standardization in our hobby...

Does standardization lead to growth? Probably. But not the type of growth that will get this hobby to the next level. In some ways we are already standardized. Old or new we are using the same type of bases. Foam or felt, most of us are using the same sized footballs. Metal, wood, large, or small we are all playing on the same types of fields. Stock, custom, resin cast, or injection molded we are all using the same types of figures.

So what’s left to standardize? Rules. Maybe. Let’s see… We all play either Front of the base, or any touch. We all play TTQB passing, or some type of pass placement*; some of us use both. (* This includes pass simulation, pass emulation, spot pass, or attac pass)
We all either play spread formations with gaps, or tight formations with rugby scrums.

All in all we are all playing roughly the same game. All of our games are timed using either real clocks, paper clocks, timers, or number of plays. Nuances (like dice for fumbles and injuries, kicking cards for kickoffs and punts, spinners for passing, and dividers for advance coaching) aside… we are all roughly playing the same game.

With all of our supposed differences… there’s more of a case for commonality and standardization than the lack of it. So why is our hobby slow growing? For the most part we ARE standardized.

Now some of you might point to the lack of marketing, advertising, and media coverage and to a certain extent you’d be right. We all (coaches and manufacturers) must do things that will attract a larger customer base and appeal to kids of all ages. I think we all can agree that fresh blood is the only thing that will sustain this hobby for the next fifty years and beyond.

First things first… If our community wants this hobby to reach the next level and attain real growth, then people need to start treating each other a little better (strike that) A LOT BETTER than he have in the past. We’ve gotten to a place and time in our hobby where prosperity and support are being questioned almost every six months. If you don’t believe me here’s some recent examples:

After the Baltimore convention, I read posts where people from certain areas said that they didn’t have a good time, felt ignored, and disrespected.
Raiderman’s post about why more people aren’t playing in the NHVL.
Dearell’s post about supporting the hobby and how some people are getting support while others are not.
Reggie’s post outlining how it’s hard to support people when you know that they’ve done everything they could to throw you under the bus.
There are posts out there labeling people, attacking people, and attacking styles. Conversely, there are posts out there about getting manufacturers together in the same room. Getting coaches in the same room together. How there are cliques in this hobby, and how the WAR must stop.

The things happening offline are even worse. The gossip, the backstabbing, the disassociation, the phoniness, the group hating, the accusations, the innuendo, and everything in-between that go on are deplorable. If we are going to work together to grow this hobby and bring about some type of unity; then people need to get real, stop the ignorance and denial, and start putting a lid on things that are keeping people apart. Fences need to be mended, olive branches need to be extended, and guys need to start figuring out that the real clique that we (ALL) are in… is electric football. Most of this stuff can and should be handled offline, and can be fixed with just a simple phone call.

If people want to believe that how we’re playing is the biggest reason that things are the way they are… then that’s their prerogative. I tend to believe that the reason our hobby is slow to grow is tied to how people are treating those who are not their friends, newbies, or allies.

These are just my opinions and people can choose to ignore them, but if people don’t start changing their attitudes… then how things are, will continue to be the status quo.

If anyone wants a second opinion, ask Weirdwolf.

Peace,

Don Smith

Originally posted by Beenutt

Loving your enemies is very difficult to do but ...

Matt. 5:43-46

43. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44. "But I say to you , love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
46. "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

I can't find much room for argument on what's been said. And I still maintain that adhering to the standards is necessary for growth. However, let me be very clear on this, I never stated that it is THE most important aspect of growth for the hobby. I will try to elaborate.

Let's say in a perfect world we all agreed to play with existing standards and no one raised a little finger against it. Even under this situationally perfect scenario growth is not guaranteed. It is probable to the point I feel comfortable saying it would grow the hobby at a rapid pace from that point. But that would not be a promise of success. Success is solely reliant on true intent. With all the things negative going on, past and present (more past than present as I see it, but still) that Don mentioned, rapid growth or no growth, there will be no real success. While growth is important, growth does not define success.

