Area 7 2002 Championship Status

Updated February 2, 2002

Frequently Asked Questions

Why the combined matches?

I was unable to find a club which was willing to accept the match for 2002, which had originally been scheduled for the Metro East Section.

I heard you turned down other clubs which wanted the match? What's that about?

This is not true. Due to an existing commitment to the Northeast Section for the 2003-2004 matches, I was only able to offer a one year deal for 2002. No club was willing to accept match for one year. I felt it would be fundamentally unfair to tell the Northeast Section they were losing their turn in 2003 because a club in another section declined the event for 2002.

How will combined matches work?

There will be a single competition called the "New York State Championship / Area 7 Championship." You will register for both matches with one fee. There will be a single scoresheet. It will not be possible to register for one but not the other.

Has any area ever done this before?

Until 1999, the Rio Salado Desert Classic and the Area 2 Championship were separate matches. Since 2000, they have been offered as the combined "Area 2 Championship / Rio Salado Desert Classic."

I do not intend the for the combination of the Area 7 Championship and the New York State Championship to be a long-term strategy. It is my hope and plan to return to a separate and distinct Area 7 Championship in 2003.

What about prizes and awards?

The New York State Championship will award cash and/or merchandise prizes. The exact details of the prize policy have not been finalized, however, this is Jon Whitmore's responsibility.

Plaques will be awarded for the Area 7 Championship. The plaques will bear the designation "2002 Area 7 Championship", and will not reference the New York State Championship.

What about the Eastern Lakes sectional? Will this be combined with the NY and A7 match as well?

Absolutely not. While the dates and venue for the Eastern Lakes Sectional are a matter to be determined by the section, Section Coordinator Jon Whitmore has assured me that the sectional will not be combined with the Area/NY 7 Championship, and will not be offered at the same date as that match.

How you feel about this?

I am very disappointed that we are not having an Area 7 Championship which is distinct and separate from all other matches. I regret that factors including the late notice, and a pre-existing commitment which made a two year "lock in" to another club impossible, prevented this from happening.

I have every confidence in the ability and commitment of the staff at Square Deal Sportsmen to put on a first rate match, and am certain that the quality of the event itself will be worthy of the designation "Area Championship."

What are you doing to make sure this does not happen again?

A couple of things:

• The Northeast section is scheduled to have the A7 championship in 2002 - 2003. I am informing this section that they must accept, or decline, this opportunity by September 1, 2002.
• In the event the section declines the match in 2003, I will advise the section that I cannot assure they will be awarded the match in 2004. This means that we will either have a 2003 host commited by 9/1/02, or I (or whomever else is serving as Area 7 Director at the time) will be able to look for another host and will be able to consider two year deals for host clubs.

Updated January 19, 2002

It is my plan to honor this existing schedule until it's completed one full rotation (2004), or someone else assumes the Area 7 Director position. I was unable to offer the Area 7 Championship to any club on a multi-year basis starting in 2002 since that would necessitate canceling an obligation made to the Northeast section for 2003.

In looking for an alternate host my first choice was another club in the Metro East Section; second choice was a club in the Eastern Lakes Section; and third choice a club in the Northeast section. After discussions with section coordinators and presidents of several of the large clubs, it became apparent that no club was interested in taking on the Area 7 Championship as a new match.

Jon Whitmore and Dan O'Brien (the driving forces behind the New York State Championship near Binghamton, NY) have agreed to expand the New York State Championship into the "New York State Championship / Area 7 Championship." The match date is August 1-4, 2002. All plaques awarded at this match will include the Area 7 Championship designation, and all Area 7 Championship slots will be awarded. Having attended the New York State Championship for the past two years, I am absolutely confident that Jon, Dan and their crew will deliver a first-rate match worthy of the designation "Area Championship."

This plan will become final on February 1, 2002, at which time I will enter the Area 7 Championship into the match calendar on the USPSA web page and provide a notice to the Area 7 Webmaster. If any club within Area 7 is capable and interested in hosting the Area 7 Championship, their president needs to contact me prior to that date.

I am also making two minor changes to facilitate the Area 7 Championship procedure in future years:

1. A club or section which is tentatively scheduled to host an Area 7 Championship must commit or decline by September 1 of the preceding year.
2. If a club or section is scheduled to host the match for two years in a row, the second year cannot be guaranteed if they pass on the first year.