2011 NEFA Finals general discussion

[Matt Stroika]

I was going to tout the 9 hole matches again as well. Not as fun to have it done in one day but it is possible.

How do you get people to stay for the end matches? Payout all positions and if you DNF, you don't get paid. If there is enough sponsorship, most people wont want to leave $50+ behind even if they did lose their first match. Done.

My thoughts from the other thread.

Nice input Matt D and Craig. End of season payout is bogus. Play if you want to get paid. If you finished in the top you must have gotten paid plenty along the way so your share of the finals money goes to those that show up, play, and FINISH the match play finals. This really isnt that hard. Yes, Rob I am going to stick with pinhead (is narrow-minded less insulting? )?

[Gary Cyr]

I could easily get on borad with doing away with end of season payouts!

[Jeff Wiechowski]

Who is in charge of the finals for 2012?

The Rhode Island represetative. Currently is Greg Wintrob and it sounds like he's gonna be "the guy" for 2012.

2014 is New York's turn. The idea of a Warwick/Wolfe Woods NEFA Finals would allow for ALL qualified players to attend.

[Kenji Cline]

I like the idea of doing away with season end payouts and putting it all to finals. With eveyone at finals getting some sort of payout it would help curtail people leaving early on the match play format. Would having a registration fee that would be 100% paid out at the end of the match play finals only if you finish work? Meaning dfl at finals would at least get their registration fee back and fee collected throughout the season would payout top players. Would you still get people leaving match play format if it was costing them say $40 to bail?

[Craig Cutler]

Here is an idea for fundraising:

Nefa purchases 450 Innova Glow CFR Discs. Total cost $ 3150.00. NEFA requires any sanctioned NEFA event TD to buy 10 CFR Discs for their event @ $ 20/piece. $ 200 total. the TD for that event can use the CFR's for payouts or re-sale. NEFA 2X events are required to take 20 discs.

Based on 45 events. Nefa would profit $ 5850.00 from the CFR program. Even at $ 15/disc, NEFA would profit $ 3600.00. All added to the finals for Food, Players Party, Players entry fees, added cash.

[Craig Cutler]

"2014 is New York's turn. The idea of a Warwick/Wolfe Woods NEFA Finals would allow for ALL qualified players to attend. " If you TD it, and NEFA works with us on sponsorship ideas, We could throw the biggest Party/tournament in the history of NEFA.

[Chris Young]

I like the ideas getting thrown around....

I think it would be great to see NEFA Finals grow to become #2 on the list behind the Vibram Open...

I have only played one Match Play event in my 10 years playing competitive DG and it was a pretty casual event. Sounds really FUN!

[Brad Harris]

There is a problem with doing away with season end payouts. It will take away motivation to join NEFA if you can't make finals. As I see it, there are really three motivating factors to joining: 1. A chance to qualify for finals. 2. A chance to earn points for a payout in the fall. 3. An opportunity to vote in elections for the next year.

If you can't make it to finals because of location or timing and lose the season-end payout, then the only remaining motivation is the chance to vote, which likely is not worth the $25 fee.

[Jeff Wiechowski]

"2014 is New York's turn. The idea of a Warwick/Wolfe Woods NEFA Finals would allow for ALL qualified players to attend. " If you TD it, and NEFA works with us on sponsorship ideas, We could throw the biggest Party/tournament in the history of NEFA.

AND......... what if "The Oasis" was playable by then?

[Trent Solomon]

There is a problem with doing away with season end payouts. It will take away motivation to join NEFA if you can't make finals. As I see it, there are really three motivating factors to joining: 1. A chance to qualify for finals. 2. A chance to earn points for a payout in the fall. 3. An opportunity to vote in elections for the next year.

If you can't make it to finals because of location or timing and lose the season-end payout, then the only remaining motivation is the chance to vote, which likely is not worth the $25 fee.

Or if you break your leg a few weeks before finals and can't attend

[Jim Bobka]

Excuses, excuses......

