APA survey

jaetee

rack master ;)
Silver Member
I received an email from the APA today with a link to a survey. I don't think I have ever rushed to complete a survey like I did today. LOL!

Overall, my APA experience has not been bad.To be fair, I'd even say it was pretty good. But, I am also a pretty easy-going guy and tend to roll with the punches and generally try to make the best of any situation.

But, when asked in the survey if I was planning to do another APA session, I took considerable pause and answered NO. Then the survey asked why and gave a pop-up box for me to type, here is what I wrote:

I'm undecided, actually, but that was not an option on the survey. There are several reasons for my indecision. For starters, players on my team will advance in skill level, forcing the core of my team apart; This will be the 2nd time in three sessions this has happened to me. I also don't enjoy having to sit out from time to time due to that rule, and my team is not particularly top heavy. While the 23 rule seems challenging enough in 8-ball, where skill levels max at 7, I feel quite strongly that the same 23-rule is unfairly restrictive for team 9-ball, where SL's go to 9, I believe APA should seriously consider changing 9-ball team handicap match limit to 25. I know of several teams in my division who are forced to depend too heavily the lower handicapped players, to whom pool is simply not as important as the better players. I've noticed that low handicap player attendance is not nearly as reliable when compared to the mid and high handicapped players. All of those things I mentioned lead to otherwise honest people to resort to sandbagging. For my own personal growth as a pool player, I am considering an individual league, or maybe another team-league that is less restrictive with their handicap structure.​

As a management employee for a large telecom company, I have seen first hand that companies and organizations who make the effort to send out surveys of this kind are quite interested in the results. And constructive criticisms and well-reasoned and articulate comments are often isolated and given extra consideration. So, if you're in APA and have issues and ideas, I suggest you check your email and see if you have a survey waiting for you. Take a few minutes to tell the APA some of the stuff you've been writing here.

Incidentally, there was a very interesting question at the end, asking.... "Would you be more likely to recommend APA to a new member if there were an incentive?"
 
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Solomon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got the same email. Thanks to your post, I will take a look at it this weekend and not immediately delete it.
 

Cory in DC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
These were my suggestions.

1. APA Masters divisions should allow 5-player rosters. For many people with jobs and kids, it comes up all too often that two players can't make it. Keeps the old timers like me out of Masters. You might find that 5 person rosters vs. 4 actually increases the total number of teams!

2. Need an app for checking rosters, player information, schedules, etc. Most importantly, *app-based scoring* with automated submission of match results would be a huge improvement. It's almost 2015!​

I think 24 or 25 points in 9 ball also makes sense, especially if they do something like "Only one 8/9 can play and only 2 players 7 or higher". 9/7/4/3/2 isn't exactly a stacked roster. Maybe that should just be that only one 9 can play, since that's the handicap that goes up to Open speed.

Cory
 

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I received an email from the APA today with a link to a survey. I don't think I have ever rushed to complete a survey like I did today. LOL!

Overall, my APA experience has not been bad.To be fair, I'd even say it was pretty good. But, I am also a pretty easy-going guy and tend to roll with the punches and generally try to make the best of any situation.

But, when asked in the survey if I was planning to do another APA session, I took considerable pause and answered NO. Then the survey asked why and gave a pop-up box for me to type, here is what I wrote:

I'm undecided, actually, but that was not an option on the survey. There are several reasons for my indecision. For starters, players on my team will advance in skill level, forcing the core of my team apart; This will be the 2nd time in three sessions this has happened to me. I also don't enjoy having to sit out from time to time due to that rule, and my team is not particularly top heavy. While the 23 rule seems challenging enough in 8-ball, where skill levels max at 7, I feel quite strongly that the same 23-rule is unfairly restrictive for team 9-ball, where SL's go to 9, I believe APA should seriously consider changing 9-ball team handicap match limit to 25. I know of several teams in my division who are forced to depend too heavily the lower handicapped players, to whom pool is simply not as important as the better players. I've noticed that low handicap player attendance is not nearly as reliable when compared to the mid and high handicapped players. All of those things I mentioned lead to otherwise honest people to resort to sandbagging. For my own personal growth as a pool player, I am considering an individual league, or maybe another team-league that is less restrictive with their handicap structure.​

As a management employee for a large telecom company, I have seen first hand that companies and organizations who make the effort to send out surveys of this kind are quite interested in the results. And constructive criticisms and well-reasoned and articulate comments are often isolated and given extra consideration. So, if you're in APA and have issues and ideas, I suggest you check your email and see if you have a survey waiting for you. Take a few minutes to tell the APA some of the stuff you've been writing here.

