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AAA issues

Started by MoTownDog, June 21, 2017, 07:08:13 pm

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AirWarren

Quote from: cuckoobird on June 28, 2017, 11:37:10 am
Naw AW, I would encourage you to post more read less. We would reinstitute free speach, minus vulgarity, and make FF great again. No more blocking posters or posts and calling people trolls just because they disagree with what's being said. If the UAF is terrible it wil be ok to call a spade a spade. No more safeplaces!!!! MERICA!!!!

I like the UAF rule.

sevenof400

Quote from: SUGARTOWN on June 27, 2017, 08:33:37 am
In what ways are they "not getting the job done"?

It is tempting to counter this question with a request to show me an area - any area - where AAA is getting the job done. I'd say good luck finding ANY area.  But since we're here, consider this:

I said earlier that AAA is everything and nothing when they want to be.  That's the start of the issue as AAA really has no defined goals defined as part of their effort to achieve the aims noted in their mission statement.  Now I hate mission statements because far too often, organizations construct these beasts of verbiage and consider their work done.  They'll claim they have a mission statement and are working to attain those ends but without goals, how can their progress be objectively measured?   

So let's consider AAA's mission statement:

Quote
MISSION STATEMENT. The mission of the Arkansas Activities Association is to promote the value of participation in interscholastic activities in the AAA member schools and to provide services to the schools in a fair and impartial manner while assisting and supporting their efforts to develop thinking, productive and prepared individuals as they become positive, contributing citizens modeling the democratic principles of our state and nation.

PURPOSE. More specifically the main purposes of the association shall be to:

A. Promote the educational values inherent in interscholastic activities that contribute to the accepted aims of education while avoiding interference with the educational goals of the school.

B. Ensure that interscholastic activities shall remain an integral part of the educational program as they provide opportunities for youth to acquire worthwhile knowledge, skills, and attitudes.span>

C. Promote an understanding that participation in interscholastic activities is a privilege accorded to those who meet the adopted criteria.

D. Foster a cooperative spirit of good sportsmanship on the part of the school representatives, school patrons, and students.

E. Support opportunities for students to experience the benefits that are derived from teamwork, developing a sense of fair play and accomplishment. Promote an understanding and appreciation that rules, consistently applied, create order and discipline.

F. Provide standard and consistent interpretations of the rules of the association as adopted by the member schools or authorized by the Board of Directors.

G. Conduct championship events by the procedures adopted by the schools in a thorough and impartial manner.

H. Prevent exploitation of youth by special interest groups.

I. Develop standards of officiating and adjudicating to ensure greater statewide consistency and quality.

As mission statements go, that one is fairly vague (as mission statements usually are).  What AAA is missing are measurable goals - what actions are they (AAA) taking, what campaigns are they committed to, what are they doing to attain the purposes noted above.

AAA has NO published goals. 

No standards by which their effort or progress can be judged.  And that's the issue with AAA.  They want to appear they have the best of intentions and standards in mind, but they lack the means to measure whether or not they are making any sort of progress. 

More later.....

Jimbo Morphis


sevenof400

Quote from: Oldman on June 28, 2017, 07:55:10 pm
More?

Sorry, had to step away for a bit.    I can tell you're just wanting more so here goes ....  8)

None of the purposes listed by AAA in their mission statement call for action beyond issuing a memo or making a statement or two.  Again, the idea here is AAA actions can and should be objectively measurable and lead toward stated goals.  Let's start with something easy -  E. Support opportunities for students to experience the benefits that are derived from teamwork, developing a sense of fair play and accomplishment. Promote an understanding and appreciation that rules, consistently applied, create order and discipline.

If AAA is trying to promote a sense of accomplishment, it stands to reason that athletic contests are conducted for the purpose of determining the better team or individual that day.  In other words, contests have winners and losers.  AAA long ago should have established a framework where they (AAA) collect game/match results, compile standings and relevant statistics, and publish this information on a regular basis.  Here we are in 2017, and AAA still can't do this and instead passes the buck on to Maxpreps. 

Now I'm going to recognize even this was an improvement over where things were prior to this - when we had to dig through the few online newspapers of the day and try to find results - but AAA should have been fulfilling this purpose long ago.  A measurable goal (expectation) of AAA should be the collection and timely publication of results, standings and statistics for ALL sports.  I know I've beaten that point before so I'll offer another here. 

What has AAA done to
G. Conduct championship events by the procedures adopted by the schools in a thorough and impartial manner?
This suggests (among other actions) AAA should be taking an active role in improving the officiating for all sports.
Can anyone identify meaningful actions AAA has undertaken to address this?  Actions beyond writing letters and memos.

AAA has the money to address this - and right now - by establishing mentor referee programs in ALL sports.  Yes, the scale may be small at first but you have to start somewhere. As experienced referees age beyond the years they want to (or are able to) referee, that experience is being lost at present.  AAA needs to establish a crew of mentors, pay them a reasonable stipend, and have them review referee performance with the officials (crews).  This review process could have many outcomes - including (but not limited to) referee improvement, identification of officials that could move to higher level games, and providing coaches a means to offer feedback as well (via the mentor). 

Why can't AAA get moving on improvements like these? 

