Last-minute competition changes

[Lola]

I'm taking my skater to a competition that's 3+ hours from here in less than two weeks.  We've done this competition a few times before and signed up last month some time. Usually it runs over two days and my daughter skates one event, one time and we're done. In the interest of full disclosure, I've never run a skating competition and really appreciate those who make them happen.

A few weeks ago the organizers moved it to another rink 45 min from the initial location, okay/whatever/we'll go with it. This past Friday they sent out the schedule, and then another one that delayed the entire sequence by four hours.

Today, ten days out, we got an email saying that all skaters in a certain category have a finals event the second day to determine the winner, which was a new development entirely. This involves another day's lodging and takes our entire weekend instead of part of it.

My questions:  Am I being too picky about advance notice for how many days the thing lasts?  Does this happen to anyone else or are these folks unique in (what looks like) their lack of organization?  Finally, what the heck?

[icedancer]

I don't know if what you are experiencing is normal but you have to remember that these competitions are being run by volunteers. No one is paid for anything and sometimes people drop the ball.

[PhysicsOnIce]

My questions:  Am I being too picky about advance notice for how many days the thing lasts?  Does this happen to anyone else or are these folks unique in (what looks like) their lack of organization?  Finally, what the heck?

This kinda of things happen quiet often around here.... Like icedancer said,  competitions (and test session) are mostly run by volunteers which means that thing do change rather abruptly based on the organizers schedules or even availability of judges.

Example: a week ago we received notice that a test session that was scheduled for April 12 since the the end of last season has been moved to March 29 and not only that the test session will only include the pre-pre and pre test. I was originally scheduled to test my pre-juv moves during that session, but can't any more and on top of that this session is the last of the season meaning I have to wait until the next season to test.  Things like this happen, and then you move on.

You have to be flexible and try to be as accommodating as possible. If it would make you feel better to know the reason why I would suggest writing a polite email to the organizing committee and asking for an explanation. I am sure you are not the only parent that is concerned about the extra costs that their decision has added to the competition. Also keep in mind that being a competitive skating parent does mean early mornings, lots of travel, lost weekends( even holidays), etc. it is part of the life of a figure skating family. Don't let that stress you, use the time to bond with your daughter. Some of my best mother daughter bonding moments were at out-of-town competitions.

[fsk8r]

Quite often here with a multiday competition, you don't know when you're competing until the competitor's list and the timetable come out and that could be only a week or so in advance.
For synchro competitions they try to be more organised because of the logistics of moving so many people around, but I've still had competitions where official practice was moved from one day to another, although in that case we were consulted first and the change was being made at the request of one of the other teams. (If happened to be an adult friendly change - less days off work - so we all went for the change).

[Doubletoe]

Sounds like they got a lot more entries than they were expecting if they had to add another day for final round. . . Is this a relatively new competition? I would feel frustrated, too, if I had to add another day and hotel night when I wasn't expecting to.  Of course, compared to what we all pay for lessons, ice time, skates and competition dresses, the cost of a hotel night is a drop in the bucket, LOL!  Let's hope it turns out to be a memorable bonding weekend!

[Lola]

Thanks for all the replies. I can only imagine what the organizers are going through, and it would actually be easier to understand if they let us in on why there have been so many big changes, but that's their prerogative. Macht's nichts.

[Lola]

Sounds like they got a lot more entries than they were expecting if they had to add another day for final round. . . Is this a relatively new competition?

We've been involved with this one for four years, so it doesn't seem really new, although over the past few years it's slid from February to March and then April.

I wonder of their regular rink didn't want to host it and that's why they moved, then the delayed start times and the extra round we've never seen. Looking in from my side of it, it looks absolutely crazy and I'll bet the director would tell me, "Lady, you have no idea about crazy."   

[Kitten23]

I remember a competition years ago, where I received a phone call the night before the event (it was local), telling me that the location had changed.  I didn't know how to get to the other location and drove down the streets at 5:00am, in hopes of finding the venue.  I did, but it took 2 hours by street.  Only half the judges had been told, the rink was an ice box, but we had an audience.  Why? No one told the skating school students that the classes had been canceled.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you.  I understand competitions are organized by volunteers, but can't they be a bit more organized?

[PinkLaces]

As someone who has volunteered at many competitions, acted as a test chair for many years, and now coordinates an ice show...there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Just about everyone there is a volunteer. There is a lot of coordination between the rink & the club organizer for ice and the more coordination between the organizing club and the judges. Lots of chances for things to go wrong and last minute scrambling. This is especially true if there is a new person running things.

If the club had more entries than normal, the orignal rink might not have had enough hours (had hockey or something else scheduled). The organizers are probably up to their eyeballs in competition stuff. Usually our volunteer coordinator is trying to fill spots days before. Giving people an explanation for changes is probably the last thing on their minds right now.