Bill,

Obviously there are good shooters every where you go, and I am sure there are some great shooters who have never stepped onto a 3D course. I think the only reason that makes sense, when wondering why folks travel to3D shoots, is simply because they like the competion. Some choose to venture outside of their own backyards to find competitors whocan provide a greater test and measure of their own abilities. I think that the above is a healthy attitude to have regardless to whether your competing in archery or shooting marbles. The world is getting smaller and so are our backyards, hence we see the competive efforts of 3-DI.

You mentioned some exceptional shooters that reside in the South, and in each instance you mentioned that they come up North. The point that I want to emphasize is that the same highway that takes these shooters North, will accomidate traffic that is headed South.

Actually I do not think that the SOY program is a flawless way of selecting shooters that will represent in 3-DI competion, but it is my opinion that it comes closer than anything else we have now. I do not think that last years SOY will nececasrily be this years SOY, so that could be seen as a flaw. I would think that the best way, would be a perpetual ranking system that would incoroporate all nine national shoots into the equation. It would have to be a system that would have the results of previous shoots falling out of the system while current shoots were being added. A system such as described would make selection of the best shooting representative much easier and systematic, and could be done equitably atany given time of the year. Like anything that involves more thanone person, implementation is normally more difficult than conceptionlizing.

Deciding on an approach that will be equitable and efficient is not always as easy as an onlooker my perceive. Give the IBO administration some credit, they are seeking the opinions of the membership.



On a different subject:

You wrote about the SOY program,"it is given to the one who attends the most shoots not the best shooter". Bill, that comment kind of comes across as sour grapes. With the exception of the Longbow SOY (who had to be more lucky than good), all of the SOY winners are much deserving in my opinion. I certainly make the above statement not to hurt your feelings because I am sure you can take it, but only in hopes that you may reconsider your thoughts on the SOY program.


Milton