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We often hear and read about the topic of ‘barriers to entry’ as it applies to the sport of boat racing. In those discussions we hear much about things like rule book changes, class structures and parity. I contend that we are missing the point. I am a new guy here (<1yr) and after much consideration, here is my new guy perspective on the topic.
Those issues referred to above are not barriers to entry; at best they are retention issues for those that are already possible flight risks. We should keep these two topics isolated because the drivers of each are day and night different.
There is no magic pill or silver bullet to lowering the barriers; As I just suggested, I think we (we being the student body at large) often think about this issue from the wrong direction or at least we don’t break it down fundamentally and study those elemental bricks in the barrier. If we understand what those elemental bricks are we are more likely to be able to address and employ countermeasures to overcome them. So, I ask, what are those bricks?
Cost?
Lack of Exposure and Access?
Life Cycle Timing?
Preconception of Danger?
Lack of Interest?
Lets explore these a bit.
Cost – Possibly: yes for some, no for others. So let’s explore the yes side of that. What can we do to lower cost? This is probably the hardest brick in the barrier to remove because everyone’s resources are different but…what if we quite burning those old boats and donated them to the club for…demo rides or a racer school? What if each club got a boat kit from one of the kit manufactures at cost and had some winter club meetings to assemble it as a boat ready for the next new guy?
Lack of Exposure – Unequivocally Yes: This in my mind is probably the single largest detriment to growth. This is not a mainstream sport like soccer that you can see driving home from work any given summer afternoon. This is the brick that kept me from jumping in for almost my entire life. Sure, I saw bits and pieces over the years but not enough to fully draw me in. A few years ago I moved into a new area and happened to meet an active racer family. Over time, a combination of that family’s mentorship, exposure through them and the Michigan Hydroplane Racing Association (MHRA) Racer School and the good will of many of the club’s members set the hook.
The concept of Exposure can be broken down into smaller elemental bricks.
-Exposure to the anatomy of a race boat and basic two cycle engine theory.
-Exposure and access to comprehensive and concise category and class research material.
-Exposure to subject matter expert mentorship for guidance, training, equipment acquisition etc…
-Exposure to formal training on safety, equipment and operation.
-Exposure to reasonably priced equipment.
-Exposure to race dates and locations.
While each brick in the barrier is real, the brick of Exposure is, in my humble opinion, the one that is the most easily countered by the racer community at large. This is the area where we have the most positive control and it does not take a motion by the committee or funding from APBA
Have you ever considered hanging your clubs race schedule all over town on every bulletin board you see; at the grocery store, hardware store, doctors office, employment office, at work, at the community mailbox area, the laundromat? This list can go on and on. Because we are not all living in the same neighborhood we could get quite a large geographical exposure if each member of the club did this. As each race date approaches do the same with the event flyer. Have you ever considered hauling your boat trailer and boat/s to the kids soccer games and employ it as an advertisement display. If anybody asks why you have your boat at the soccer game, answer with the truth; you are trying to garnish interest in the sport. Put your club website, favorite race forum website and club / region schedule on the side of your trailer. What if we all put a slogan at the bottom of our personal e-mails that said something like “I support APBA…. or Want to race stock outboard? Ask me how.
As many of you know, MHRA uses the Racer School and Never Ever Raced program to recruit new people into the sport of SO racing. While the program may be too young to have any real data to support a claim of success, I can testify that it was instrumental in pulling my family in to stock outboard racing. Does your club have a racer school? What if it did? What if each club kept one full set of equipment on hand beyond the needs of their racer school to make readily available to new comers?
Lifecycle Timing. This is the brick where a young person is too young (<9yrs old) or they are moving off to collage or Federal Military Service or… a young couple starts to have kids or… you might be tempted to say this is a cost brick or worse yet a retention issue. Regardless of the case study you look at, if we were to Apply a Broad and Consistent Exposure Strategy to foster growth we will greatly improve his/her chances of returning if they see it available to them when the time is right / right again.
Preconception of Danger. Well, I am at a loss for a response. I would argue that while it is true that racing is inherently dangerous, boat racing safety rules and equipment have come a long way to reducing and eliminating injury. I would have to counter with comparisons to motocross or go cart risks and soften it with the fact that boat racing is a very family oriented sport/hobby.
Lack of Interest: Another hard one to counter. I would argue that a Persistent Exposure Strategy will catch them when those that toy with the idea, become ready to explore it deeper. What may be perceived as lack of interest may just be lack of exposure or a life cycle timing thing.
I contend that while we do need the leadership of our elected officials and sanctioning body to provide necessary stick and rudder to keep us all playing safe and fair, our future grown is in our hands, the general population of the boat racing community at large.
