc. But so far it's been successful enough that it's been approved every year for the past 8 or so years.

If a club wants to hold an event outside of the Bay Cup it is perfectly welcome to do so. Within NorCal Division it was decided that in order to be sanctioned such events have to:
1. not conflict with already sanctioned (Bay Cup) events. That is it cannot be held within one week before or after an already sanctioned event.
2. The event must be published on the Division website (an usually gets put on the Bay Cup website as well). This means the organizers must provide basic information to the Division such as cost, weapons, sexes, close of entry, etc. You might not think this would be a sticking point but we've had one club which did not care for being on the Division website but just wanted the Division to sanction its event and leave them alone. POINT a sanctioned event must be open to all USFA members and the approved way to do this is through the Division.

Hope this helps.

[Rick Thompson]

As was pointed out, it's not merely a matter of scheduling, but of sanctioning. Actually a better term is sponsoring, since the division is lending its name & authorization to the tournament. In accordance to the letter of the rules, the DIVISION is running the tournament, and the club is merely hosting it. Of course, most divisions do this with a wink & a nod, though there are divisions that take that role seriously, and provide the tournament administration, etc.

South Carolina has been experiencing a growth spurt, and our neighbors, NC & GA have had to deal with a heavy schedule for years. NC & GA have a much more official process, which includes (or has included) a tournament committee and a pre-season coaches meeting.

The recognition by the division is the critical issue, and the de facto means of acknowledging these days, in the absence of a mailed newsletter/calendar, is posting on a website schedule/calendar. A division's claim that a heavy schedule will "overload a calendar" is pretty thin....

SC's basic criteria is that club-hosted tournaments can't contend with another tournament in the state (Contending with events in other states is generally up the club itself.) In a larger state like IL, where the travel time may actually allow a tournament to be held simultaneously in Chicago, Bloomington and Metropolis, this isn't quite the same issue.

In short, if the Division agrees to sponsor the event, they need to find a way to ensure that the website accomodates it.
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