If I have a growth on my body and it continues to grow and it is cancerous, is that success? The shear size of it or the rapidness that it gains size is not success unless I consider my eminent demise a success. It's not if you grow or how fast. It's WHAT you grow - the quality.

Without the vast majority moving towards what is acknowledged by civil and stable minds as what is positive - for the betterment of most/all, not for the pettiness of the few or many, then all we can expect to grow is cancer. What disturbs me the most is the amount/number of "adults" who can't seem to figure that out. As I get older my explanations on these topics are fewer and farther between. Basically, if you are X years old and have not figured this out by now I rarely make time to explain it as it would do no good.

Again, it's not so much how soon you grow or how fast you grow. The care should be taken in WHAT you grow. Built on a bad foundation it can grow like a weed and crumble like a house of cards. The higher the weed grows the longer the fall and the more painful it will be when it hits rock bottom. A fall this hobby can not afford and probably would not completely recover from. Be careful what you grow is my main point.

Anyone else see the commercial where the crowd is gathered at a bridge over a river? The crowd is watching a guy with a back pack set of glider wings. He is about to test it out to see if it will fly him. He is testing it over the river so if it fails the water will soften the fall. The guy leaps off the bridge and begins to fly and fly well, floating over the top of the river. EVERYONE (well almost everyone) is screaming "HE CAN FLY. HE CAN FLY!" Everyone except one old man who is walking away, refusing to watch. One repeats to him "He can fly." The old man stops, looks them in the eye and says "Yeah but he can't swim." The old man turns and walks away knowing full well what the others refused to see. It's one thing to watch the guy try to fly, another thing to cheer him on as a "success." Watching a train wreck is one thing. Encouraging it is another. But what is worse is the idiot with the wings strapped on his back. He was pretty sure he could fly but didn't consider the fact that he couldn't swim? DOH! As for that guy..... "Here's your sign."

-Mike Pratt

Mike hit the nail on the head. If we’re going to have successful growth it’s going to have to be built on a solid foundation, and things in the present are better than they were in the past. Time has fixed a lot of the old problems and softened a lot of the hard feelings, but true mending hasn’t been done. Guys are not reaching out to each other in effort to gain what was lost, or to build something new.

I’m trying to get people to see that if EF was really in a good place, we wouldn’t have so many posts pointing to the fact that people are feeling disrespected. Leagues and tournaments aren’t generating interest from their neighbors, and how fellowship is only being talked about on message boards and not really being practiced. I think Dearell said it best… “The pettiness has to stop!” It’ll only stop when people start reaching out, and start communicating with each other.

I’m not suggesting that everybody isn’t having a good time; on the contrary, a lot of people are having fun. The fun they’re having is with the people they normally fellowship with, or meeting someone new from the convention. Let’s face facts people… we all make extra effort to get to the convention, or to a tournament that’s going to give you the opportunity to hook up with a lot of your friends. Yes geographic and economics are the major reasons when people can’t make it to tournaments, and if we were all independently wealthy (or Mr. National) we could attend them all. People generally attend the tournaments that are the closest to them, and (not so close) tournaments where they’ve repeatedly enjoyed a certain level of fellowship and fun.

Weirdwolf pointed out to me that we’re all getting older, and if we don’t get on these topics like a coaches association, or making a national league more respected and supported by the majority; then it’s not going to happen. If we don’t start getting on the same page and make this hobby more appealing to the masses (especially children) then this hobby goes when we go.

Standardization is rampant throughout this hobby. Whoever’s in charge of the leagues that you join or the tournaments you attend, makes the call on the equipment and the rules. We already have that… what we don’t have is a unified way to play that is nationally accepted by the majority. I realize that no matter how many people come together, you can’t please everyone, but for this hobby to get to the next level… a majority of us need to start pulling in the same direction. I can see that taking place in the not-so-distant future, but people got to be willing to step up. I think we all can agree that none of us are getting any younger so we either do it or we don't.

