Good point, Keith. I had the good fortune when I joined this club in
1985 to always be teamed with experienced workers. It wasn't planned
that way at the time but it sure is now! That gave me the chance to
learn a lot in a hurry. But I think it's important that we all
remember that the primary reason we're out there working the course is
just exactly that...we're out there to WORK THE COURSE! We need to be
aware of where every car and every cone is all the time. Even though
we all do it from time to time, kibitzing, BSing, and watching how a
particular driver handles a particular maneuver should be the last
thing on our minds when we're working the course. Just MHO, of
course, but I think it's something we all need to remember.
John (Old Fartz & TLS #37) Lieberman
Keith Wheeler wrote:
>
> 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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