Compass Sport Cup

[awk]

As we're off to the final, thought I'd take a look at the various class combinations and scoring system.

Scoring system looks good - the latest simplification seems to be a great improvement over previous editions, but whilst the class combinations are better than some previous versions, I'm puzzled why so much emphasis is on senior citizens/super vets, e.g. W60+ effectively getting their own class, whilst junior girls will struggle to count at all (M/W18 combined?!).

Our club captain says it was apparently a combination of current age class and gender profile, and a reflection of club views (not ours I hasten to add -we wanted more junior girls involvement).

If that's the case, it sounds to me like the decision makers deciding to follow trends rather than set them. Wonder what CS Cup will be like when the junior girls numbers drop even further and us baby boomers hit the super vet ages. Will there be any junior counters at all? Or am I missing something?

[Mrs H.]

the decision makers deciding to follow trends rather than set them.

That's a very astute comment awk and I think it's like the words in a stick of rock - it runs right through the sport.

[HOCOLITE]

Although I don't disagree with you AWK you have to bear in mind the juniors have YBT, the senior ladies have nothing else and however good they are they are not competitive against someone good 20 years younger. A number of them were turning their backs on CSC and it'sd supposed to be a club competition to encourage participation. The juniors I believe have a greater part now than in the past as certain clubs were winning CSC without any juniors. The orange is often won by junior girls it is only the light green. However a good junior girl can do green as W20 I believe and thrash the older women so they have a part to play, if the captain puts them on the appropriate course

[awk]

The juniors I believe have a greater part now than in the past as certain clubs were winning CSC without any juniors.

True - it was pretty awful at one time.

The orange is often won by junior girls

Maybe - but a top M14 will almost always beat a top W14: the gaps are starting to open up then.

However a good junior girl can do green as W20 I believe and thrash the older women so they have a part to play, if the captain puts them on the appropriate course

That may be a subtlety I didn't fully appreciate. Does the balance then swing the other way?: one of the largest women's classes (45/50) nullified by a smaller class (W18/20), whilst another small class (W60) is also allowed to predominate.

On the other hand, maybe it's those decisions which makes the CS Cup far more intriguing than it perhaps used to be? (Musing out loud).

I have to say, my post was largely stimulated by being told that the spread was designed to reflect current balances - set alarm bells ringing.