Again, I can't find much, if any, room for argument. A lot of us as an online community preach and talk about unity and organization. And every single individual had and has the option of attempting it. Yet only a handful have actually done so. And even fewer have shown the propensity to put noses to the grindstone and get something substantial done. My point being in total agreement with Don on this. Talk and type are easy. Doing it is REAL hard work and the pay stinks (as in you work for no pay, rarely get more than a couple of days off and the hours can be relentless). If you doubt it, ask Tom Johnson, Tom Ruesink, Reg, George, the Landsmans, etc. Not everyone - strike that - not many are able and/or willing to do this. And there's no shame in that. For those people who wish to contribute there is support in the way of helping out when and where you can.

I'm obviously not the only person who sees things the way I'm about to mention but I'll keep it in context from my mouth so as not to speak for those with a like mind or different mindset. I see all of the pitfalls and stumbling blocks that are in front of me and I did not forget the ones that are now behind me. I am fully aware. Those things are bi-products of any journey. What I see as most beneficial and as the driving force to stay on track is OPPORTUNITY. That is what motivates me to all but ignore the negativity and navigate the obstacles. Though it has been said in a famous quote that "opportunity is often overlooked or avoided because it is usually disguised in the form of hard work." That is why all the talk and type on the planet is not going to cut it. You must be willing to bust a hump, ignore the negativity when it slows your roll, and work with those on board to fulfill the ultimate goal......... betterment of the hobby as a whole.

No petty, selfish agendas such as "i play this way so everyone else should too" or "i use this stuff so everyone else should too." Playing with exactly what you want and exactly how you want is always an option for all of us. It's called solitaire. Once you introduce anyone else who doesn't totally agree you will be FORCED to compromise in order to play a game. As to bring this back on the threads original point, that is the why, where and how preserving the tried and true standards overcomes those transitional issues (solitaire to competition). That is the commonality that most are familiar with, making it easier for all to get on the same page. While it is not at all how I play at home, nor is it my favorite way to play, it is not about me. It's about moving in a positive direction for as many as possible, and keeping the progress on track. And while we'd all (well, most of us) would love to stand on a platform and say "i/we came up with the "new" standard", ummmmm NO I/We didn't, it's been there since between 1967 and 1972. And WOW! Here's a "new" and novel thought.... That sounds like a tried and true foundation to build on - it's been around and constant since before MOST of us have been playing....... again addressing the original question on the importance of standards.

Agree or not, those very same standards are the equivalent to this hobby's constitution. It is what has allowed people from all over to get on board and on the same page. While amendments in places where absolutely necessary is understandable, rewriting the standards would require a total breakdown/dismantlement of our strongest commonality AND REQUIRE almost 40 years of playing catchup. As stated by a previous poster, we're not getting an younger. I don't have the years to waste waiting for someone/anyone to pull a mythical rabbit out of their proverbial hat, ignoring a perfectly solid, tried, true and time tested foundation under the guise of "we need to rewrite/reinvent the constitution/standards. That is not progress. That is digress - a completely needless waste of precious time and resources.

-Mike Pratt

I feel that the game can grow without standardization. I think that it needs to grow more in VISIBILITY. Basically, information must become easier to find for EF to grow. Different play methods must be acknowledged by Miggle and literature must be distributed to newcomers.

The problem with EF is that newcomers still don't understand three things:

1. what is available
2. how to use it
3. that the game can be realistic.

Miggle needs to do more to educate their customers on how to play the game. If they don't, then we all must take the lead and get the message out.

[Coach Rip]

Shaggy, ..........well said, ............I have to reitterate, for growth, we MUST make it easy, and simple to get newbies into the hobby. Standards are our vehicle to implement growth.

Once one overwhelms a newbie, with " a million ways to play" philosophy, and "almost any figure goes" mentaility, ........one has just, in most cases, curbed the newbie's progress towards getting involved....... "Paralysis by analysis" which way should I play??? what figures do I need? etc, ..............and trust me when I tell you I get confused newbie calls all the time.


