Footbag School, the future of footbag?

delakong · Post by **delakong** » 24 Mar 2005 06:40

It still sounds like a good idea, but I still don't think it would work. You should still try it. Since you're not going to have to pay for the space once you get it started, at the least you'd have a great place to shred.

I still think you should just play in public. When people that know about "hacky sack" see you shred instead of just kickin around they'll come to you. That's when you get them into freestyle. If you can tell someone feels intimidated, show them how to do a simple trick.

Just my opinion though.

BalinorNZ · Post by **BalinorNZ** » 24 Mar 2005 16:44

delakong wrote:It still sounds like a good idea, but I still don't think it would work. You should still try it. Since you're not going to have to pay for the space once you get it started, at the least you'd have a great place to shred.

I still think you should just play in public. When people that know about "hacky sack" see you shred instead of just kickin around they'll come to you. That's when you get them into freestyle. If you can tell someone feels intimidated, show them how to do a simple trick.

Just my opinion though.

Joshua, you have givin no good reason why this wont work.
It is a known fact that when you propose change there are people that dont like it for no real reason apart from maybe fear.
What you say we should do, kick in a public place and people will come and play, does not work very well at all, this is what most people do and footbag grows much much more slowly than any other sport because of it.

Only certain kinds of people will have the guts to come play with you when they see you kicking in public, most will just think its too hard and be content to watch. People dont want to join in and be embaressed in public because they are the only crap person there, and then have to wait for ages while the rest of the circle does things they dont understand and then not be able to do anything themselves.

Maybe you have not played footbag for very long? The fact that playing in public to recruit players does not work has become apparent to me over the last year, I didnt realise when I started out.

If we have private lessons for beginners then they can be out of the public eye (no embaressement) and with people of their own skill level, other beginners, and they can get 1 on 1 instruction so they wont feel left out. They will be less intimidated because there will only be beginners playing and learning, the good players will be there only to teach, not to play.

delakong · Post by **delakong** » 26 Mar 2005 10:19

I can't give you a good reason why it wouldn't work because I don't know if it would. I was just telling you I don't think it would work. I've told you numerous times that I think it's a good idea and you should try it, but I think it would take all the fun out of the game.

I know there are people that take footbag alot more seriously than I do and they might find schooling as somthing that would be good. I don't feel the same way. I think the game should be just a game. It's sweet to have a better player show you how to do stuff, I wish I had a better player around me. But to have a "school" (I know you don't actually mean school but it's the only word I can think to use) just makes me think of bootcamp.

You're right, I haven't been freestyling for long, but I've been kickin for about eight years now. I've been able to do all the "basics" probably about just as long. Whenever I've gone to the beach and just stood there hackin by myself I've always had people come up, good or not, and ask if they can kick with me. The circle always grows almost too big, so I don't see how you haven't had people come to kick with you. Of course we live in different places so that's probably one reason and the other is you've probably been shredding alot longer than me as I've only known about freestyle for about two months. If I saw a badass kicker just shreddin away and I knew nothing about the game, I don't think I would've aproached him/her either.

Like I've said, try it, it's a good idea. You asked for opinions and I gave you mine, I don't think it will work. It won't hurt you to try since it won't cost you anything and you practice anyway. If I would've known you only wanted praise for your idea, I wouldn't have posted. Sorry.

Oh yeah, and I'm not scared of change. Exspecially a change that could, in no way, affect me.

BalinorNZ · Post by **BalinorNZ** » 26 Mar 2005 15:44

Sorry if I insulted you man, I didnt mean to.

I can now see how our opinions differ. I think maybe we see the sport in a different light. I school moves for hours everyday and gain enjoyment from learning new things and getting them consistant enough for strings, where maybe you gain more enjoyment having a casual kick with friends, enjoying the social and relaxing aspects of the sport more than the drive to become a great freestyler. In other words I practice footbag as one would a compeditive sport, and you maybe as more of a hobbie? Sorry if I have misjudged you again.

delakong · Post by **delakong** » 26 Mar 2005 18:41

Naw man, I wasn't insulted. Sorry for the same if you thought that. I am mostly a social player I guess, but I only play by myself. I practice moves, but I don't think I have the passion like you.

