WPBA changes

Posting this for June

I have done some additional research on the WPBA Regional Tours to try to
come up with some additional costs for players to play in Regional Tours
this year. To be able to play in the RTC, players have to pay a WPBA
Membership fee. I looked at the different websites at the tour standings
to come up with the number of players in each tour. I think that I have
the total players correct or close. I calculated the membership fees
collected first based on total players and then based on 75% of that figure
because there might be some players that never paid a WPBA Membership fee
(but they probably paid a Regional Tour fee).

I still think that this is a significant amount of money to question what
is being done with it? Is this being written off by the WPBA board to
spend as they please on the WPBA? I have been wondering what the
Presidents or organizers of each tour are telling their members about this
decision? I tried to contact the President of my tour last Thursday and
still have had no response back yet.

Since the RTC isn't usually until the beginning of the year (January or
February), I would still like to see the WPBA board change their decision
and do the RIGHT thing.

June Maiers
NWPA Tour Member

**********************************************************

WPBA - Regional Tours - 2010

1) 27 Members - Arizona Women's Billiard Tour - www.awbt.net
2) 21 Members - West Coast Women's Regional 9 Ball Tour -
www.westcoastwomensregionaltour.com
3) 16 Members - New England Women's Pool Tour - www.newomenstour.com
4) 34 Members - Flamingo Billiards Tour - www.flamingobilliardstour.com
5) 27 Members - J Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour - www.jpnewt.com
6) 150 Members (Approximate) - OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour -
www.obcuestour.com
7) 35 Members - The Kwikfire Tour - www.kwikfiretour.com
8) 28 Members - The Tiger Canadian Women's Pool Tour - www.cwpt.ca
9) 45 Members - Northwest Women's Pool Assoc - www.nwpatour.com


383 Members x $25 (WPBA Membership Fee) = $9,575
287 Members (383 x 75%) x $25 (WPBA Membership Fee) = $7,175
 
Plain and simple, the up and coming players are the future of the sport. Of course at this moment, quite a few players in the top 16 are head and shoulders above the rest of the women. However, how short sighted it is to not realize that at a time, they were the up and coming (no shot in hell) players. They fought through it and, because of the opportunities they were given, rose to the occasion. In my opinion these new announcements further facilitate an even harder route for next generations players to progress. Your top 16 players may not have to like it, but it's all part of it.

Screw it, you don't give a @#$% about us...give us the RTC this year and restore a little of your dignity...

Bar me if you'd like, but do what's right....
 
The regional tours really haven't produced many in the top 16 over the last 6 years or more. In 2009 13 out of the top 16 were already champions in thier countries. They just had to go through the motions of qualifing on the regionals. All of them could have gone right on the wpba and would still go right to the top 16. Johnnyt
 
I know prize funds were down in a lot of regional tours because the tours were taking a % of the prize fund and saving it to send the qualifying women to the RTC event.

What happens to that money?
Does it get divided up by the women who qualified?
Or did the Tour owners just suddenly hit the jackpot?

That could be the money that will reimburse people (partially) who travel all around chasing the RTC event.

A chance needed to happen, good or bad, because the WPBA wasn't going to survive holding it's course.

This is a professional tour and they were struggling to fill the field with quality players. At the last event in ATL there were at least 3 or 4 forfeits. This is even after they've reached out to people who, honestly, weren't ready to play on a professional level tour.

Reducing the field to 48 means that they don't have to go and try to fill spots. It will now mean something again to play on tour as spots are limited and you now will have to earn your way on by winning an event. Not because of "right place, right time" or "i got called and i have the money to go".
 
I do not know a lot about the specifics of the WPBA so what I am presenting is entirely an idea on paper.

Money Flow Chart:
Players have money
WPBA takes money
WPBA spends on event
Players spend to play in event
WPBA spends on players for prizes
Repeat cycle.

I don't argue specifics because I don't know them. What I do know is money travels and people need to decide how much money should be advanced to the next portion of the cycle. In this cycle players are the stream of income for both cash and fans, fans translates into income directly to the event organizers. If you argue specific numbers you are setting yourself up for a bureaucrat telling you all about the expenses and how they put their life into running the business and all kinds of talk about sacrifices are made. If you stick to a general study about organization and discussion it is safe for both parties to discuss. A hard numerical analysis is how auditors incite fear into people and also how organizers enhance their magical powers from.