Proof is in the pudding with tournament participation as well, the standard division out pulls the custom division by by almost 9 to 1 !

coach Rip, I respectfully disagree with you and let me tell you why:

Newbies are not overwhelmed due to the multitude of styles, systems, figures, etc. They are overwhelmed due to frustration with the limited information available on these methods and products.

Miggle is where most EFers begin, and yet Miggle offers no DVD (yet), no gameplay manual, and almost no information on tweaking, painting, decaling, or basically any other relevant information. Couple this with the fact that they fail to acknowledge other compainies and their products.

The job of educating has been left to the chat board which is a sketchy information source at best.

When I came into the hobby, information was scarce and I almost quit. My Decal Master site is back in production and I expect I will create a library of information with newbies specifically in mind.

I have already written three articles and need about three more to complete the work.

[Coach Rip]

decal master,

When you have talked to as many newbies as I have, and put on as many tournaments as I have, ...............then maybe your arguments have merit, ................but here again, ........... you are making a judgement based on ONLY what you have thought/experienced, ..........and I can appreciate that, .............however, ....................I have arrived at my conclusion based on years of experience, running tournmanets, .......and hundreds of conversationswith newbies.

Coach Rip

[mantaraydre]

D-mass

How do we go about putting together a monthly or quarterly magazine on various segments on how to's , manufacture items (all under one roof ) miggle, ff.com (reggie), buzzball (g.diamond) and others. How about a figure detailing contest, board contest, updated standard rules section for all, and many other topics. This will be a contribution from all that wants and has something to contribute to the magazine. Also a monthly updated newbie section. How about a playbook section with play's submitted by coaches (not their best ofcourse). What about a recruiting section, ( new and innovative ways to get more people involved).

Is this something that can be done and supported and watch grow as time goes on. What if coaches agreed to send in $4 to $5 bucks for the magazine. Im asking you d-mass because i see your a computer whiz and could probably figure out how this can be done. Plugged inn is nice but i feel we need to see more in a magazine form. You see how everyone gets excited when they receive their plugged inn, imagine if something else was created. With all the beautiful pic's going around on various sites, it would look great in a magazine format. Its like getting your sports illustrated or espn mag. I know i can just print out all of these great pictures, but to have them in a mag format that i can flip through at any time. "THATS ELECTRIC FOOTBALL"

HOW ABOUT
1) THE EF INSIDER
2)THE EF GAZZETTE
3) THE ELECTRIC FOOTBALL POST OR TIMES
4) THE MINIATURE FOOTBALL MAG
5) EFPN MAG
6) ELECTRIC SPORTS R US
7) 23 HUT HUT


IM SURE SOMEONE HAS A BETTER NAME OUT THEIR. IS THIS IN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY ? WE CAN MAKE THIS AS INFORMATIVE AS THE STOCK PAGES WITH PICTURES AND THOUGHTS FROM THE MASTERS.

Let me know if this can fly !!!!!!!!!!

broadway-dre

We are beginning to make points off the mark on this subject. It is easy to wander, I understand. But it's not too difficult to stay on topic with worthy content. We are beginning to slip into off topic discussions about playing styles, manufacturers and quarterly magazines when we haven't gotten close to those aspects yet on this particular thread. The topic of this thread is standards and if they're needed to grow the hobby. Playing styles have nothing to do with that at this point of the discussion since it is obvious (or at least it should be) that we can't play diddlie squat until we first decide on what it is we are allowed to play with (equipment). THEN a discussion can follow about how we are allowed to use said, agreed upon stuff. OR we can put less thought into our responses and continue to have "cart before the horse" discussions where not many will benefit from it.

Again, I understand that not many, if any minds are going to change on this discussion. And that's ok with me. But the man asked our opinions on standards and if they (in our opinions) are necessary for growth, not playing styles and the price of tea. If he asks us what brand of eggs we prefer are we next going to show him a milk carton, followed by an explanation of why that that type of milk is so important to us? And what of the grocery bag we toted the milk home in... paper or plastic? Not relevant. Just my opinion. But I could be wrong.

-Mike Pratt