Friday, August 14, 2009

Even in Agility, you get what you give

Editorial-

I've just finished posting a worker schedule for a friend's trial. Last weekend I was a Ring Manager- the person who has to fill in all those holes when volunteers either do not volunteer or do not show up. Both times this involved an organization that has always identified itself with being less competitive, community-minded, and fun. The weekend before that, it another org, but the same result. Well,.. Something has changed with exhibitors, I think! Didn't matter if we begged, promised the world, or yelled. No one could be motivated to step up and help. Shamefully, there were children who were working harder than the grown-ups- and they did come to understand that it was work, as grown-ups criticized their efforts to create a little fun. The people who were being asked to work 3-4 times a day to make up for the lack of workers were also not having fun, nor were the exhibitors who were waiting around as the day grew longer and longer from delays. Completing a worker scheduler is definitely not any fun with 30 or so positions to fill, and maybe 8 available workers per ring. This becomes an exercise in taking advantage of the very people who have been generous enough to help, and as a worker scheduler, you do feel terrible about this. The trial hosts are not having fun as their trials run late and people complain and threaten to trial elsewhere next time. Adding all this up, I just do not see how it is not in everyone's best interests for everyone to contribute in some small way. Everyone, just in case you missed that word.

I see no proof that the word 'volunteer' was ever meant to imply that contributing to a well run trial was somehow optional. If that happened in the old days, there could be no trial to enter or attend. Rather, what 'volunteering' means in the context of this sport is that how you choose to contribute is up to you. Contrary to popular superstition, volunteering and excelling are not mutually incompatible. Exhibitors have proved this over and over again, as Chief Course Builders or Trial Chairs win Grand Prixes or earn ADChs and CATCHs.

If you still think that helping out at a trial is optional, ask yourself this question next time you step to the line in hopes of getting an important Q- what if you looked about and saw there was no timer, no scribe, no scorer, no one to re-set the chute? Or, more commonly, what if there were, but these folks were so tired from being over-worked that they were not at their best for your run? Maybe they were up half the night with the worker schedule, and hit the start button early, or the finish button late. Maybe they put an extra fault or two on your sheet, or your score on someone else's sheet. Maybe your dog would get tangled in the chute, or injured jumping a spread that was not correctly set. Is this really the experience you want agility to be? Is this 'fun'? Then go ahead, sit back in your comfy chair, and *try* to enjoy it. You may find that this is more work than offering to work a simple job for 45 minutes.

I am not writing to rehash this debate. There simply is no justifiable 'other side' to this issue. Excellence can be achieved at many levels and I am writing to urge you to develop excellence, from the inside out. Make the commitment to become an agility person all of us are happy to see, and to watch. I wish you fun,.. and that warm, gratifying sense of community that comes from looking beyond yourself.

-Devora Locke

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Welcome to yet another bit of information overload

Is there really room in our brains for every little bit of trivia that crosses our friends' minds? Blogs, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter,.. There seems no end to it. I sometimes wonder,.. perhaps it might be better not to know too much about what person spends their time thinking about. We may be disappointed,.. So,.. I'll try to make content here somewhat relevant. Thanks for reading.