[Craig Cutler]

Supporting New England disc golf IMO is the reason most people join NEFA. But if year end payouts are really the motivating factor for joining, we can keep them. If fundraising is done right, the finals wont need that money.
I just dont see how those year end payouts could be a motivating factor. They are so small in relation to the cost of getting to 6 events.

[Matt DeAngelis]

There is a problem with doing away with season end payouts. It will take away motivation to join NEFA if you can't make finals. As I see it, there are really three motivating factors to joining: 1. A chance to qualify for finals. 2. A chance to earn points for a payout in the fall. 3. An opportunity to vote in elections for the next year.

If you can't make it to finals because of location or timing and lose the season-end payout, then the only remaining motivation is the chance to vote, which likely is not worth the $25 fee.

I disagree that those are the only reasons for joining NEFA. What's to say you don't have a shot at making it to finals? I don't think that would change at all. Making finals more attractive will get more people to compete throughout the year to get their points up! I'm a NEFA member and I only played in one NEFA event this year. Supporting the local scene is more important to me than anything.

[Brad Harris]

I disagree that those are the only reasons for joining NEFA. What's to say you don't have a shot at making it to finals? I don't think that would change at all. Making finals more attractive will get more people to compete throughout the year to get their points up! I'm a NEFA member and I only played in one NEFA event this year. Supporting the local scene is more important to me than anything.

Most people want to feel like they're getting something for their money. I agree that I will continue to renew my membership regardless. But particularly in terms of attracting new members, there needs to be a benefit to joining. Currently that benefit is participation in the points series. But if you look forward in the calendar and have a conflict that prevents you from making the trip to finals, then the point series means nothing without some sort of alternate payout.

[Sandy Redd]

Craig, the CFR program sounds great, could you send me some info on that so we could get the ball rolling on that.
I like match play as well, and agree with that the end of the year payout is kind of crappy.
The 2 day event could work especially if there is alot of added cash and a basically free party.
It will be in the works.

[Jeff Wiechowski]

I orginally joined NEFA to give me another reason to play new courses around New England. Some of the new DisCappers have also voiced this reason to join.

[John Tserpes]

Plus your money goes to NEFA grants that are given to public courses around NE. Those courses then get to use that money to help improve their course. Being a member is about supporting your sport and not about what it gives back to you.

What other sports or hobbies that people have to pay into a league or org that give payouts at the end of the year for finals?

Example. I have paid into softball leagues for 13yrs with each league costing more than the NEFA membership and only to win a trophy. Same for darts and billards.

[Kyle Moriarty]

I'm drooling over the ideas being thrown around here. Match play, 2 day finals, huge players party! Could this bethe foundation Sandy uses as his presidential campaign?

[Brad Harris]

What other sports or hobbies that people have to pay into a league or org that give payouts at the end of the year for finals?

Example. I have paid into softball leagues for 13yrs with each league costing more than the NEFA membership and only to win a trophy. Same for darts and billards.

But how many of those allow you to participate in the league without joining? That's what makes NEFA different. You can still go play a whole season of NEFA events without actually joining NEFA. For most leagues, the return from the fees is the opportunity to actually participate.

[John Tserpes]

You are right Brad but how many of those leagues give back to their players other than participation or the community? Hence the NEFA Grants, Points Series, Finals, voting for positions of the org, a free message board for even the non-members, etc... NEFA is more than just a points series.

[Brad Harris]

You are right Brad but how many of those leagues give back to their players other than participation or the community? Hence the NEFA Grants, Points Series, Finals, voting for positions of the org, a free message board for even the non-members, etc... NEFA is more than just a points series.

I completely agree with you. There are plenty of benefits that NEFA as an organization provides, and one benefit of membership is contribution to those causes.

However, non-members reap the benefits as much as members do. The only exception being the points series and finale. If you can't make the finale, membership has no tangible benefit. For many people, that's enough to prevent renewal.