Still, you should try your idea. It would probably work for people that have the same drive as you. Good luck!

tuomoruutufan · Post by **tuomoruutufan** » 27 Mar 2005 01:15

everything were talking about will never apply until footbag hits television. The masses will never see footbag as anything more than hippies at college playing hackey sack until its on tv.

Im new to freestyle and the hardest thing to me is not the practice, the pain, or the difficulty. Its the getting people to understand that what im doing is actaully athletic fun and technical. thats the american culture no respect until your on tv and become a part of american pop culture.

I bet you 15 years ago if you told someone you were gonna go practice skateboarding you would get the same reaction footbag gets today.

I honestly think its only a matter of time cause this sport is cheap, Challenging, fun, Internet freindly, And lets face it when footbag hits the spot light we got some amazing players to showcase i.e. Vasek, Lon, irish, exctt.

BalinorNZ · Post by **BalinorNZ** » 27 Mar 2005 02:34

Thanks Joshua

tuomoruutufan, you make some good points, it sounds like you know what your talking about

.
Your right in saying the masses will not be manuable to the footbag revolution untill it really hits the public and starts getting on TV.
A lot of people will not really see footbag for what it is untill then, but for the mean time, all we can do is try to increase the numbers we have, because after all, footbag is never going to get on TV unless the sport keeps growing.
I also think that at some point the sport will hit a sudden boom and the world will realise what it is, but that wont happen till its big enough to be considered something special by the media.

All im trying to do is provide a means to get footbag to that point that it can really take off.

And ofcourse, untill that time, we can get really damn good, so that when the world catchs on, we will be their gods

:D:D

Omen · Post by **Omen** » 27 Mar 2005 17:52

The masses will never see footbag as anything more than hippies at college playing hackey sack until its on tv.

The steriotype wouldnt be a problem if it wasn't mostly true (smoking, drinking, etc).

tuomoruutufan · Post by **tuomoruutufan** » 27 Mar 2005 19:33

Its fine that some freestylist choose to smoke or drink. That doesnt mean were lazy hippies.

Im sure there are some people who have a "hippie" type lifestyle and freestyle but that doesnt matter.

Footbag needs to be seen as something people of all ages colors musical preference and life preferance is involved. This should be a stereotype free sport. If you look at its world wide popularity why should it not be stereotype free.

And usually the masses never understand that until its on tv. Then the wow this is not what i see loser stoner in tie die doing down the street. this is different.

You know what could help the popularity. A celebrity freestyler

in the end i dont care. I love this sport im hooked and im not stopping for any excuse or any idiot making fun of me "you spend how much time playing hackey sack" whatever

fuck off or join the circle. That should be the footbag motto

SlashC · Post by **SlashC** » 27 Mar 2005 22:47

Funny you should mention.

About 2 weeks ago the shredmonton club was on TELEVISION. Live television too (It was a morning news/entertainment show). Byrin and I did a shred30 and Kevin did a routine. We got a chance to talk about footbag as a sport and promo our jam!

I think one of the biggest obstacles for footbag becoming 'mainstream' is that it's difficult for most people to understand what's going on. I remember watching tricks of the trade 2 shortly after starting freestyle and I have to admit after a while everything started looking the same. I can only imagine how it would be for someone who hasn't ever seen it before and how it would limit their interest. Slow motion could help for sure. It would also help if some of the basic tricks/concepts were somehow general knowledge (i.e triple axle in figure skating/ollie or kickflip in skateboarding).

tuomoruutufan · Post by **tuomoruutufan** » 09 Apr 2005 05:58

I see what your saying about Giving tricks names that will relate to other peoples common knowledge of popular sports.

But it dont work like that this sport although underground has been around for a while and there is no way somebody is gonna call a mirage a kick flip or a gyro mirage a half axle kick flip lol. Not gonna happen.