The comment about international players is valid because international players usually are not residents of a region. Rules seem to have been written before it was cheap to fly back and fourth with neighboring nations. That is a real pickle you found. The idea is regional tours produce regional players, not a "practice room" for international shooters.

I've seen how the men discuss problems with their tour. The solutions they agreed on were to just become like the organizers or not complain. It is uncommon to think about where the root problems are.

Official comments made by champions tend to be biased because of the rule of support. If you don't support what is happening then you are against everything and everyone. The gamblers like opposing because they have a competing product or want to be "revolutionary" or the leader of a new movement.
 
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While having dinner last night with a couple of other ladies who play on the OB Tour, this comment was made....

Player #1: "If I had known there wasn't going to be an RTC, I would have gone to the WPBA Amatuer Nationals!"

Me: "I thought the EXACT same thing!"
 
Johnnyt said:
The regional tours really haven't produced many in the top 16 over the last 6 years or more. In 2009 13 out of the top 16 were already champions in thier countries. They just had to go through the motions of qualifing on the regionals. All of them could have gone right on the wpba and would still go right to the top 16. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

You're right....we should just give up...we didn't come out of the womb being able to run an entire set out....
 
Johnnyt said:
The regional tours really haven't produced many in the top 16 over the last 6 years or more. In 2009 13 out of the top 16 were already champions in thier countries. They just had to go through the motions of qualifing on the regionals. All of them could have gone right on the wpba and would still go right to the top 16. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

Ashley said:
You're right....we should just give up...we didn't come out of the womb being able to run an entire set out....
Click to expand...

Actually thinking about this statement - most top level regional players that I have met have had a hard time obtaining sponsorship and end up giving up their WPBA dream within a few years (or sometimes less) of playing. The players that come from overseas have already honed their skills on a professional level tour and then generally receive some kind of financial support to try and make it the the WPBA. Alot of US players begin their development in a regional tour, then work their way on to the WPBA. When they get the the WPBA, they face steep entries and expenses on top of an event that is stacked against them. Normally, many are faced with a catch-22 situation - to get better, they need to play full time, to afford to play, they need to work full time. Eventually, the work full time cycle wins out.

Speaking from personal experience, I would rather have a full time job with guaranteed money and play for fun at the OB tour several weekends throughout the year, then take a risk that I will be broke the rest of my life as a professional pool player.
 
All I know is it must by nice to get paid by your government to play pool full time

Then on top of that to be guaranteed a bye in the first round on top of it.

On the flip side you can be one of the girls trying to make it and have to pay your own way, play a first round match, and if you survive that have to play a Champion that got the said bye.

Plus have to deal with jackoffs telling you to just give up because your not one of the top 16 and will never make a living at your dream.
 
Johnnyt said:
The regional tours really haven't produced many in the top 16 over the last 6 years or more. In 2009 13 out of the top 16 were already champions in thier countries. They just had to go through the motions of qualifing on the regionals. All of them could have gone right on the wpba and would still go right to the top 16. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

The Majority of the players are not in the top 16 and the Majority of the WPBA comes from those regional tours.
 
BrooklynJay said:
I know prize funds were down in a lot of regional tours because the tours were taking a % of the prize fund and saving it to send the qualifying women to the RTC event.

What happens to that money?
Does it get divided up by the women who qualified?
Or did the Tour owners just suddenly hit the jackpot?

That could be the money that will reimburse people (partially) who travel all around chasing the RTC event.

A chance needed to happen, good or bad, because the WPBA wasn't going to survive holding it's course.

This is a professional tour and they were struggling to fill the field with quality players. At the last event in ATL there were at least 3 or 4 forfeits. This is even after they've reached out to people who, honestly, weren't ready to play on a professional level tour.

Reducing the field to 48 means that they don't have to go and try to fill spots. It will now mean something again to play on tour as spots are limited and you now will have to earn your way on by winning an event. Not because of "right place, right time" or "i got called and i have the money to go".
Click to expand...

That last statement is not true because the field would be filled up quickly if they gave players enough notice that they are invited to an event. The regional tours have grown a lot in the last two years and there are plenty of girls that would play on the tour.
 
QueenB said:
That last statement is not true because the field would be filled up quickly if they gave players enough notice that they are invited to an event. The regional tours have grown a lot in the last two years and there are plenty of girls that would play on the tour.
Click to expand...

