maprun wrote:Spitalfields I found your earlier posts very thoughtful and interesting, however please read the Regional Event details for this weekend before making generalisations about references to age groups. Only two of the six mention age groups. Presumably in Switzerland all six would for juniors. The other two are sprint/urban that are required for safety reasons to stress age groups due to busy roads. What system do you suggest would satisfy the drawbacks you perceive?
My apologies. I have edited as I realise my phrasing could be read differently to how I intended. I very much did not intend to imply 'all' events. I also accept that the evidence you've presented suggests that I may be mistaken in what is 'standard' format, though I've left that in as it reflects my conversations with several people from different parts of the country, so I think there is at least a need to consider how the intentions behind club communication match the experience of those for whom the communications are intended. A wise man told me many years ago that communication isn't what you say, it's what the other person hears.
I have looked at a couple of the examples for this weekend, but not all of them. They are a mixed bag in my view. I think the Saxons course descriptions are excellent. What makes them stand out for me is they describe a clear pathway for progression, with the score course marketed as a way of progressing from Green to Blue as much as a route in for beginners. I don't want to pick at details of the others I've read, as they show effort, but there are some that even I as someone with several years experience find off-putting, even if they don't contain the explicit mention of age classes.
But it's not really about what I think, it's about the evidence of what happens next. As far as I am aware, there's no meaningful evaluation of the effect of these local initiatives or approaches, nor of the impact of different communication styles and offers on recruitment and retention. The only evidence gathering I have seen is essentially collecting anecdotal stories from different places. Perhaps in a more organised way than the collation of opinions on Nopesport, but with about the same limited level of genuine insight leading to evidence-based strategy and actions.
My 'solution' would be to do some proper research and evaluation, trialling approaches like the one used by Saxons in other places to see whether it has a tangible effect. I would also look at options for research with juniors and new entrants to hear their views, and look to develop regional or national retention strategies based in them. This may be something the newcomer retention group is doing, though I can only recall so far seeing a collation of opinions from clubs on what should be done, which isn't the same thing.
I recognise that most clubs work very hard to be welcoming and inclusive. I'm sorry if my previous post implied otherwise. I also recognise that I have probably undermined my core point by focusing on a specific detail that possibly doesn't stand up against the evidence, and certainly doesn't against the sample you've provided.