The US Team selection process in future years

At 16:11 07 November 2017, Steve Koerner wrote:
Excellent report RO! Most informative piece I've ever read on RAS.


One thing that your report shows is that during the early years
of objective team selection, there was not a problem that could
be tied to rotating in too many new people as consequence of
objective standards.


Funny Rieti story. During the opening parade, the announcer hardly
recognized any of the USA team's names, so he introduced us as
the "much overhauled Team USA", and everyone was snickering.
They didn't snicker anymore after the first competition day though.
DJ and I won the day in 15m and Std. The other team members
placed right up there with us. There was lots of shouting on the
German's part due to the fact that we had procured the "coaching"
services of German champion Walter Neubert (who had great
individual success in Rieti). When asked why he wasn't coaching the
German team, Walter replied that nobody had thought to ask him.
The Germans were labeling Walter as a traitor, and he just laughed
it off. What a real gentleman. We had T-shirts made that had Team
USA on the fronts, and "much overhauled" across the backs in order
tweak the people and announcer who had been snickering during
the opening ceremonies.

DJ flew an absolutely unconscious contest as a lone eagle. His lead
kept growing as the organizers kept setting harder and harder tasks
with what looked like (to us anyway) the intent to get DJ to land out
and even up the scores. Except, DJ kept finishing while everyone
else landed out. Going into the end of the contest, DJ had close to
a full day's 1000 point lead, and it seemed like the organizers finally
gave up on trying to get him to land out. He succeeded in
absolutely blowing the world's best 15m pilots right out of the water
in a very convincing fashion. There was no more snickering at the
closing ceremonies, and I know that several other nation's teams
went home pretty mad about their own poor performances. I know
that the French used their poor performance at Rieti as a stimulus
to build up their team, which has been a juggernaut since Austria in
1989... The German, British and Polish teams seem to have done
the same as well.... The team flying landscape has drastically
changed with all of this too. It makes the typical "lone eagle" type
pilot's (which objective selection methods might tend to produce)
chances of doing well smaller and smaller - as I see it anyway...
As you said, "We're in a pickle."

RO

"Just tell me what you want."

Scenario 1: The prime objective of U.S. competitive soaring is to win the World Championships. Ergo national championships--including the rules (e.g., regarding task types and team flying)--should encompass training, evaluation, and selection processes that surface pilots who can excel on the world stage. Venues should closely mirror those of upcoming world championships. Only those qualified few who are being groomed for and/or truly have a realistic chance of placing well should be chosen and funded. The inclusion of a self-funded "auxiliary corps" of pilots to fill out the allowable (by WGC organizers) Team slots should be based on whether their addition will enhance or detract from the Team's chances.

Scenario 2: The prime objectives of U.S. competitive soaring are (i) to select champions and (ii) to encourage participation by as many qualified pilots as possible through selection of task types and venues (higher completion ratios, venues with better weather, sites rotated for geographic equity, etc.) as well as social events. Selection of an expanded group of pilots to U.S. Teams with modest financial support would be as much to motivate/reward them and to generate PR and general enthusiasm for competition soaring as it would be an opportunity for the U.S. to excel on the world stage.

These are not 100% mutually exclusive but they do reflect different perspectives. Or perhaps points on a continuum. Thoughts?

Chip Bearden

On Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at 3:53:09 PM UTC-5, wrote:
"Just tell me what you want."

If you are drawing from the pool of pilots that have the resources to play with cutting edge gliders you are in a hobby sport. And that's OK. If you want the US to win the Worlds, the US National Team needs to have coaches. Own/lease/rent cutting edge gliders. Then put the fastest pilots they can grow in them. For a variety of reasons that would be experienced juniors or recently aged out juniors. Provided they have dodged marriage, mortgages, car and student loans...
Would require a lot of support from old time glider pilots while cutting most of them out of the chance of making the team. Do we want a US Team that wins the Worlds or a better chance getting on the team for any hobby pilot that tries?

Re chip's post: We should distinguish the purposes of US contests, and the purposes of the US team, not just selection policy but its other activities.. US contests must have a broad participation motive. Among other issues, if we run them as pure training camps, meaning you must have crew or motor, and you will land out a lot, we will get far fewer people. It is more reasonable that the US team have a focused objective of winning. Though notice how it has been asked to trade that for fairness, transparency, etc.
John Cochrane

Crowd funding might be successful, If the general SSA membership were fans of our racing team. The most excitement I have seen surrounding a glider race, in the U.S., was this summer's junior team effort in Lithuania. Those young men flew their hearts out, as much for each other as themselves. We took notice and cheered for them. I, for one, will be willing to open my wallet when their opportunity comes around again. Most glider pilots I know, don't give a whit about our racing team. The new system combining objective and subjective selection criteria may be a move in the right direction. It is certainly a well thought out idea and deserves a chance to succeed. If it leads to a real team effort and not an assemblage of egos it may give us a team worth cheering for. My Dad used to tell me when I was whining " Don't cry before you'r bit ". Good advice I think.
Dale Bush