There were 4 forfeits in the WPBA event in ATL and the people who were forfeited knew well in advance about the event.

There's a question if the forfeits were legit, i.e. the player didn't inform the WPBA that they weren't going so they were put into the field, but 4 players accidentally forgetting? It's a bit of a stretch.

People who qualify know well in advance that they are or aren't playing in an event.

The people who would need more advanced notice would be the players that the WPBA call in to fill out the field due to cancellations.

If the WPBA can't fill a 64 player field regularly with tour members and qualified players then a reduction to a 48 player field sounds logical to me.
 
the 4 forfeits were players that knew long in advance but obviously did not inform the WPBA they were not going to play, If the would have they could of called the next 4 girls on the list and it would of filled.

One of the spots that didn't get filled in both events was Yu Ram.
You would think they could find out if she was coming and give that spot to someone who wants to play.

The changes were not the problem, it was the timing, just have a RTC this year and all will be much better.

Make the changes next year, ITS NOT THAT HARD
 
BrooklynJay said:
There were 4 forfeits in the WPBA event in ATL and the people who were forfeited knew well in advance about the event.

There's a question if the forfeits were legit, i.e. the player didn't inform the WPBA that they weren't going so they were put into the field, but 4 players accidentally forgetting? It's a bit of a stretch.

People who qualify know well in advance that they are or aren't playing in an event.

The people who would need more advanced notice would be the players that the WPBA call in to fill out the field due to cancellations.

If the WPBA can't fill a 64 player field regularly with tour members and qualified players then a reduction to a 48 player field sounds logical to me.
Click to expand...

The issue with not being able to fill the field in Atlanta probably had more to do with the reduced prize purse than anything else. This is also likely the reason for the field reduction in 2011, as a smaller field will allow the payouts to the top 32 to be higher than they would at a 64 player field.

Doesn't much matter though. Its all deckchairs.
 
spanky79 said:
the 4 forfeits were players that knew long in advance but obviously did not inform the WPBA they were not going to play, If the would have they could of called the next 4 girls on the list and it would of filled.

One of the spots that didn't get filled in both events was Yu Ram.
You would think they could find out if she was coming and give that spot to someone who wants to play.

The changes were not the problem, it was the timing, just have a RTC this year and all will be much better.

Make the changes next year, ITS NOT THAT HARD
Click to expand...
Exactly, it is the timing of it. Just today I talked to 6 girls in the north east that are completely upset with what is going on and how they are being stepped over.
Not only should the RTC be restored, the field should be kept at 64 for one more year for those girls that were promised to get exemption if they made top 48.
 
QueenB said:
Exactly, it is the timing of it. Just today I talked to 6 girls in the north east that are completely upset with what is going on and how they are being stepped over.
Not only should the RTC be restored, the field should be kept at 64 for one more year for those girls that were promised to get exemption if they made top 48.
Click to expand...

It is a reasonable request. They might tell you there is no money, the logistics don't work out, we don't have the staff to operate the 64 field and my favorite the convention double booked and we won't have the space for the 64 player field.

The WPBA players is a bunch of investors that disagrees with how their money is being handled. A common situation. Solutions are tough but the first thing that can be established is why is this change happening, could it have been prevented and were other alternatives considered.
 
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shayla said:
While having dinner last night with a couple of other ladies who play on the OB Tour, this comment was made....

Player #1: "If I had known there wasn't going to be an RTC, I would have gone to the WPBA Amatuer Nationals!"

Me: "I thought the EXACT same thing!"
Click to expand...

The winner of WPBA Amateur Nationals got a paid spot to 2011 WPBA US Open. Not an exemption to the entire year in the tour as it once used to be.

S.
 
sunnyday said:
The winner of WPBA Amateur Nationals got a paid spot to 2011 WPBA US Open. Not an exemption to the entire year in the tour as it once used to be.

S.
Click to expand...

I meant from a standpoint of we wanted to play in SOMETHING regardless of the number of spots given.
 
sunnyday said:
The winner of WPBA Amateur Nationals got a paid spot to 2011 WPBA US Open. Not an exemption to the entire year in the tour as it once used to be.

S.
Click to expand...

That's sad.

Your avatar is bad Engrish....or if I can keep the back of the fence then it's OK....I guess.:wink:
 
I was surprised to not see any Texas girls come out, but I understand about the expense of travel... I know too well.

S.
 
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