If you are only competing in one contest a year, you shouldn’t be competing above the Amateur division anyway. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but at that point you are most certainly an Amateur competitor and not taking this seriously at all. If you just want to shop up at a contest for fun and to hang out with fellow players, that’s awesome but there are a lot of people working hard to provide that time…and if you are not a serious competitor, you should not be able to commandeer the same resources as people who have spent months practicing for that contest and take competing seriously.
All NYYL Regionals will be required to have at least one non-championship division, Amateur Freestyle or Sport Ladder. We’re hoping that Amateur Freestyle becomes the standard, as it’s a more useful way for players to learn their craft in a competitive setting, and eventually move up to Championship freestyle divisions.
As far as a “Casual” division, that would be the Amateur division. Seems plenty accessible to me…doesn’t require a NYYL membership!
What about all the Canadians that come down for contest the PNWR? Are they required to pay it even though they can’t seed to nationals and they’ll most likely only be competing in that one contest in the US?
I’m sorry but this is just not true. I get two contests per year, and I am most definitely not an amateur competitor. I live in Minnesota. If I want to go to another competition out of state the minimum drive is 5 hours, which I can’t exactly do on a weekend during a school year. That’s why I feel Jake’s proposal is an excellent idea.
The cost to implement and police Jakes proposal would actually be more on our end than just to require the same membership from everyone. Which means if we tried to do it, we’d actually lose money on each of those memberships.
And to be fair, if you are going to only two contests a year, you are an Amateur competitor. This is not a reflection on your skill level, only a reflection of the fact that you are a casual competitor who is not traveling to a lot of contests with the eventual goal of a National title or above.
The Amateur freestyle division is going to to change A LOT with this new system. Where before it was a place for people who are learning how to freestyle, it’s going to become a more “locally competitive” division, for people who really only compete within their immediate area and have no real aspirations beyond that. Hope that makes more sense!
IMO the changes are a long time coming and the benefits out weigh the negatives. Change is always difficult sometimes for me, sometimes for others. It really depends upon how it effects you personally I guess.
I doubt 25 dollars is going to keep anyone from competing. It may mean reprioritizing and some extra fund raising effort but it’s still pretty inexpensive.
Even a 5k-10k run/walk will cost you almost that to enter.
I think that a name change for the “Amateur” division should be considered. I think that it is implying that it’s not for those who are really good. If you are part of the group that competes just to have fun and show what you can do that is a great place to compete. Sadly the name seems to turn some people off of it. You mentioned casual and that might be a good name.
I’m not sure that amateur implies “not skilled.” Up until 20 years ago all olympic athletes were amateur. Currently many olympic athletes are still qualified as amateur. I think amateur implies a person who does not participate beyond a “hobby” level of interest. Somebody that’s not going to travel the 10 hours, to get to the next nearest contest. Somebody that’s not going to fly to 3 or 4 contests to try to qualify for a national title.
As for the folks complaining about $25 I just don’t get it. It’s a one time yearly fee that could really make a difference in the level of interest in competitive yoyoing. How much have you spent on yoyo’s in the last 12 months? How much do you think you’ll spend in the next 12 months?
Don’t think about the fact that your one contest is going to cost $50 now. Think about the fact that your membership in the NYYL costs you $25 and your contest entry cost you $25. They are 2 separate fees that do to completely separate things. I can honestly say I will probably never compete in a contest, but I’ve already joined. If my $25 can help out the sport then great.
Not much of a racket when no one is making any money off it. Andre, Thad, and myself are all doing this for free.
And while you may not care about competing, lots of other people do. And for those people, we are working really hard to give them the best possible experience.
The NYYL membership is only required for players who are competing in the 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A divisions. Competitors in Amateur Freestyle and Sport Ladder do not need to be members. Spectators do not need to be members.
Of course I’m not going to be immediately overjoyed to hear about having to shell out extra money, but I understand why these changes are important, so I’ll be happy to pay for my membership if it supports the US contest scene.
Membership isn’t required for state contests, though, right?
I think you guys should read the already answered questions
I only plan on attending Pan American Nats this year as far as regional+. I am not going to do an amateur competition thing. When people tell me they “won the age group” division. Its just not the same in my opinion. No offense but winning your age group seems pretty lame…
I plan on going against all the pros. Its more challenged and way better to see you placed… 8th against a ton of pros, than 1st against other kids your age.
I personally understand what you are saying but I believe it is commendable to participate at any level. It takes a certain amount of courage to not only compare your skills to others, but also to allow others see how you compare. “Best in age group” may hold more value to the amateur, than winning for a pro.
Back on topic:
I really look forward to seeing how these changes effect future competitions. I believe it will be positive.