This is just my humble opinion on what keeps people from joining. What is yours?
Raymond
Those issues referred to above are not barriers to entry; at best they are retention issues for those that are already possible flight risks. We should keep these two topics isolated because the drivers of each are day and night different.
There is no magic pill or silver bullet to lowering the barriers; As I just suggested, I think we (we being the student body at large) often think about this issue from the wrong direction or at least we don’t break it down fundamentally and study those elemental bricks in the barrier. If we understand what those elemental bricks are we are more likely to be able to address and employ countermeasures to overcome them. So, I ask, what are those bricks?
Cost?
Lack of Exposure and Access?
Life Cycle Timing?
Preconception of Danger?
Lack of Interest?
Lets explore these a bit.
Cost – Possibly: yes for some, no for others. So let’s explore the yes side of that. What can we do to lower cost? This is probably the hardest brick in the barrier to remove because everyone’s resources are different but…what if we quite burning those old boats and donated them to the club for…demo rides or a racer school? What if each club got a boat kit from one of the kit manufactures at cost and had some winter club meetings to assemble it as a boat ready for the next new guy?
Lack of Exposure – Unequivocally Yes: This in my mind is probably the single largest detriment to growth. This is not a mainstream sport like soccer that you can see driving home from work any given summer afternoon. This is the brick that kept me from jumping in for almost my entire life. Sure, I saw bits and pieces over the years but not enough to fully draw me in. A few years ago I moved into a new area and happened to meet an active racer family. Over time, a combination of that family’s mentorship, exposure through them and the Michigan Hydroplane Racing Association (MHRA) Racer School and the good will of many of the club’s members set the hook.
The concept of Exposure can be broken down into smaller elemental bricks.
-Exposure to the anatomy of a race boat and basic two cycle engine theory.
-Exposure and access to comprehensive and concise category and class research material.
-Exposure to subject matter expert mentorship for guidance, training, equipment acquisition etc…
-Exposure to formal training on safety, equipment and operation.
-Exposure to reasonably priced equipment.
-Exposure to race dates and locations.
While each brick in the barrier is real, the brick of Exposure is, in my humble opinion, the one that is the most easily countered by the racer community at large. This is the area where we have the most positive control and it does not take a motion by the committee or funding from APBA
Have you ever considered hanging your clubs race schedule all over town on every bulletin board you see; at the grocery store, hardware store, doctors office, employment office, at work, at the community mailbox area, the laundromat? This list can go on and on. Because we are not all living in the same neighborhood we could get quite a large geographical exposure if each member of the club did this. As each race date approaches do the same with the event flyer. Have you ever considered hauling your boat trailer and boat/s to the kids soccer games and employ it as an advertisement display. If anybody asks why you have your boat at the soccer game, answer with the truth; you are trying to garnish interest in the sport. Put your club website, favorite race forum website and club / region schedule on the side of your trailer. What if we all put a slogan at the bottom of our personal e-mails that said something like “I support APBA…. or Want to race stock outboard? Ask me how.
As many of you know, MHRA uses the Racer School and Never Ever Raced program to recruit new people into the sport of SO racing. While the program may be too young to have any real data to support a claim of success, I can testify that it was instrumental in pulling my family in to stock outboard racing. Does your club have a racer school? What if it did? What if each club kept one full set of equipment on hand beyond the needs of their racer school to make readily available to new comers?
Lifecycle Timing. This is the brick where a young person is too young (<9yrs old) or they are moving off to collage or Federal Military Service or… a young couple starts to have kids or… you might be tempted to say this is a cost brick or worse yet a retention issue. Regardless of the case study you look at, if we were to Apply a Broad and Consistent Exposure Strategy to foster growth we will greatly improve his/her chances of returning if they see it available to them when the time is right / right again.
Preconception of Danger. Well, I am at a loss for a response. I would argue that while it is true that racing is inherently dangerous, boat racing safety rules and equipment have come a long way to reducing and eliminating injury. I would have to counter with comparisons to motocross or go cart risks and soften it with the fact that boat racing is a very family oriented sport/hobby.
Lack of Interest: Another hard one to counter. I would argue that a Persistent Exposure Strategy will catch them when those that toy with the idea, become ready to explore it deeper. What may be perceived as lack of interest may just be lack of exposure or a life cycle timing thing.
I contend that while we do need the leadership of our elected officials and sanctioning body to provide necessary stick and rudder to keep us all playing safe and fair, our future grown is in our hands, the general population of the boat racing community at large.
This is just my humble opinion on what keeps people from joining. What is yours?
Raymond
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