I must say that U-FLI is really patting themselves on the back right now and I suppose it is a well-deserved pat on the back. After all, over $6000 was raised for a worthy cause.
St. Jude’s Showcase of Dogs ’07
Fetchin’ Frenzi brings U-FLI to the “St. Jude Showcase of Dogs” in Memphis for the first time and raised over $6000 for the St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital founded by the legendary Mr. Danny Thomas.
By reading this first sentence you would swear that this is the first time flyball was held at the Showcase. However, what it means is, this is the first time U-FLI has been involved, for up until now this has been a traditionally NAFA event.
This event was started by the now disbanded Houston Flyball Association several years ago which if I’m not mistaken, Sam Ford was a part of back then. When the Houston club disbanded, Sam Ford and his group picked up the event, and continued to run it for several more years. I guess it just felt right for Sam and his club to turn the event over to Fetchin’ Frenzi since they are a Memphis club. It’s obvious that they never thought that this event would be turned over to NAFA’s competition.
Marketing
What’s really funny about all of this is the whole time NAFA hosted this event over all of those years they never highlighted the Showcase as U-FLI has done. It could be that U-FLI is just rubbing salt in NAFA wounds, but U-FLI is doing a great job of marketing this and other high profile event like Wags for Wishes in San Diego.
To be fair, NAFA has a much better website now and is currently doing a much better job of marketing flyball as evidenced by the Cynosport World Games in Scottsdale, AZ. However, more needs to be done to market high profile events where large numbers of the general public are in attendance. It doesn’t help NAFA by continuing to lose events like St. Jude Showcase of Dogs and The Peach Blossom Cluster in Georgia to U-FLI.
Competition aside, showcasing Flyball to the general public is good for our sport and I applaud both organizations for their efforts.
Larry
13 comments ↓
I know we have covered this in a previous blog, but, the Showcase was going to cancel flyball altogether this year. Apparently, flyball was the only venue that did not donate any money(in previous years), and actually cost the Showcase money. I heard the Showcase people were thrilled with the donation, and bigger and better things are planned for next year!
And they way I read the sentence was FF brings U-FLI to the Showcase…meaning first time for U-FLI.
With the charity events going to U-FLI, the U-FLI board is willing to waive fees, and donate the proceeds to the charity. As well as supporting the host club in a number of other money making things to make the donation even bigger.
I’m not faulting U-FLI or Fetchin’ Frenzi and I understand more than I did before about the situation. I know that some aspects of this were talked about before. My focus now is pointing out to NAFA that they should have been more involved and proactive in promoting high profile events. They continue to lose high profile events like the Peach Blossom Cluster in Georgia.
I agree, how the heck do we get Animal Planet there!? For the Ultimate Dog Championships!
I think regardless of venue, who do we get flyball out there more in general – so we are not the ugly, noisy stepchild of agility?
from how I understand it previous events never actually donated $$ to St Jude, so a $6000 donation is a big deal, and they have good reason to toot their own horn.
I was there BTW and it was awesome. Great job Fetchin Frenzi!!
“ugly, noisy stepchild of agility”
HaHaHa. For dog sport folks having the most talented dogs on the planet, and arguably the best cared for pets in the history of the world, why do we insist on belittling each other so much?
It just amazes me how much red meat there is to discuss on this topic. I only started my own blog because I wore out my welcome on other people’s blogs’ comment sections. I figured I’d have four or five posts worth or material on the border collie wars and then I’d have to move on to some other war-of-the-day. Fifty-five posts later and I haven’t even gotten to agility and Frisbee and flyball.
Flyball is made to feel lesser than Agility. Agility is made to feel lesser than Sheep Trials (with Border Collies, anyway) and Frisbee is like the weekend joke fest, only one step up from a Chuck-It in the park. Obedience is for boring old ladies and as passé as their hair styles and outfits. And god forbid if you do that silly crap with music and dancing and costumes.
My experience with dog sport only cements my belief that human kind needs conflict and division for self identity. I expected the infighting and status mongering during my numerous academic competitions in high school and college. But for me the dogs are an island away from the rat race elitism, so it doesn’t feel welcome in those venues to me.