I'll pause again in case Oldman wants me to stop..... ;D 

cuckoobird

What if I want you to stop, does that count?

sevenof400

Quote from: cuckoobird on June 28, 2017, 11:12:48 pm
What if I want you to stop, does that count?

Sorry, but you don't match the verbal eloquence of Oldman! 

cuckoobird


sevenof400

It was a valiant effort though, Cuckoobird. 
I'll give it up for the rest of the evening in your honor. 

cuckoobird

Go ahead, it will give something to read while I fall asleep ...

HorseFeathers

Quote from: sevenof400 on June 28, 2017, 10:59:02 pm

If AAA is trying to promote a sense of accomplishments to reason that athletic contests are conducted for the purpose of determining the better team or individual that day.  In other words, contests have winners and losers.  AAA long ago should have established a framework where they (AAA) collect game/match results, compile standings and relevant statistics, and publish this information on a regular basis.  Here we are in 2017, and AAA still can't do this and instead passes the buck on to Maxpreps. 


I personally see nothing wrong with this...many fans were already using maxpreps as a source for reporting and finding scores...

Quote
What has AAA done to
G. Conduct championship events by the procedures adopted by the schools in a thorough and impartial manner?
This suggests (among other actions) AAA should be taking an active role in improving the officiating for all sports.
Can anyone identify meaningful actions AAA has undertaken to address this?  Actions beyond writing letters and memos.

AAA has the money to address this - and right now - by establishing mentor referee programs in ALL sports.  Yes, the scale may be small at first but you have to start somewhere. As experienced referees age beyond the years they want to (or are able to) referee, that experience is being lost at present.  AAA needs to establish a crew of mentors, pay them a reasonable stipend, and have them review referee performance with the officials (crews).  This review process could have many outcomes - including (but not limited to) referee improvement, identification of officials that could move to higher level games, and providing coaches a means to offer feedback as well (via the mentor). 

Why can't AAA get moving on improvements like these? 

I don't disagree with you on this but...the AAA already says they have a problem with a shortage with referees....and from my experience you start actually holding people accountable for stuff....and people stop wanting to work or in this case referee....Maybe its just the pessimist in me that causes me to think like that...

Rulesman

The shortage of officials is not going to get any better and it's not the AAA that caused it. It's a nationwide problem at all levels, high school varsity and below. Look in the mirror coaches, fans, parents and players.

sevenof400

Quote from: Rulesman on June 29, 2017, 10:58:37 am
The shortage of officials is not going to get any better and it's not the AAA that caused it. It's a nationwide problem at all levels, high school varsity and below. Look in the mirror coaches, fans, parents and players.

I agree with you Rulesman - AAA did not cause this issue but this fact does NOT relieve them from the obligation of improving the situation.  After all, this is one of their stated purposes and yet, AAA is doing nothing to help the situation in Arkansas. (Think globally, act locally..) 

Quote from: HorseFeathers on June 29, 2017, 09:45:48 am
I personally see nothing wrong with this...many fans were already using maxpreps as a source for reporting and finding scores...

It was a solution that was far too long in coming, but even with that in mind, it is an incomplete and inaccurate source far too often when it comes to standings.   Maxpreps does not seem to understand the blended conference structure for example....

I would agree with you HorseFeathers IF AAA came out and said Maxpreps is our official source for results and standings.  All schools WILL report their game / match results within two hours of the completion of a contest or face consequences beyond the $50 fine that AAA has on their rules and procedures but probably hasn't enforced against any school ever.  It would also obligate AAA to work with Maxpreps to ensure the proper reporting of standings.     

Quote from: HorseFeathers on June 29, 2017, 09:45:48 am

I don't disagree with you on this but...the AAA already says they have a problem with a shortage with referees....and from my experience you start actually holding people accountable for stuff....and people stop wanting to work or in this case referee....Maybe its just the pessimist in me that causes me to think like that...

I see where you're going here but to clarify, the mentoring process is not punitive - it is an improvement and educational process.  I agree that any implementation of a mentoring system would have to be very cautious and work hard to build an environment of trust but the potential benefits are worth the effort. 

At the same time, and to address a point by Rulesman, having mentors at games/matches would provide the AAA with another point of view on crowd behavior.  Again, AAA should be leading the charge against unruly crowd behavior and unbiased reports from mentors could assist in that cause.   

sevenof400

Quote from: cuckoobird on June 28, 2017, 11:42:21 pm
Go ahead, it will give something to read while I fall asleep ...

Here you go!

Jimbo Morphis

Quote from: sevenof400 on June 28, 2017, 11:19:05 pm
Sorry, but you don't match the verbal eloquence of Oldman! 
Lol

cuckoobird

Not everyone can have the oral eloquence as Oldman

Jimbo Morphis

Quote from: cuckoobird on June 29, 2017, 02:06:37 pm
Not everyone can have the oral eloquence as Oldman
You stop using those big Dr. words.

HorseFeathers

7of400 not quoting your post cause it's lengrhy and would be annoying....but I thought the AAA had officially announced that maxpreps was where all scores were to be reported to? And a $50 fine for not complying isn't even a slap on the wrist....ban them from a playoff game or something if you want to get the point across

OB11

I know for a fact that the AAA was calling coaches during the baseball season for not reporting games and pitch counts on MaxPreps.

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