What Went On At The Natc Meeting?

[city trials]

From Brian Behling, CEO NATC, Inc. on the NATC website.

Summary of NATC meeting held in Denver, October 28-30, 2005, In general, we had a typical meeting reviewing the rules, the organizers checklist and many more items that keep the NATC functioning.

Mr. Behling, What many other items did the NATC discuss to keep the NATC fuctioning?

[the artist formerly known as ish]

From Brian Behling, CEO NATC, Inc.  on the NATC website.

Summary of NATC meeting held in Denver, October 28-30, 2005,  In general, we had a typical meeting reviewing the rules, the organizers checklist and many more items that keep the NATC functioning.

Mr. Behling, What many other items did the NATC discuss to keep the NATC fuctioning?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Probably took them most if the weekend to discuss the proposal

Originally posted by Mich Lin

[br]

This year under the banner of the ATA, I was asked to propose a fix for the US national championship without using my name. One that would put our best riders back on top of the world and keep the excellent sportsmen class action going that the NATC has enjoyed so much.

It was a big task but one worth the effort, I thought. I knew with all my heart a system is possible to make everyone happy, both Pro, future world champions and the sportsmen who are the bulk of the NATC entries today. A true win/win proposal that served eveyone! 

This I proposed through Bill Markem and the ATA yet all three vital proposals where shot down in flames. The foundation of the proposals would have put our best national Pros on harder sections, created more competition in the Pro class on a wider veraity of sections and improved spectator access and galleries for the best pros. Which is great exposure for them and creates a pressure cooker atmosphere where they would have improved vastly. This was rejected for the status quo for some silly reason!

For the young up and coming riders, another proposal was offered as a chance to prepare and compete on the same machines as the Europeans, attract sponsorship and press coverage sooner, plus increase progressive competition on a wider varaity of sections, some as hard as the European championship. The level our youngsters must rise too if they wish to compete on an international level someday. This was also rejected????????????

The last part of the proposal was to  put our Female Trials athletes on a better footing against the tough internationl competition they now face. Which has been putting a bigger gap between them and our best ladies each year. For the women it offered more contestants, more chance to compete and more chance for sponsorship at the same time. It also failed to get past the NATC!

Lane

[ron]

Gentleman( a loose term ) and Ladies..

Anyone who feels that the meeting could be better served by there presence (Lane , Craig ,etc.. ) The meeting is open to you to come and present your proposals.. You can speak freely and openly .. If you want to make a difference ,You must have a WELL thought out Plan / Proposal . . Many of the Council members are in favor of growing the sport and the youth riders #1 .

The Council does a good job scheduling with what is given to them for options..for example We(members) can not make organizers move their respective dates to non school times ,We do encourage it.. However Weather plays a major role when and where.. With fuel prices so high the shedule is good this year.. Rider turnout will be high at all events because of the limited number of events.. New Flagging is going to be much easier for the organizer and the checkers ( no more looping on other lines to get a better run etc.. )To make the Pro's and all riders ride the INTENDED Line!!! All in all a Decent amount of progress was made to get our Youth riders , more prepared..I saw one person( on the web here) say they could not figure out why we would put HS on ES line .. Well many of them are at that level or above .. but through pressure of wanting to be the #1 HS rider,They continue to ride and have 2,3,4 points per day.. how much are they learning ,ZIP!!! So putting to some more challenge is good.. If a young rider is not comfortable there he can ride sportsman.. There are a ton of if's, and's or but's.. so if you do not like the way things are going ... then Go to the meeting and Step up... You will be heard.. Babbling and rambling here will get your ideas here only!!! Don't forget about the USMTA this organization is about promoting trials so get involved!!

Lane,about getting our youths ready for Europe, I was in favor of a 125 expert class, I was basically shot down as we have an expert class.. I thought the kids willing to ride the expert class on 125 cc bikes would be on even ground , but as we all know the policing (125cc not 175 so on )of this would be very difficult. On the kids all riding 125cc bikes, Well alot of opposition to that because of the availability of only a few used bikes for kids to start out on vs the mass availability of bigger bore bikes.. Although the 125 teaches incredible technique.. Just could not sell that either.. Bottom Line.. If you would like to see changes, Set your calender.. Show up with a proposal..Present it.. Look for holes.. STEP UP !!!! Or Stop !!!

[alan bechard]

Well Ron, I will step up and tell you as I guess you feel I am

Unless you have replaced Brian, or the rules have changed in the last year or two, you cannot simply "attend" and "present" at the NATC meeting.

So, clarify this for me, are you saying that the NATC now has open meetings that anyone that wishes to attend may?

Thanks for clarifying this.

In the meantime I will work to support and promote the USMTA and it's efforts to make trials grow.

[ron]

Al

It is my understanding that Any person who wishes and pays his or her way may attend.. If you represent a club or the sport in general.The meeting is not a closed session People with Idea's or proposals are encouraged to attend . If it was to get out of hand possibly they might set restrictions.. Alao FYI many of the members pay their own way .. So the people who say it is all paid party are grossly incorrect.. Also I suppose if you call a party sitting in a room for 3 days for 9 or 10 hours each day ..talking about rules,schedule and how to make trials better at the national level . then we party hard....LOL..

ron

Edited November 14, 2005 by Ron

[alan bechard]

Well, maybe my information is dated then.

