We have the facilities to accommodate an increased membership
in the WSHPA right now. Many sanctioned tournament sites do not
have active clubs and only exist because one or two tournaments
are held on those courts each year. That's about all the use
some sites are getting.
The only way WSHPA members will continue to have pitching facilities
is to increase the active membership. Pitchers who belong to
clubs and who are made welcome usually want to see the local
club do well. They will become active members in keeping up the
courts, establishing leagues, running tournaments, and of most
importance, continue to bring in fresh enthusiastic members.
Recreation departments will not build courts and keep existing
courts available to the public if they are not used. The property
will go to other uses or be sold off for commercial or housing
development. One city out west will be doing that to the horseshoe
courts in their city park. Many courts are in that dilemma. Of
course the handful of pitchers are upset about it and are asking
what to do. I think it might be a little late for them. If the
club membership was bursting at the seams they would be in a
position to expand the courts.
Horseshoe pitching is not a sport where you build courts and
they will come. The courts are already built and they are not
being used. We should examine why.
The WSHPA must put some effort into saving our sites. We need
to create a think tank of ambitious pitchers and put forth some
future goals. Recruitment to save horseshoe pitching for the
WSHPA has to be at the top of the list.
NOTES: The SCSHC courts meet
all the standards of NHPA guidelines. They were built to NHPA
specs in 1991 and there's plenty of room for six more. What puzzles
me about our courts is why didn't the membership get them sanctioned
and start tournaments right away? I can tell you the answer.
The original club members, some who were card carrying WSHPA
members, just wanted a place to practice. They didn't want to
maintain the courts or do any work. The club manager/secretary
was a non-horseshoe pitcher. The courts were starting to show
wear and tear when I became a member in 1998. There were only
ten members in 1997. A club cannot operate with such few members.
Maybe it could if all 10 members really loved the game and put
some work into it. Then the membership would grow.
The club is in very good shape now, but a took a few years.
That's because we have a great executive committee and many members
who volunteer to come out for work nights and put effort into
making it a great club. We are looking forward to a fantastic
2006.
I would like to increase our membership so much that there
wouldn't be room for everyone to pitch. If that ever happened
at one of our sanctioned tournaments some of our members, including
myself, would give up their round robin positions and make room
for our guests. We are close to having all 12 courts filled on
league nights. That is still one of our goals. The executive
committee would be gloating for a long time when it happens.
The St. Clair Shores recreation department
and city council are on our side because of the increase in club
membership. They have given us lights and electricity. The club
makes a donation every year to the recreation department. We
are working together to expand horseshoe pitching. If we have
the membership, they will see to it that we get our six additional
courts.
I think we MUST put an effort forward to recruit new members.
It isn't attractive to prospective members to join when they
see "veteran WSHPA members" sitting around in their
cliques and making new pitchers unwelcome. I know, it happened
to me in 1998. I kept saying to myself, "What am I doing
here? I could be home enjoying things with my family." Therefore,
I would like to see every club bulging at the seams with new
members. Some WSHPA courts holding sanctioned tournaments are
so deteriorated I don't see how they continue to be on the schedule.
I guess, I do know, there wouldn't be very many WSHPA members
if court rules/guild lines were enforced. In some clubs there's
not many club members left, and those who are, are worn out from
doing all of the work. We need new members to get those clubs
to continue, upgrade the courts, and let new members have some
fun.
The NHPF is a GOOD thing that is happening to horseshoe pitching.
It gives all horseshoe pitchers recognition for the sport they
love. Those who support the NHPF are the pitchers who support
their local clubs and are doing the work in the clay. Many WSHPA
members do not belong to any club and this gives them a chance
to support horseshoe pitching. The SCSHC and the former Mount
Clemens Indoor Club can vouch for that. Both clubs have contributed
strongly to the NHPF and have plenty of money left in the treasury
to do expansion and things that are needed at home. Many WSHPA
members have voiced negative thoughts to me about the NHPF and
guess what? They don't do any work with the WSHPA either, just
show up and pitch in a tournament, complain and go home. And,
this pattern is repeated just about every weekend.
I think the WSHPA holds too many tournaments with such few
members, about 280, and all the 280 don't pitch. If a third of
them would ever show, it sure would make a great tournament.
Sundays have proven that anyone showing up can be a tournament
champion. At Brown City one year, on a Sunday, I was class A
champion, can you believe that? I have the patch to prove it.
We need more WSHPA members to use the facilities that we now
have. It we don't get new WSHPA blood, more of our sites will
be closed due to lack of use of the courts. It is happening in
many states. Horseshoe pitching, in my
opinion is in a coma. We need to double our membership, support
the NHPF and get on down to our parks and start horseshoe leagues
to revive the sport.
-Dean Schmitz,
January 2006