What you say doesn't make sense. How does having the B-Tour at the same venue as the A-Tour stop you from playing the best ultimate you can? The point of splitting the Tour wasn't so that you wouldn't have to see the scrubbers (as you obviously consider them) in the B-Tour - it's so that you consistently play teams of an equal standard. What does it matter if a team of newbies are playing over the other side of the field to you? Might you have to stand next to them in the queue for food?! Oh, no!
Someone from Clapham made an excellent point yesterday - how are the next generation of GB players going to get inspired to take the sport seriously and train hard etc if they can't go and watch the top players in semis and finals of Tours? Without being able to see what is possible on an ultimate pitch then fewer people will make the step up and the standard in the country will go down over time. Most people do not just instantly jump into this sport because they want to take it super seriously, most people join a uni club looking for some social activity - this is why it's essential that tournaments cater for both the top and the bottom players. If you don't want the party on Saturday, then just don't go! That fact is that several of the people at the party will be moving up a level in a year or two and competing against you. Ultimate has an excellent social side and it is a big reason why many people get hooked, if you take away that hook then how are we going to keep people? The Tour should NOT just be about the top 8/16 teams, it is a means of bringing young/inexperienced players through from uni level to international level. Si. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 26 August 2004 17:25 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [BD] Tour Structure etc I agree with what Rob Alpen (apart from the mixed game in this country going into decline!) and Rob Mitchell said. What is the point in splitting the Tour if everyone is going to be playing on the same pitches? What the split allows us to do is recognise that there are significant differences between Ultimate being played by the top 4/8/16, and those lower down. As an A-Tour player, I want the main focus of any tournament bid to be the conditions in which I play Ultimate i.e. flat, level, and correctly sized pitches, water at all the pitches, all the time, plenty of space to warm up and down, shelter, plenty of game discs, appropriate catering etc, and I would also like a score/time-keeper at every pitch. I am willing to pay however much this costs, and lets be honest, for most *serious* Ultimate players, tournament fees are a fraction of the overall cost of playing Ultimate. What I do not care about is whether there is a party, whether everyone in the country who has picked up a disc is there, and I certainly do not want teams in fancy dress or who feel the need to sing me a well-rehearsed song after the game, even though they do not know the rules! I want all this because I play Ultimate as a sport, and want the game in this country to develop to the point where we are up there with the North Americans, which we will not be able to do with everyone at the same event. I recognise that not everyone feels the same way, and that these things are not mutually exclusive, but splitting the Tour allows the emphasis to be different and the needs of the participants to be met. Easy, Jaimie Cross General Secretary #7 LeedsLeedsLeeds 078767 51813 __________________________________________________ BritDisc mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://zion.ranulf.net/mailman/listinfo/britdisc Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/informed.asp This Email is confidential and is for the intended recipient only. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the author and you must not disclose or use the contents in any way. The author bears responsibility for any legal action or disputes arising from views or professional advice expressed which do not relate to the business of FaberMaunsell Ltd. __________________________________________________ BritDisc mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://zion.ranulf.net/mailman/listinfo/britdisc Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/informed.asp
