FLCC> ESG qualifiers - Cookies Crumbling ?

[Brian Lawney]

I didn't realize I wasn't being forthcoming when I told them that the
address on my driver's license is my parents' home on Long Island, but I
have not lived there for 7 years now...

Perhaps the ESG officials should consider amending the residency
qualifications to something beyond a driver's license or high school ID. 
I understand that the officials' hands were tied and there was little they
could do without risking the eligibility of the team as a whole...but am I
expected to have my driver's license amended as I move from place to place
within Ithaca?  I suppose additional residency qualifications should be
implemented in the case of such extenuating circumstances.

As for fielding a "Long Island team"...I started riding when I arrived in
Ithaca 3 years ago.  I was raised in the Ithaca/FLCC cycling
community...from my first Tuesday night race in August of 2005, where I
got dropped by the C field.  Given that I've learned everything I know
about bike racing from the riders of the central region, I was excited to
compete with them.  I am by no means an out-of-region rider.  This is why
I was particularly frustrated with the whole process.

Brian

> As one of the volunteers and officials for the ESG Qualifiers, I would
> like to offer my viewpoint on the disqualification of the two riders and
> hopefully end this painful discussion:
>
>
>
> 1)       Rules were distributed via email by the ESG Coach for our
> region, Margaret Thompson, prior to the event. These same qualification
> rules are listed on the ESG website. The ESG rules state explicitly that
> only 2 forms of ID are acceptable, a drivers license listing home
> address or student id for juniors. The riders refused to show their
> drivers license for various reasons like "I don't have my wallet" or  "I
> rode down with someone else". Margaret asked if they were currently
> enrolled in school and the response was "no not this semester" and "I'm
> doing independent study".  A racing license does not offer proof of
> residency, only the state is listed. Only later did the cyclists admit
> that their residency was Long Island and that was the address listed on
> their drivers licenses.
>
>
>
> 2)       ESG is not about fielding the "best team" or "dream team",
> whatever that means. It's about representing your region at the games
> which is an honor. By replacing our local racers with out-of-region
> riders (in this case from Long Island), we are not fielding our "best
> team", we are fielding a Long Island team. We are denying our region's
> riders their chance to compete and risking expulsion of the entire team
> (mens & womens) from the games. I'm not as familiar with the athletes
> chosen for the mens team but I do know the women. I'm excited about the
> athletes we are sending to the games.
>
>
>
> 3)       Most of us know Margaret to be serious athlete and competitor,
> as well as a well-respected official and professional coach. I'd like to
> ask the ESG competitors to be supportive of Margaret and the difficult
> decisions she has had to make. For any of the race participants to refer
> to Margaret as a "ESG bureaucrat" only shows their ignorance of her
> credentials and racing legacy.
>
>
>
> We can continue to spend endless hours trying to soothe egos via email
> but these riders need to take some responsibility for the days events.
> Maybe the race officials would have come to a different conclusion had
> the riders been more forthcoming with identification or had arrived
> before the ESG field had left for the Time Trial. Instead the TimeTrial
> Start was held up due to the riders late arrival after registration had
> closed for the ESG events.  And as a result the following races also
> started and finished late making for a long day for the volunteers and
> officials. And yet, I have not heard one complaint from those athletes
> who gave up their time to prepare for and staff the days races. Nor have
> I heard many thank-you's.
>
>
>
> karen
>
>
>
>
>
> Karen Holm
>
> Staff Database Architect
>
> Lockheed Martin EIS
>
> 607-725-4492 (mobile)
>
> 607-741-2240 (office)
>