[CQ-Contest] How did these guys get to be so good?

[Jerry Keller]

MORE APPLAUSE!!!

Jim says it like it is. And eloquently to boot.

I would only add that while the newcomer in question is only 13 or 14 years
old, there are also many new contesters that are somewhat older (in years)
than that, yet have an equal need for "two-way" mentoring in order to more
quickly reach their potential. One good reason might be that they simply
don't have as much productive time left as Chris....

I was also delighted to find YCCC's website .... like that of the Florida
Contest Group... chock full of really useful learning aids and information
resources. It, too, is an example for other clubs to follow.

It would be interesting to know whether YCCC's performance success as a Club
in recent years, tracks at all with the establishment and implementation of
the Club philosophy that K1IR describes.....

Jerry K3MGT




----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Idelson" <k1ir at designet.com>
To: "CQ-Contest Post" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2001 7:20 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] How did these guys get to be so good?


>
> Today KB1ELV is coming over to help me with a tower project. Chris is
going
> into 8th grade this year. He can't drive. He makes just enough money to
support
> an 8th grade life. He's climbing the amateur radio license path as fast as
he
> can. He just came home from the national scouting jamboree. He wants to do
> contesting. He has a small station at home - an older rig and a couple of
> wires. He thinks my station is really cool. He wants to learn everything
he
> can. But, who's to take the lead in this mentoring relationship?
>
> Although he'd like to, he knows he can't call me day after day and ask for
help
> - to come over and work on the station, to get into a contest from here,
to ask
> for help with his own station. A good student needs to reach out, but
within
> reasonable limits of common courtesy and respect, reaching out must be
> controlled. On the other hand, a mentor who also reaches out and makes it
clear
> that the door is wide open for the student to enter anytime, is fulfilling
a
> critical and necessary part of the relationship. This is how the ideal
balance
> of interaction between student and mentor is achieved.
>
> In YCCC we try to focus on outreach. We run Contest Universities a few
times a
> year. We have had a one-on-one mentoring program. New members get a
brochure
> inviting them to get involved as student or mentor [or both]. We invite
anyone
> - high, low or no-scorer - to join our club. Our only requirements are
that our
> members have an interest in contesting.
>
> So, my point is that recruiting, mentoring, training are all two-way
streets.
> Success requires active participation on both sides of the equation.
Today,
> though, the number of potential contesters [particularly young ones]
looking
> for help is pretty small. The burden of recruitment and generating
interest is
> tipped towards the experienced and motivated contester community. We need
to do
> as much recruitment and advertising as possible to get those numbers in
better
> balance.
>
> 73,
>
> Jim K1IR
>
>
> --
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>
>


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