Dragonboat Team Hopping

[khatsalano]

Just like to table this topic at this forum.

We know that with the opening up and promotion of the sport, more teams are sprouting up day by day. While the benefits include greater mass participation in this wonderful sport that we all love, the downsides include such phenomena like team hopping...

I feel that if left unchecked, this will contribute to a lowering of standards of rowers and teams in general.

I'd like to hear if there are any teams facing this problem and if you are implementing any policy to prevent such a situation for your team.

[MrPaddleshop]

Actually I feel that all this hype will die down eventually. It only recently came up because of the governments increasing emphasis on teamwork and the likes. It seems to be the best sport to upplay because of its relative ease of entry. We'll see in a few years whether these so called teams will continue to row. Eventually, i believe only the people with the real deal will continue to row and in that event there will be small group of powerhouses that eventually grow. Team hopping will be an issue at the recreational level teams but I doubt this is happening at the competitive team level. Dragonboating is a very tightly knit community in Singapore. Many people will know whether you're actually hopping from one competitive team to the other and its a downside to a rower's reputation in a certain way.

[Aspire]

Actually I feel that all this hype will die down eventually. It only recently came up because of the governments increasing emphasis on teamwork and the likes. It seems to be the best sport to upplay because of its relative ease of entry. We'll see in a few years whether these so called teams will continue to row. Eventually, i believe only the people with the real deal will continue to row and in that event there will be small group of powerhouses that eventually grow. Team hopping will be an issue at the recreational level teams but I doubt this is happening at the competitive team level. Dragonboating is a very tightly knit community in Singapore. Many people will know whether you're actually hopping from one competitive team to the other and its a downside to a rower's reputation in a certain way.

i agree. most teams, if not all, train in Kallang and Bedok Reservoir. it's impossible to avert other's attention if you have been hopping teams.

truth is, a team hopper will never get into the good books of any coach or team cos his commitment will be questionable. this means the team hopper is the only one to lose out, as long as the team itself has a sufficient base to sustain itself.

[MrPaddleshop]

Actually I feel that all this hype will die down eventually. It only recently came up because of the governments increasing emphasis on teamwork and the likes. It seems to be the best sport to upplay because of its relative ease of entry. We'll see in a few years whether these so called teams will continue to row. Eventually, i believe only the people with the real deal will continue to row and in that event there will be small group of powerhouses that eventually grow. Team hopping will be an issue at the recreational level teams but I doubt this is happening at the competitive team level. Dragonboating is a very tightly knit community in Singapore. Many people will know whether you're actually hopping from one competitive team to the other and its a downside to a rower's reputation in a certain way.

i agree. most teams, if not all, train in Kallang and Bedok Reservoir. it's impossible to avert other's attention if you have been hopping teams.

truth is, a team hopper will never get into the good books of any coach or team cos his commitment will be questionable. this means the team hopper is the only one to lose out, as long as the team itself has a sufficient base to sustain itself.

Right on! Its just a fact that team hoppers won't last long. Join a team to make it a winning team. You don't join a winning team to make it win.

[khatsalano]

Thanks for your replies and insights. In general, it is pointed out that from looking at the circle in general, team hoppers wouldn't make much themselves.

I was actually hoping to hear more of what you would do from the team's point of view. What would you do if you smell team hopper approaching to join your team or what you would do as say a team manager or even as a team member. Would you still want to keep your doors open or you might want to do a bit of screening etc? This goes back to my point on standards of rowing.

Anything from this perspective?

[lh_sportspassion]

Charge new members $50 membership.  Then people will think twice before they hop around.

[John Teoh]

Charge new members $50 membership.  Then people will think twice before they hop around.

If that fellow just want to hope around, then I think $50 also no use. But main thing is why? I don't see any benefit from hopping around unlike job hopping.

[mortarman]

Join a team to make it a winning team. You don't join a winning team to make it win.

you are absoultely right about that!

