our sport is becoming a joke!!!

[yyz]

Ted Fritsch
http://www.footbag.org/events/show/1391189882
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Ted Fritsch our sport is becoming a joke!!!
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[C-Fan]

New York didn't get the Worlds bid. We get it. I suggest you try again next year. But hey, if you prefer to throw a temper tantrum and burn bridges, go for it. I just think behavior like this shoots yourself in the foot for future bids. And frankly, NYFA deserves better than that.

[yyz]

OK To all my footbag friends. HERE THIS!!! Of course I am upset that the Worlds Organization committee chose to keep footbag from gaining much needed media and crowd exposure by NOT choosing NYC for this years Worlds!!!
BUT I AM EVEN MORE UPSET THAT THEY STILL HAVE NOT CHOSEN ANYWHERE!!!! If you, as footbag players or supporters can not agree with this, you need to check your own commitment to the sport. The system sucks and needs to be changed. You(YES YOU) have loved this sport at one time. STEP UP and ask for change from the sports current governing body, come up with fund raising ideas for the sport! Not local or regional, but international. I am committed. I AM NOT TRYING TO BELITTLE THE HARD WORK THAT ANYONE HAS BEEN DOING!!! I would again like to point out that the governing body is skating on thin ice, all the sports eggs are in one basket!!!!( worlds- funded mostly by Steve G, IFPA day to day operation- funded by some donations and Steve G, IFPA Education- as far as I know $0 budget, footbag.org(ifpa's only web page) Website designed and implemented by Steve G. ) If the sport is to move forward and or continue we need everyone's help NOT JUST STEVE!!! We need money!! we need people to view our best players!!! we need funding for touring teams That's what I am fighting for. There have been many fund raising Ideas thrown around in years past. Its time to stop worrying about non-profit status, non profits can and do make money. They may need to pay some tax on it but then its put into there non-profit bank account.

[boyle]

Ted - the big question is who are you fighting? Who is fighting with you. Nothing can be done with a one-man army. Of course footbag leaves a lot to be desired in terms of professionalism, however the IFPA (despite not being recognised by the IOC as an international body, which greatly affects chances of funding at the national level (from sports ministries, but not from other orgs such as culture, youth, health, etc) is one of the key indicators of professionalism.

Something interesting is in that a lot of sports, Worlds doesn't happen every year. The non profit status part doesn't make any sense either. Being registered as a 501(c)3 in the US opens any organisation up to a huge range of possibilities, which are not being exploited, for a variety of reasons, but mainly in the lack of coordinated organisation in the US (huge distances, small amount of people), but keeping that maintained gives more potential to the travelling teams you mentioned.

The fundraising concepts are quite simple. A professionally run event will attract sponsors, or even better these links will already be in existence. In regards to the thread title, I don't think the sport is becoming a joke. A lot of the things you mentioned will be up and running in the coming months.

While we're talking of stepping up, how much of your own money are you planning to put into these kind of projects? I also disagree that the sport's eggs are in one basket. Worlds should be the premiere event, but I don't think it really was last year. There are events all over the world, people are going on TV practically every week somewhere.

Of course, the venue for Worlds should be known by now, for the simple fact that almost everybody is an amateur, and needs to take time off work, and get the flights while they're cheaper. However, there's still about 6 months to go, and if anyone is planning on going, they should have a good chunk of money saved up to prepare for all that (or a good credit card limit).

There are many of us working on interesting footbag projects with great potential. If they don't work out - no need to blame the whole world and put them offside for the next project.

Last question - would Worlds have been in the New York Times if it was in New York this year? I have my doubts.

[yyz]

OK I am fighting for the sport to gain popularity with mainstream sports. Apparently you are according to some of your post(glad to have you on board). I think I agree that you, like I believe the IFPA is a good thing?? ("however the IFPA (despite not being recognised by the IOC as an international body, which greatly affects chances of funding at the national level (from sports ministries, but not from other orgs such as culture, youth, health, etc) is one of the key indicators of professionalism.")
I Know we need and IFPA type governing body( so the Ifpa might as well be it). We need that body to be the leader in funding of the three E's as I call them Exposure, Education, Evolution!!!
(The fundraising concepts are quite simple. A professionally run event will attract sponsors, or even better these links will already be in existence. In regards to the thread title, I don't think the sport is becoming a joke. A lot of the things you mentioned will be up and running in the coming months.) Do you know of any changes going through the IFPA in any of the topics I have mentioned??? please sign me up to help?? Also this model that your talking about has been done over and over again in the past with little or no success. There needs to be funding to run events for maybe years and years before big enough money will sponsor footbag. The plans I have been discussing with people( i will pm you on fb there names and stories) have no individual putting in large sums of money, but they sell products(one is Amway) allow you sports organization to make sales to generate funds. Things like this have been put out there in the past, and steve g would not present it to the masses on footbag.org.
I am also fighting for the people who need more then 6 months to plan to travel because they come from a less friendly or poor part of the world(Canada for some people takes up to 12-18 months to get travel approval). I would love to here about these projects you are talking about??
If worlds was in NYC we had a great field for net and great gym for freestyle plus possibilities of times square semi or finals location in a large covered atrium between 42nd and 43rd streets. Bryant park almost across the street for some net. great media contacts and a member of one of the wealthiest real estate families in the city behind us. those sites would have been little or no cost. Gym and fields were $45 per hour each?? and to top it off some guy from us wanted to go for ted martins record and Guinness world records was gonna cover it. All this was presented in and email through footbag.org. ok I am pming you on fb

[h0ag3yb3atZ]

you havent seen the badges? the sports been a joke.

on the flip of that as much as i want to see worlds in nyc (and believe it can be done in time) without the proper spot, nyfa injected swagger or cash flow i dont see it happening anytime soon.

[yyz]

Kevin we have the proper spot, had some great NYFA help and since the IFPA has taken over control of worlds they hav said the money comes from them. BUT AGAIN the joke is not that NYC did not get a bid, the sad news is we are declining in numbers world wide , we have now cash flow plan(panhandling is not doing it) no education plan and the WOC is loosing a grip on how to use our best players as a means to gain exposure to the sport. IFPA needs to get it together or get out of the way!!! I have and again right now am offering my help to the IFPA!!!