According to Donald McCaig, famed author and border collie herding elitist, all the rest of us dog sport people are silly city folk with potty mouths, loud obnoxious dogs, and worst of all…. dog toys! Yes, the frayed old tug toy is emblematic of all that is wrong with us baboons with dogs.
Sigh.
…and a good blog it is, Christopher!
Keep an eye out for this baboon wherever the cacophany of wild-eyed dog-toy shredding obnoxious dogs rings out from any space large enough! You know you have found me when you see the smelly, ratty shreds of left over tugs proudly displayed from my psycho ACD’s crate.
Just so we are clear, where does dock-diving come in in the hierarchy of canine-human interaction?
We must all do the things that get flyball noticed in our communities. Exhibitions in conjunction with other pet related shows/occasions helps locally.
National recognition requires the support of sanctioning organizations with national memberships. Sooner or later, an organization will do that. The concern is that this won’t be NAFA.
Our club takes an active role in supporting charity events. In the summer we have a demo every weekend and never accept payment. Over the years we have become the highlight of area fundraising events. Our club also donates $1000 each year to a local charity. At least in our region this is not the norm. Most clubs use their flyball tournaments to fund other club activites (agility). I really love this aspect of our group. I can’t persanally afford to donate $$ to charities, but I’m always happy to donate my time. The great side benefit to all of this is we get lots of exposure in the community which translates to students in lessons.
“National recognition requires the support of sanctioning organizations with national memberships. Sooner or later, an organization will do that. The concern is that this won’t be NAFA.”
I think you pretty much nailed Eli. I have to think that Flyball would not be the “noisy stepchild of agility” if we had more national recognition. The people in the trenches can’t do that.
Eli -
Dock diving is how hicks wash their mutts.
:cP
In all seriousness, I’d love to get into dock diving but I can’t seem to find anyone local who does it. Thanks to living north of the Mason Dixon line, west of Texas, and in a state where it snows and there is little water.
My parents have a pool in their yard, yet my two refuse to jump in. They’ll go over and use the stairs, but the only time I have gotten them to jump into water was during the end of the season fest at a local pool park where 100s of other dogs were already in the water.
Now, if the water is brown and muddy and smells like a duck’s lower intestine, then they both dive right in, tossed ball or not. When the water is temperature controlled and sterile… it loses all interest.
It really is funny to see the Border Collies in an event where they aren’t the best though. The water dogs at the local reservoir get lots of revenge when the ball or frisbee goes in the water. They’ll even give the BCs a head start… and I swear they laugh at them doggy paddling at granny speed… before they burst into the water and lose no time with their sleek swimming ability… pass the BCs and then flaunt the toy all the way back… by which time the BCs are usually sinking and getting that panicked look on their faces.
=*=*=*=
On topic,
I have to agree with the national recognition bit. You can only do so many local demos hoping for a newspaper spot and maybe a filler piece for a slow news night. National recognition requires national players and a publicist.
Why do you think they call it Miss Universe when only Earthlings strut their stuff? The World Series when only America can play? Clever Publicists.
Why do you think everyone was goo-goo over that stupid horse? No, not because we all started to care about racing horses. Or even successful horses. Barbaro wasn’t anything super special and his accident wasn’t anything super special either. They put down horses at the track all the time for stuff like that.
The reason Barbaro became Barbaro (TM) was because the owners of Barbaro hired the same publicist who had done really well drumming up interest in the triple crown race the year before with Smarty Jones. You might remember Funny Cide, yet War Emblem probably doesn’t register. Unlike Barbaro, all of those horses actually won 2 of the 3. And Smarty Jones had a publicist and that is really the reason the interest in Barbaro took off… it started riding the aftershocks of Smarty Jones who brought a lot of attention (and money) to the Triple Crown.
You have to have a national flagship to ride those waves. You have to have people who are willing to drum up interest and attention and they have to have an organization already in place when one stellar member gets their shot at 15 minutes.
If there isn’t a national venue for the best to show off in, then the story will remain local personal interest.
Before I go WAY too long, its worth noting that the least athletic and least competitive dog activity, conformation showing, has the most national exposure. Not just because it’s older. But because it was started by a man who was a salesman (Cruft) who NEVER OWNED A DOG. He SOLD the public on the idea that this was important and relevant and fun. Cruft didn’t win over the unwashed masses by breeding really really really amazing dogs and then getting discovered… he didn’t do it by showing dogs in a ring… or grooming them or anything existentially part of the activity itself.
