I think that both flyball organizations know what the stakes are in this business called flyball. You can choose to bury your head in the sand and try not to believe it but it is a business now.
Just a few short years ago NAFA had a monopoly on flyball and the NAFA Board of Directors (BoD) could make or change rule(s) without much regard to consequences. Please believe that I am not suggesting in any way that the decisions they made in the past were not clearly thought out. I think that all members of the BoD, current and past, have and had the best interest of flyball in mind when all decisions were made. I maybe a little naive in that thought but I think that I’m right. I know there are many dedicated people who serve in those thankless positions and I believe that at times it is hard for them to make the right call.
Now there is U-FLI and everybody gets what they want in either NAFA or U-FLI. Everybody should be happy. …but, they’re not. Why can’t U-FLI be what it is to those who want it AND NAFA be what it is to those that want that? Why can’t both organizations have a peaceful “co-existence” instead of “competing” interests?
Comment by Chris on Bureaucracy at its best.
Things have changed and it is more important now than ever before that the NAFA BoD and the delegates make the right call. Neither organization can sit back and rest on their laurels. Now it comes down to who can win over the most fans, is the easiest to use, and provides the best customer experience.
No matter what you think or you choose to believe, these two organizations are in competition. I think that both organizations can peacefully co-exist but the one that most meets the needs of the flyball community will win out in the end. I don’t see either organization going away any time soon but it could happen. I’m sure that NAFA has already experienced a decrease in revenue now that U-FLI is on the scene. It shows by what has taken place over the last year. Jump heights have been changed and the pickup team concept is now being discussed. These things were discussed a few years ago but nothing was done until now.
It is more important now than ever before that NAFA be more responsive to its customers’ needs or risk losing its customer base.
Larry
3 comments ↓
Interesting. There are a ton of agility venues out there… NADAC, ASCA, AKC, USDAA, DOCNA, CPE, and they all seem to coexist just fine. Though some are more popular in different areas of the country than others are. I would like to see both NAFA and U-FLI coexist. But since I haven’t competed in either, I really can’t have an opinion yet. I have competed in most of the agility venues and they are just different. Some I like better, some I like less, and sometimes I wish I could take what I like about them all and make a new one!
Larry,
You hit the nail on the head this time.
It’s just my opinion but, I believe that the key to continuing to grow the sport of flyball is for both organizations to reach out to the area where NAFA originally received phenomenal growth in the beginning.
The dog training and obedience clubs.
I still meet people who are members of such clubs for whom flyball is not yet a part of their program. I think a club organized for the purpose of competing in various dog obedience “disciplines” (Agility is NOT the only competition) is a fertile ground for building interest in flyball. Even spending a little bit of money to market flyball to these clubs would be well spent.
Good job!
Absolutley, Flyball needs to be exposed to even more persons, and not in the shadow of agility. I used to do agility before flyball, when USDAA was the only choice, then NADAC came along and offered lower jump heights, more classs etc. Then, enter AKC - whick expanded agility to more persons and more breeds than had been seen.
Hopefully, both organizations will work to expand the “playing field” for the betterment of the sport we love, spend ALOT of money and time doing.
At over 15,000 dollars a year between travelling and entry costs, this is not mere recreation, but part of our life!
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