If that fellow just want to hope around, then I think $50 also no use. But main thing is why? I don't see any benefit from hopping around unlike job hopping.

Because i think the main motivation behind team hopping is that people are lured by the prospect of medals, and joining a winning team increases their prospects... (which i think defeats the whole purpose of the sport already....)

Anyway, dun really nid to do much la, because if the person is just interested in winning medals but doesnt put in effort, then of course eventually he/she will be side-lined.... If he is truly a team-hopper but puts in the effort, then no harm right? (as in he is actually adding value to the team....)

haha, what do u think?

[foreverLFC]

Just like to table this topic at this forum.

We know that with the opening up and promotion of the sport, more teams are sprouting up day by day. While the benefits include greater mass participation in this wonderful sport that we all love, the downsides include such phenomena like team hopping...

I feel that if left unchecked, this will contribute to a lowering of standards of rowers and teams in general.

I'd like to hear if there are any teams facing this problem and if you are implementing any policy to prevent such a situation for your team.

Hi all,
yes, my team do face this problem. As a social team, we take in many fresh newbies who have no DB experience at all. After training them up well after a yr or 2, they felt that they are good enough to join "powerhouse" teams (as their core rowers or pacers) as they feel that our team is not strong enough to mount a challenge to the traditional powerhouse teams... of course it's sad to see them leave to join a winning team instead of helping our team become a winning team..
But sometimes we have to learn to accept people as they are... not everyone is a saint. They have their right to come and go... we try to see the positive side of it that we had helped nurture newbies into strong rowers and helped them move on to bigger things in their DB lives...

Our team will still continue to train up newbies, and have to try harder to keep them and help our team become a winning team... but sometimes, it's the journey and the process that help our teammates to learn a thing or 2 about themselves and others, that are valuable lessons...

As a team manager, we try to look at the big picture, of promoting DB to as many people as possible, to share with them the joy & spirit in DB... people come and go due to many reasons.... we just learn to accept it and move on....

We can't really stop these so-called "hoppers" coming to our team, but we do have a $50 membership fee to make them think twice about joining us... We do not actively recruit rowers who are already rowing with any teams, and we made this very clear to our teammates too.

Just to share our experience here with you guys...
Cheers!

[Aspire]

insightful comments from foreverLFC.

i agree that clubs often see more fluidity in their membership base. the dynamics of the dragonboat community contributes to this phenomenon:

1. Most school team members after graduation obviously move on to traditional powerhouse teams, e.g. poly go to safsa, safra etc.

2. Powerhouse teams, because of this steady influx of experienced rowers, don't really need to take in new rowers.

3. This means new rowers will join smaller clubs to get started, e.g. csc etc.

this is why the playing field has never been level, and powerhouse remain powerhouses.

it can be argued that some powerhouse teams still take in new rowers, or some experienced rowers also join smaller clubs, but it must be emphasised that this is often the minority.

for a rower to decide where he wants to go boils down to the balance of 2 main things:
1. His aspirations
2. The team dynamics/culture

if he is the type A go-getter type, you cannot blame him for moving from csc team -> safra -> n-team. he is basically training hard and improving his game.

yet, the balance comes from team dynamics/culture, i.e. whether he is able to fit in the team. this depends on how closely knitted the team is. if the team members are so close to one another, the type A go-getter may be inclined to stay (who knows), but at least this is one mitigating factor. in the same vein, a rower from a powerhouse team can realise that the team culture sucks (e.g. made up of selfish, individualistic people), then choose to join a smaller club.

in summary, to keep someone in your team, you have to make sure his goals are aligned with what the team wants. if he wants to win Open Mens badly, he will most likely get out of your 10-crew CSC team once he is ready. if he just wants to keep fit, as long as your team has a sensible training regime and he can find buddies, he'll most probably stay.

perhaps the worst kind of team hopper i have seen, are those "spies", who are out to find out the "winning formula" of your team. so, watch out for them. though seriously, no one can duplicate the relationships and dynamics that have been forged through years and countless battles on the race course.