To me that seems to be the best solution: pairing new guys with folks
who have a bit more experience. I think we've all seen situations such
as a long course, a corner way down at the bottom of the hill, and
no one wants to walk up the hill after that run group. All the experienced
folks jump on the "important" jobs, leaving some poor lone new guy
way down at the bottom of the hill, in a corner the cars approach with
a good head of steam, with every other car eating three cones...and then
folks get upset because the newbie is incompetent.
Yes, there are some people who are not cut out to be autocrossers,
either in the car or chasing the cones. Trial by fire might help
you find the guys who are natural born course workers. (hmmm....)
But, remember, a lot of novices a really interested, want to do their
best, but are nervous, shy, or just overwhelmed.
Getting to work the course with an experienced person allows the
novice an opportunity to *get it right the first time*. Instead of
making mistakes and upseting drivers and safety stewards.
If the goal is to for things to be safe and smooth, why put inexperienced
people on course by themselves at all? It's a question of statistics:
for n number of novices, x of them will make mistakes. OK, what can
be done to keep those mistakes from happening?
-Keith Wheeler
Team Sanctuary http://www.TeamSanctuary.com/
Dale Botkin <dale@botkin.org> wrote:
>In Nebraska region, I've never worked a position with less than two of us
>there, one for radio and one for flag. In fact, there are frequently
>three people at a position - flag, radio and cone chaser. Sometimes a #4
>kibitzer as well. The newbies (like me) are never short of advice and
>supervision.
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