Just out of interest did anyone submit scores for selection to National Squads for this years indoor national tournament? Now I know that the EAF is run by people who devote lots of time and hard work on a voluntary basis and it's true to say that being on a comitee such as this is a thankless task at the best of times but I realy think that in this instance things could have been done in a better way. I know that there is at least one other member of this forum who can tell a very similar story to mine.
From the start of the indoor season in October untill the deadline on 27th January I have literally driven thousands of miles, spending a lot of time and money to attend as many record status events as I could manage. Many times I was on the road before 5am, not getting back before the evening, all to shoot a Portsmouth. According to the EAF website scores shot at record status events "in the current indoor season" (my interpretation of this was October 2005 to the deadline on 27th January) could be submitted, but according to the aticle printed in the Spring 2005 edition of Archery UK scores shot at record status events "in 2005/06" could be submitted. Now in one criteria scores obtained in the early part of 2005 would count but in the other (ie. website) they would not! Anyway just to be sure I submitted 5 scores including three shot in the current indoor season as follows.
PORTSMOUTH 590 16/01/05 WAKEFIELD RECORD STATUS
FITA 18M 567 20/03/05 NATIONAL INDOOR CHAMPS LILLESHALL
PORTSMOUTH 589 20/11/05 NCAS CHAMPS WAKEFIELD
FITA 25M 578 04/12/05 PENDLE & SALMESBURY
PORTSMOUTH 591 15/01/06 WAKEFIELD BRS
On the website it gave a link to submit scores but it didn't work for me nor for other people so I put them in a letter and trusted that the GPO would do their bit. The letter was posted around the 17th of January and I waited... and waited...,and waited... to hear if I had been sucessful or not.I knew that no one shooting tournaments in the North of England had sent in better scores but I didn't know what people in the South had done, but I was pretty sure that I was in with chance. Well by the start of this week I was tearing my hair out, I still hadn't heard anything, so I contacted telephone enquiries to get the gentlemans number. This raised another question, according to AUK the gentleman lived in a Close but according to BT he lives in a Crescent so now I'm wondering if my mail has gone to the right address. Anyway I plucked up courage and rang him. I kind of got the impression that he hadn't heard my name before but anyway he was very nice and said sorry I hadn't been sucessful this time but keep sending in scores. Ok. if people have genuinely submitted better scores under whatever criteria applies then I wish them all the best but wouldn't you think the EAF would let the rest of us know. I dont suppose that there would have been many of us to contact probably less than a dozen and the cost of a stamp or an e-mail in return for the thousands of miles and hundreds of pounds isn't too much to ask. If it is then why not ask for a SAE.
Will I be doing the same next year? Not sure myself yet, but I will be writing to the EAF.
From the start of the indoor season in October untill the deadline on 27th January I have literally driven thousands of miles, spending a lot of time and money to attend as many record status events as I could manage. Many times I was on the road before 5am, not getting back before the evening, all to shoot a Portsmouth. According to the EAF website scores shot at record status events "in the current indoor season" (my interpretation of this was October 2005 to the deadline on 27th January) could be submitted, but according to the aticle printed in the Spring 2005 edition of Archery UK scores shot at record status events "in 2005/06" could be submitted. Now in one criteria scores obtained in the early part of 2005 would count but in the other (ie. website) they would not! Anyway just to be sure I submitted 5 scores including three shot in the current indoor season as follows.
PORTSMOUTH 590 16/01/05 WAKEFIELD RECORD STATUS
FITA 18M 567 20/03/05 NATIONAL INDOOR CHAMPS LILLESHALL
PORTSMOUTH 589 20/11/05 NCAS CHAMPS WAKEFIELD
FITA 25M 578 04/12/05 PENDLE & SALMESBURY
PORTSMOUTH 591 15/01/06 WAKEFIELD BRS
On the website it gave a link to submit scores but it didn't work for me nor for other people so I put them in a letter and trusted that the GPO would do their bit. The letter was posted around the 17th of January and I waited... and waited...,and waited... to hear if I had been sucessful or not.I knew that no one shooting tournaments in the North of England had sent in better scores but I didn't know what people in the South had done, but I was pretty sure that I was in with chance. Well by the start of this week I was tearing my hair out, I still hadn't heard anything, so I contacted telephone enquiries to get the gentlemans number. This raised another question, according to AUK the gentleman lived in a Close but according to BT he lives in a Crescent so now I'm wondering if my mail has gone to the right address. Anyway I plucked up courage and rang him. I kind of got the impression that he hadn't heard my name before but anyway he was very nice and said sorry I hadn't been sucessful this time but keep sending in scores. Ok. if people have genuinely submitted better scores under whatever criteria applies then I wish them all the best but wouldn't you think the EAF would let the rest of us know. I dont suppose that there would have been many of us to contact probably less than a dozen and the cost of a stamp or an e-mail in return for the thousands of miles and hundreds of pounds isn't too much to ask. If it is then why not ask for a SAE.
Will I be doing the same next year? Not sure myself yet, but I will be writing to the EAF.