Mid-Atlantic Snr. Sectional Champs = $130?

[Tyldak]

Mid-Atlantic Senior Sectional Champs was posted recently to AskFred. Info says $70 registration fee + $60 per event, which is comparable to an NAC.

Anyone know the rationale behind the price? As of date/time of this posting, the host division's web site doesn't even mention the tournament, and the Mid-Atlantic Section web site does not have the link to AskFred nor the specifics of the tournament.

According to the Section's bylaws, Chapter 4, Section 5, paragraphs B & D, the Section should have known about the budget for the event and should have OKed it by January 31 and informed all of the member divisions' officers about it. Presumably said budget included at least an estimate of the entry and registration fees per fencer.

Did the Mid-Atlantic Section know of and sign off on a Sectional Championship that would cost each fencer at least $130? Did all of the officers of the divisions in the Mid-Atlantic section know that the event would cost at least $130 per fencer at the end of January?

A fencer in my club overheard one of the tournament organizers telling someone else that the venue was being provided FREE.

I'm not saying that the tournament is or isn't worth the expense, I'm just wondering what kind of budgeting/planning went into coming up with this number, and whether all parties involved, who are supposedly in the loop (per the Section's bylaws) signed off on that budgeting/planning. If they all did, fine. If not, why not?

http://askfred.net/Events/moreInfo.p...nament_id=8283
http://www.midatlanticfencing.com/mas.htm
http://www.midatlanticfencing.com
http://maryland-fencing.org/

[oiuyt]

Comparable to, but more expensive than, a NAC.

Ouch.

-B

[academe]

Comparable to, but more expensive than, a NAC.

Ouch.

-B

Will the USFA accept "can't afford to pay for sectionals at this ridiculous price in this economy" as a valid reason to petition?

[oiuyt]

Interestingly, MAS Junior Sectionals are charging $20 registration and $35/event.

It's hard to imagine that Senior Sectionals in Maryland really need to be $130, when Junior Sectionals in New Jersey are $55. Unless Maryland has insanely high venue costs (Which doesn't square with tyldak's reported rumor. It's being held at a mall, for what that's worth.) and is flying in refs from around the country.

-B

[SJCFU#2]

I have no idea what the budget for this event looks like however the entry fees look to be identical to last year's Mid-Atlantic Div 1-A Senior Sectional Qualifiers.

This doesn't mean that the fees aren't high (they certainly seems that way to me). What it does mean is that the fees aren't without precedence and as such shouldn't come as a total surprise to anyone (when was the last time you saw a tournament entry fee go down from one year to the next?).

[oiuyt]

I didn't attend last year's Sectional Championships. Despite that, I'm surprised I didn't notice the fees being that high. I wonder if the 2008 FRED entry wasn't edited after the early deadline to reflect the doubled fees (the language "Fees now are" could indicate such a change was made). $65 seems much more in line with what I'd expect.

As an additional data point, the Cherry Blossom, which is a better, strong event held in the same state and which IS flying in some referees is charging $10 registration and $30/event. Or less than a third what Senior Sectionals are for a single-event fencer.

-B

[academe]

I didn't attend last year's Sectional Championships. Despite that, I'm surprised I didn't notice the fees being that high. I wonder if the 2008 FRED entry wasn't edited after the early deadline to reflect the doubled fees (the language "Fees now are" could indicate such a change was made). $65 seems much more in line with what I'd expect.

As an additional data point, the Cherry Blossom, which is a better, strong event held in the same state and which IS flying in some referees is charging $10 registration and $30/event. Or less than a third what Senior Sectionals are for a single-event fencer.

-B

I'm not sure about last year, but I do know that when it was held at Penn State two years ago (2007), the cost was $30 for registration and $30 per event. Late fee was $30 per event.

Of course, they did save money on trophies as I seem to remember.

[oiuyt]

Trophies aren't very expensive.

-B

[Tyldak]

"the fees aren't without precedence and as such shouldn't come as a total surprise to anyone"

Unless of course you didn't fence in or even pay attention to that tournament last year.

The (rather weak) rationale of "that's what the price was last year" when the competition most likely had an entirely different budget (given that it was a different host division, venue, and team of organizers) does nothing to nullify the validity of my original inquiry.

[oiuyt]

I'm still on my idea that the fees listed for 2008 were the post-doubling fees and were merely copied over along with everything else in a complete cut-and-paste operation.

Is there anyone who actually competed in 2008 or who has documentation other than what's currently on FRED who can confirm what the prices for that event were more than a week out?

I'm unconvinced that the FRED listing for the 2008 event represents a precedent for the prices currently listed for the 2009 event. It's even possible that the prices currently listed for the 2009 event are unintentionally mis-listed due to insufficiently careful cut-and-pasting. Has anyone confirmed with MD Div and/or the organizer what the prices are intended to be this season?

-B

[SJCFU#2]

Has anyone confirmed with MD Div and/or the organizer what the prices are intended to be this season?

I e-mailed the organizer yesterday to ask about this. No response yet.

It might help if other people make similar inquiries.

[ddavis]

FWIW, according to AskFred, I paid $65 for the Mid-Atlantic Sectional Qualifiers last year. Looks like Brad is correct - the entry fees under "More Info" for last year's tournament reflect the late entry prices, which are double the normal prices ($70 + $60) / 2 = $65. So this year's tournament entry fee is double what it was last year.

Like Brad pointed out, much of the text for this year's tournament looks like a direct cut and paste of last year's tournament. So I'm also wondering if this is actually a mistake?

If not, it kind of sucks all around...higher entry fees = fewer entries = fewer qualifiers.

[alkan17]

I didn't fence last year, so I can't speak to the 2008 price, although looking through the thread it looks like the theories may be right. I know Kerry is pretty busy, and may have just copied and pasted, but I don't want to speak for him. I did send an emai that, but have not yet recieved a response. I actual don't expect one until the weekend any way.

All of that said, if this is in fact the correct value, that would put the price $10 over the cost of the Div IA that this event qualifies you for (single DIA at SN is $50 reg. fee and $70 event fee = $120).

[oiuyt]

I just started a registration. It's not just in the text that the tournament is asking $130, that's actually what FRED has been told to charge as well.

Presumably because that's what the organizer (erroneously) thought was charged last year.

Hopefully it'll get fixed.

-B

[Peach]

They had, what, seven entries in WS when Mid-Atlantic Sectionals were held last year in Pittsburgh. I was planning to go this year even though I'm not going to Summer Nationals because it at least offers the prospect of a good WS event, but if they're charging $130 for a small tournament that I have to travel to, I'm less enthusiastic.

[Peach]

It has been fixed -- the current language on FRED says:

Normal fees are $35.00 for registration and $30.00 per entry fee per weapon. Entry fee and registration fee are doubled from May 2, 2009 through May 8, 2009. Absolutely no registrations will be accepted after May 8, 2009. After May 2nd the fees will be $70 for registration and $60 entry fee per weapon. No refund of late registration and entry fee. Registration closes on 05/08/2009 for all events.

[SJCFU#2]

It appears that the problem with the registration fees has now been addressed - FRED now lists the normal fees as $35.00 for registration and $30.00 per entry fee per weapon, with them being doubled from May 2 through May 8, 2009 and no registrations being accepted after May 8, 2009.

It even appear that FRED has been adjusted to charge the correct price.

[alkan17]

I just registered for the event, and can also confirm that the rates are now set correctly.