I don"t think the scheduling needs any real work (at least from the point off view of a middle aged single fellow with no kids).
I love the fact that it"s worked (this year) around Bank Holidays...less vacation days to use up at work. In fact as we get another "extra" Bank Holiday next year that"s what I mentioned to Des in Coventry.
But, if you weren"t "a middle aged single fellow with no kids" and weren"t someone who can afford numerous trips abroad each year and were unlikely to be selected for any of the team events" (you might be suprised at how many APAT members that does describe!), you might wonder why your much anticipated new APAT season was over in August, leaving you 6 or 7 months wait for the "soon" to be announced season 7??
As it happens, I"m a
n old git middle aged fellow with grown up kids, an understanding wife and could afford numerous trips abroad each year. However, I was trying to trhink of others.
Rich has already agreed that it was not an ideal schedule and that there were many and varied reasons why the schedule is as it is, which I fully understand. I just wanted to make the point that if possible spreading the more accessible events of a 12 month APAT season over the full 12 months might be better.
Of course, the biggest hurdle is the sponsors. Closing the deal is the jumping off point...without them, nothing can get confirmed and if the sponsors can"t be confirmed until February/March (as has nearly happened, I understand) then everything grinds to a halt. Rich and Leigh can do all the planning they need to...but if the money doesn"t materialise...it all goes up in smoke.
My post has nothing to do with confirming anything. I"m sure much of the planning, including a propsed schedule of events, is done prior to approaching potential sponsors. I know I wouldn"t be very impressed if someone came to me for a bucket of money but said that they needed me to commit to supplying said bucket of money, before they made any plans on what to spend it on.