UK sport funding

dear god you lot are so ill informed about what the RYA do and how squads work and basically grass roots sailing as a whole it beggars belief. 

1.  There is a massive drop off rate in sailing of sailors in the 14 -25 age range.  This is nothing to do with having been spat out by a squad.  These kids were never in a squad of any kind.  The squads are either regional or national and are tiny - around 20 - 30 members per squad so a tiny percentage of our youth sailors.  From that you can conclude that most kids simply stop sailing, for reasons we can only hope to guess at.

You could even surmise that actually being in a squad keeps some kids in sailing because otherwise, with their talent, dedication, whatver, going untapped and unrecognised, they would have lost interest and gone off elsewhere - often the end result of big fish small pond syndrome.  The squads offer a place to go, do some racing against fresh talent, get trained, learn stuff.  So they stay for a while before the inevitable drop off - they quit sailing and they would have quit anyway, possbly sooner had they not been in a squad.  It's part of growing up.

2.  There has been and continues to be money available for grass roots training for adults and clubs.  Has you club hosted any of the rya funding workshops?  has anyone from your club been to a workshop on how to market itself, encourage more racers, use social media, become more energy efficient?  Has it asked its RDO for money to fund DI training, or buy boats, or kit? or repair the club house?   There have been workshops running all winter FREE to representatives from all clubs.  There is money available for training, for all sorts of things.  Most clubs just don't take up the offers.  Your rdo will come visit your club, work out what you need, help fill in the forms.  But most people don't even know this is going on because someone somewhere in the club hierarchy can't be bothered to answer the email.

As for you guys, it seems it's so much easier to criticise a system which you know nothing about yet which actually works.  God knows what you'd all be sailing had we won fewer medals!

Originally posted by winging it 1.  There is a massive drop off rate in sailing of sailors in the 14 -25 age range.  This is nothing to do with having been spat out by a squad.  These kids were never in a squad of any kind.  The squads are either regional or national and are tiny - around 20 - 30 members per squad so a tiny percentage of our youth sailors.  From that you can conclude that most kids simply stop sailing, for reasons we can only hope to guess at. You could even surmise that actually being in a squad keeps some kids in sailing because otherwise, with their talent, dedication, whatver, going untapped and unrecognised, they would have lost interest and gone off elsewhere - often the end result of big fish small pond syndrome.  The squads offer a place to go, do some racing against fresh talent, get trained, learn stuff.  So they stay for a while before the inevitable drop off - they quit sailing and they would have quit anyway, possbly sooner had they not been in a squad.  It's part of growing up.

Edited by pondmonkey - 20 Dec 12 at 2:15pm

Originally posted by winging it dear god you lot are so ill informed about what the RYA do and how squads work and basically grass roots sailing as a whole it beggars belief.  1.  There is a massive drop off rate in sailing of sailors in the 14 -25 age range.  This is nothing to do with having been spat out by a squad.  These kids were never in a squad of any kind.  The squads are either regional or national and are tiny - around 20 - 30 members per squad so a tiny percentage of our youth sailors.  From that you can conclude that most kids simply stop sailing, for reasons we can only hope to guess at. You could even surmise that actually being in a squad keeps some kids in sailing because otherwise, with their talent, dedication, whatver, going untapped and unrecognised, they would have lost interest and gone off elsewhere - often the end result of big fish small pond syndrome.  The squads offer a place to go, do some racing against fresh talent, get trained, learn stuff.  So they stay for a while before the inevitable drop off - they quit sailing and they would have quit anyway, possbly sooner had they not been in a squad.  It's part of growing up. 2.  There has been and continues to be money available for grass roots training for adults and clubs.  Has you club hosted any of the rya funding workshops?  has anyone from your club been to a workshop on how to market itself, encourage more racers, use social media, become more energy efficient?  Has it asked its RDO for money to fund DI training, or buy boats, or kit? or repair the club house?   There have been workshops running all winter FREE to representatives from all clubs.  There is money available for training, for all sorts of things.  Most clubs just don't take up the offers.  Your rdo will come visit your club, work out what you need, help fill in the forms.  But most people don't even know this is going on because someone somewhere in the club hierarchy can't be bothered to answer the email. As for you guys, it seems it's so much easier to criticise a system which you know nothing about yet which actually works.  God knows what you'd all be sailing had we won fewer medals!

James, we have six squaddies in our little family friendly club.  When they aren't at squad stuff they turn up at 8am every Sunday to provide and take part in training for the non squad sailors.  Our system (within the club) encourages them to pass on their skills and we reward them with cheap, regular training when they do so.  Eg cheap first aid, race coach, powerboat, and DI courses.  Plus of course they get really good feedback from their mates for whom they become great role models.  It's all about how you manage it. 

Originally posted by winging it James, we have six squaddies in our little family friendly club.  When they aren't at squad stuff they turn up at 8am every Sunday to provide and take part in training for the non squad sailors.  Our system (within the club) encourages them to pass on their skills and we reward them with cheap, regular training when they do so.  Eg cheap first aid, race coach, powerboat, and DI courses.  Plus of course they get really good feedback from their mates for whom they become great role models.  It's all about how you manage it.

Edited by pondmonkey - 20 Dec 12 at 3:14pm