As Larry says, the people in the trenches can’t do that. They do the activity. They excel at the activity. Their talent lies with the dogs and the sport, not with marketing and publicity. You might find the rare individual who can do both… and that’s how frisbee dogs became a sport. One guy who broke into a major athletic event and showed off his dog until the police escorted him out of the stadium.
That resulted in a lot of interest looking for a sport that didn’t yet exist. Flyball has the opposite problem, it already has a sport, just not the publicity needed for prime time.
Chris, where and who are you! You are a smart and clever man (and quite funny!).
Jackie
“What’s really funny about all of this is the whole time NAFA hosted this event over all of those years they never highlighted the Showcase as U-FLI has done.”
It may be a small detail in U-Fli’s eyes but, NAFA NEVER hosted this tournament. NAFA only “sanctioned” the HOST Club.
So, blame the NAFA club that hosted this event before. It was THEIR call, NOT NAFA!
UFLI has the advantage here in that it is a FOR PROFIT business and can decide among the owners what to do with its profits. So, giving away donations to a charitable cause (St Judes, Make a Wish, etc.) is easy for them to do. It gives them a business advantage since such donations can be deducted from their corporate taxes.
NAFA is a TAX-EXEMPT, NON-PROFIT organization. It is a “charity” in the eyes of tax law. It cannot just give away chunks of its income without demonstrating that the purpose of such donations is in compliance with its stated purpose for existing. In NAFA’s case, to “promote” the amateur sport of Flyball. What would be a hoot would be if U-FLI (For profit, pays taxes) made a donation to NAFA(non-profit, tax-exempt)!
NAFA is also “owned” by all of its participants. The NAFA BoD also has to demonstrate to its owners that such donations to outside organizations are in compliance with its stated purpose.
These distinctions are important. If not in compliance with the IRS laws that make NAFA a Tax-exempt, non-profit corporation, it could lose its tax-exempt status and be forced to pay a hefty tax, fines and penalties. In recent years, that almost happened.
“My focus now is pointing out to NAFA that they should have been more involved and proactive in promoting high profile events. They continue to lose high profile events like the Peach Blossom Cluster in Georgia….To be fair, NAFA has a much better website now and is currently doing a much better job of marketing flyball as evidenced by the Cynosport World Games in Scottsdale, AZ. However, more needs to be done to market high profile events where large numbers of the general public are in attendance.”
Who is the HOST club of these events, Larry? It’s up to the HOST club to do these things. Cynosports IS the only event hosted by NAFA. The other events are only “sanctioned” by NAFA and are HOSTED by other organizations (flyball clubs).
Blame NAFA all you want, it’s not fair to compare a “For Profit” business such as U-FLI to a tax exempt, non profit such as NAFA, especially, IF you are going to use charitable donations to a tax-exempt non-profit as a focal point for publicity. It’s apples to oranges.
Chris, you just describe why flyball is “noisy stepchild of agility.” There are many other things that NAFA could do and hasn’t done in the past besides giving away money, but that is water under the bridge now. With thinking like that, I can see why flyball is the stepchild. With U-FLI picking up the ball and running with it, flyball may now finally be able to come into its own.
But, NAFA could have gotten behind these events. Wags San Diego used to be NAFA – and the BoD was asked to waive fees (or reduce) so a bigger portion could be donated. They declined. It could have been done without affecting the tax exempt status. My old club was a Not For Profit dog club(exact same as NAFA) and we donated to charities all the time. It is not that complicated.
U-FLI was behind generating more money for MakeAWish and came up with the participant raffle, Flags for Wags and Memory Flags. All of which is used at any charity event.
Flyball has been around longer than Agility, but Ken T and the AKC worked hard on bringing it to the masses. Someone everyone can do with their dogs. The same formula needs to be done with flyball.
Unfortunately, the very reason I love Flyball – Team work – has been it’s downfall in losing super high profile events, such as ESPN Outdoor Games, and the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge. If memory serves, the organizers got a little irrated with the team spats, etc. Not to mention the top teams being invited did not want to race on grass. The loss of those two events was HUGE to our sport.
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