2 or 3 years ago, I requested, through my club president (Ron Milam) that I be allowed to attend the meeting, that I would pay my own way of course, and that I would of course not have a vote nor a "say" at the meeting. It was an effort on my part to better understand the players, the relationships, and in short to help me develop my understanding of national level trials in the US.

My request was forwarded on promptly to Brian Behling who responded that only club reps, diplomats, Importers (and there are a couple of others but you get the point) are able to attend. There is only one rep allowed from any club, although someone could say go as an importer and someone from the same club could go as the "club rep".

I was told in no uncertain terms from Mr. Behling that I was not welcome to attend the meeting, and would be refused entrance if I was not there as the official club representative.

The 2 clubs that I belong to (STRA and TI) have excellent representatives that attend the meetings. There is no way that I would want to represent either club in either capacity because I do not have the background, knowledge or experience that these representatives have. However, it does not make sense to me, to not encourage others to attend so that they may better understand the system and the workings of the NATC should the need arise to have a different representative.

I believe that it is still the NATC stance that outsiders are not allowed to attend the meeting, much less present or participate in the meeting.

If this has changed, or you are speaking as the official representative of the NATC, that would be interesting news and a change from the former stance.

I was told, and have worked as directed, to put forth any proposals, ideas, discussions through my club representatives who have brought them forward at the NATC meetings as our representative.

Thanks for taking the time and updating us on this change of status within the NATC.

[city trials]

Al

FYI many of the members pay their own way .

How many members pay there own way?

How many members get a free trip?

How much money from the NATC funds were spent on the meeting in 2005?

Edited November 15, 2005 by City Trials

[alan bechard]

As I had not seen this answer yet, I wrote to Brian Behling who can be contacted off http://www.natctrials.org/ and asked him.

The policies that were in place last time I tried to go are still in place. One representative from each club, diplomats, Importers, top riders are etc.

If you want to propose something to the NATC, you need to do it by working through one of your representatives, or become the representative for your club.

[bbehling]

Just a bit of clarification: Only invited representatives can come to the meeting. Why? It's my guess that this rule was developed over many years. The meeting can be most productive if we have people that have already demonstrated that they have the leadership skills to either be elected as their club president or are specifically authorized by their club as the club spokesman. There will be a renewed focus on this due to some recent events.

We have a tremendous group of volunteers at the present time and all clubs should be proud that their interests are being tactfully presented at the NATC meeting. Not every proposal is as well thought out as we would like and we are trying to help the presenters think about all potential points of view. Some proposals may be accepted the second year (125cc class?). If you have a proposal that can't pass muster with your own club, it is unlikely to succeed with the NATC.

What is clear is that every year we are, unfortunately, adding more responsibility onto the organizing club. This makes it harder and harder for clubs to see the benefit of hosting a national and this is a big concern. It is obvious that this year we had a little trouble filling out our schedule. I am still working on it.

Any of you that really care could help by being an active club volunteer at the local level. Do your best to help build a strong club. That's where trials is really happening.

Sorry I have not replied sooner, but I don't have the time to spend checking these boards as I would like and am leaving for a long weekend now. Take care and thanks to all of the good work out there! Brian

[ringo]

I guess my return to the board would have to include a commemorative Beaver Bashing so here goes:

Hey Beave, What planet where you on when you decided to write this hokey crap about representation from the ATA? As the "unofficial" president of the ATA [see, now I'm writing hokey crap also] there has never been and never will be any sort of discussion wherein the ATA will represent any of your ideas or you will represent any of the ATA ideas. Unless, of course, we want to slide our cars sideways around the parking lot at unGodly speeds.

On the NATC meeting:

Did you people all forget that the NATC's only job is to set up a national schedule and that's it? They state that they are not in the business of promoting trials and they do what they say they are going to do every year[and party like rock stars, eh Ronnie Baby?].

My understanding is that a lot of this discussion, way back when, led to the formation [or maybe they had already begun forming it prior] of the UMTCAWHATEVER and it's purpose was to promote trials. I understand that many of the NATC members are involved with that and therein lies the place to have an annual meeting wherein the Beave could be master of ceremonies and lead the nation to a world championship trials victory.

Loven you all...

[alan bechard]

Hi Ringo...

[spinner]

Now that the gangs all here, let's begin

[mich lin]

Thanks Ringo, I feel better now!

Just don't let me catch you on the slopes this winter up on the mountain. You will think the Endurocross bar banging was kindergarden.

By the way, my run is on the Bear, Geronamo and Showtime, my turf, stay clear.

Beave

[ringo]

Ride on!! I know those runs well. They are the runs I taught my daughter to snow board on last year. Of course she's advanced away from the bunny slopes now but I'm always up for a slow speed dice session. It'll warm us up for the real runs on the back side of the mountain [of course they are marked 'out of bounds' but when you know the owner, Dick Kun, [i'm talking to the Beave so I have to drop a name] and the ski patrol, you can get away with some 'locals only' stuff.

I've gotta warn you tho, once you go through 'the gate', there's no "let's take a five and say we did it". You're in some deep powder on some killer terrain and you'd better know how scrub some narly speed in a hurry to avoid Bonoing a tree.

Anxiously awaiting the snow,

Ringo

[mich lin]

Well Ringo on second thought, maybe I'd rather stay down at the lodge with my fake cast and drink Hot toddys with the snow bunnies. Don't want to tangle with the locals only croud.