[Matt Stroika]

You are right Brad but how many of those leagues give back to their players other than participation or the community? Hence the NEFA Grants, Points Series, Finals, voting for positions of the org, a free message board for even the non-members, etc... NEFA is more than just a points series.

I completely agree with you. There are plenty of benefits that NEFA as an organization provides, and one benefit of membership is contribution to those causes.

However, non-members reap the benefits as much as members do. The only exception being the points series and finale. If you can't make the finale, membership has no tangible benefit. For many people, that's enough to prevent renewal.

Which is why NEFA should have a nominal fee to non-NEFA members at NEFA points events. This encourages membership for the most tangible benefit of playing in the series. Advanced sign up for NEFA members would also do the trick since so many events are filling.

[Dan Ouellet]

Disc fundraising is always a good idea. My concern w/ making each event buy 10 or 20 of them to distribute as they see fit is: Many of the players attend numerous events and might get sick of seeing the same discs event after event.
Is that a reasonable concern?
A TD would be required to pay $25 for Nefa event, $1 per head of every player and $200 in plastic. To me that's a lot to ask for.

[Jeff Wiechowski]

If a TD was to dye "division winner of Tournament X" on the CFR discs, they'd be pretty cool trophies.

[Craig Cutler]

Good point Dan. Innova offers up to 19 molds for their CFR program and the disc sales must be used to benefit a tournament or a charity event. But you are right, that's a lot of glow plastic. Pro/Champion/Star regular non glow are a little more pricey.

Would reducing the # to 5 discs be too much? I would hate to see less NEFA events becuase of the mando CFR purchase.

What about raising the NEFA per player fee from $ 1 to $ 2.

PS. I have no financial interest in pushing Innova, I just think their CFR program is amazing for fundraising.

[Gary Cyr]

What about raising the NEFA per player fee from $ 1 to $ 2.

That one has been shot down by vote at least twice and maybe 3 times. I tried to get it during my year as Pres. I lost out on that vote. and I remember voting on it in other years as a State Rep

[Titan Bariloni]

what happened to our series sponsor?
Last year the disc auctions at each event seemed to be going good

[Chris Young]

We raised our Series fee from $1 per player to $2 per player this year for the Green Mtn Points Series. If NEFA were to do this the extra $1 per player could be used for Finals food,party,registration fees,etc. I would vote for it!

[Scooter Feely]

It is always interesting to hear folks with newer or higher NEFA numbers talk about the "benefits" of being a member. When NEFA was started, we did not have much of a local disc golf scene. NEFA got going and we at least had an organization, after a while we had the traveling baskets that made it possible to hold tournaments with real pole holes, and we had a foundation to build on. Most members spent time talking about what we could do and accomplish, not what the organization was doing for us. Times change!

[Andy Powell]

Here in VT, the Green Mountain Point Series counts its finals as a points event. What if we made NEFA finals count as well, perhaps as a double points event or with bonus points for each person beaten/tied? In that case, you would play all year to participate in one final showdown with huge potential swings in the points race. I like the idea of a two-day finals weekend as well, but why do we have to choose between stroke play and match play? Couldn't we do a day of each? I realize that the match play would have to be limited to only a few holes per round, but variety would be nice. How about bringing in all-around events like MTA, TRC, freestyle, or discathalon. We are the New England Flying Disc Assoc. after all, not the New England Disc Golf Assoc. I'm just spit balling here. For the record, I do like the season payouts. If someone plays their butt off all year to do well in the standings, they shouldn't be left out in the cold if they can't make one weekend work for health, work, family emergencies, etc.

While we're at it, let's bring up the double points event debate again. Say for example that a player in, oh I don't know... AM2 wins 3 events, but a couple other guys win a pair with each one getting double points for one win. It seems wrong that the more winning player should finish 3rd for winning the "wrong" tourneys. Just kidding... kind of.
Congrats to Kyle and Keith on a very well played season! I can't wait to play with you guys again and take number 4 in Barnstead.