Incidentally, there was a very interesting question at the end, asking.... "Would you be more likely to recommend APA to a new member if there were an incentive?"

I took the survey a few hours ago. For the incentive, if asked why, I would have said I don't need an incentive, or a reward, or whatever. I try to get new members in to grow our league area. That's all the incentive I need.

As for the question that asked what can be done to improve the APA, I said the same. 23 isn't high enough for 8 ball, not to mention 9 ball.
 

Richardson

Who me ?
Silver Member
Here was my highlights.

My Actual answer is *maybe* but that is not an option.

To explain I have to tell a story. When I was 22 I went to Nationals for the 1st time and saw a Pro Tournament. I was lucky enough to go several years in a row and meeting and getting autographs from the Pro's was something beyond exciting!! I did not mind buying an event pass either.

I then quit for several years while the wife and I started a family. I started up again a few years ago and last year went to Nationals again and low and behold there is no PRO tournament anymore. If the largest pool league in the country does not support our Pro Players who are the reason I started playing pool in the first place I am undecided if I can support that league.

Bring back one PRO tournament to help the guys we as amateur pool players look up to.

Thank you if you take the time to actually read this.
-Jason


Asked if there is anything I'd change about the APA I said, raise 9ball handicap to 25.
 

cardiac kid

Super Senior Member
Silver Member
Filled it out as well. Although I don't need an incentive to promote APA among my fellow players in Rochester, without APA, there would be hardly any NEW players. Even keeping the few beginners is a near full time job.

Yes, the 23 rule sucks! TAP is somewhat closer to a reasonable number with their 25. Don't mind the "slop". Play lots of tournament 9 ball and see much more of it than I do on my APA night.

Don't play APA 9 ball. No team in our league wants a 9. The numbers just don't work out. When I see how few local eight ball 7's play 9 ball, I wonder what their league night looks like. I'm a poor coach. Just can't think beginner! Those trying to coach a 1, 2 or 3 deserve hero status in my book!

When asked about our operator, gave a middle of the road reply. We have no Top Gun. No MVP. No Master's league. No Doubles. Must admit with the poor payouts other than the "free" trip to Vegas, convincing some local BCAPL players to join an APA Masters league is a moot point. Most go the other direction.

Now for the counterpoint. Already paid my dues for 2015. Guess APA works well enough!

Lyn
 

jaetee

rack master ;)
Silver Member
These were my suggestions.

1. APA Masters divisions should allow 5-player rosters. For many people with jobs and kids, it comes up all too often that two players can't make it. Keeps the old timers like me out of Masters. You might find that 5 person rosters vs. 4 actually increases the total number of teams!

2. Need an app for checking rosters, player information, schedules, etc. Most importantly, *app-based scoring* with automated submission of match results would be a huge improvement. It's almost 2015!​

I think 24 or 25 points in 9 ball also makes sense, especially if they do something like "Only one 8/9 can play and only 2 players 7 or higher". 9/7/4/3/2 isn't exactly a stacked roster. Maybe that should just be that only one 9 can play, since that's the handicap that goes up to Open speed.

Cory

Consider yourself lucky that you have enough people to even have a masters group. I play out of a pool hall with quite a few A and B players, yet there's not enough interest from the collective to form a masters league. I don't get that....

And the app ideas are good ones for sure. In my group, we're lucky if last week's results get posted more than one day before match night... I'd love an automated score keeping app. .
 

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It had to do with the fact that while there were literally thousands of players just down the hall, you couldn't get even 100 to show up to watch the "pro tournament". That's why it was discontinued. The same problem exists for Mark Griffin's BCAPL...too few fans want to pay to support the pro events.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Here was my highlights.

My Actual answer is *maybe* but that is not an option.

To explain I have to tell a story. When I was 22 I went to Nationals for the 1st time and saw a Pro Tournament. I was lucky enough to go several years in a row and meeting and getting autographs from the Pro's was something beyond exciting!! I did not mind buying an event pass either.

I then quit for several years while the wife and I started a family. I started up again a few years ago and last year went to Nationals again and low and behold there is no PRO tournament anymore. If the largest pool league in the country does not support our Pro Players who are the reason I started playing pool in the first place I am undecided if I can support that league.

Bring back one PRO tournament to help the guys we as amateur pool players look up to.

Thank you if you take the time to actually read this.
-Jason


Asked if there is anything I'd change about the APA I said, raise 9ball handicap to 25.
 
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