Mission of the Grand Prix vs. Competition

[emptyd]

I really need some help from the Christians on this forum, although the opinions of all are appreciated.

Our Awana Grand Prix, of which I am the Race Coordinator and all around Grand Poobah, has two major mission goals:

1 - Outreach to un-churched kids and families
2 - Parent/child time making memories and growing together.

My focus was always heavy on number 2, but as the race coordinator I'm really feeling the need to intentionally address point 1.

Our Awana club, like so many others, reaches un-churched kids, and by extension un-churched families thru our Grand-Prix event. Many parents, aunts & uncles, grand-parents and siblings come to our event and many of them might never darken the doors of a church under more “typical” circumstances. We have a short 3-4 hour window within which we can demonstrate the love of Christ which stands in stark contrast to our culture and the negative “stereotypical” Christian image so many posses.

A piece of background – my family does very well in our races, as do other families, and so we regularly have a very few last names represented in the awards ceremony for speed. For instance, this year between me and my 4 children, we took home 2 1st place, 2 2nd place and 1 3rd place trophies. Since we award 3 places in each of 3 classes, you can see where the podium looked a bit lopsided.

This year we had an obviously un-churched attendee at this years event who was really very miffed at the successes we and another family experienced. I didn't get to talk with him personally but the person who did relayed this account. The gentleman was downright angry at the amount of time that some of us put into the race and the amount of success that came from that effort. There was a “why should we (his family/kids) even try – we can’t compete with this” quote. I can’t stress enough how much it seemed he was turned off by the concentration of success. This may have been a symptom of a deeper issue on his part, just an excuse to dismiss those “Bible-thumpers”, but does it really matter why he was irritated?

Part of me wants to say “Welcome to life pal! You experience success based on the measure of effort you are willing to put into things!” But that attitude only lasts so long, and the mission comes back to mind.

So I’m trying to figure out how to balance my role as dad/teacher/coach/mentor within my family and out-reach-er/servant/believer within the larger mission.

I’ve considered saying to my kids, “we kicked butt this year, so let’s lay off and find a way to help others next year” – all of course couched in much more spiritual sounding verbiage of course!  But I’m not sure the “quit just because you are out-performing others” message is a good call. On the other hand, we might be just as likely to encounter another un-churched person who is intrigued by the level of competition that can still be carried out in love.

We have toyed with creating a “more competitive” and “less competitive” division within each age based class. This might mitigate the “too tough” perception while still maintaining the “fight” for those who opt into those divisions.

What suggestions do you all have for this quandary?

[Stan Pope]

Satisfaction in accomplishment may come directly from success as you have experienced, but it can also come indirectly by helping others succeed. That indirect success has been my main goal and accomplishment during most of my life and, for the past dozen years, with pinewood derby. My methods are by teaching, by providing learning opportunities, and providing challenging situations.

How does this attitude fit with your situation? Are there those who have tried to succeed, who have put out the effort, but have as yet not reached their goal. Is there an opportunity for those who have found direct success to branch out and achieve success as a mentor?

Anyone who has spent time teaching knows that teaching is one of the strongest paths to learning. Would be mentors need to be coached, though. For instance, their job is more to ask the right questions than to give the right answers, a fact that may not be obvious to them as they contemplate the task.

Consider approaching the members of the most highly skilled and accomplished families to have their "shootout" off-line, so to speak, and during Grand Prix time to focus on mentoring.

[Darin McGrew]

I’ve considered saying to my kids, “we kicked butt this year, so let’s lay off and find a way to help others next year”

Must it be either-or, or can you find a way to make it both-and? Don't make your cars as slow as everyone else's cars; rather, help them make their cars as fast as yours.

We have toyed with creating a “more competitive” and “less competitive” division within each age based class.

In gimmick car rallyes, we have multiple classes based on experience: First Timer, Beginner, etc., all the way up to Master Expert. That works great for a monthly event, but I'm not sure how well it would work for an annual event. And we've had first-time rallyists who really did their homework before their first rallye, and their excellent score (which was competitive with the scores in the Expert class, IIRC) drew protests.

For a derby, I think that ultimately the best approach is to help the others be more competitive. We spend more time running workshops than we do running the actual derby.

And if you want to spread the awards around more, then go ahead and present more awards. If a couple families clean up when you go 3 deep, then go 4 (or 5) deep. That won't help neglected cars roll down the track any faster, but it can help relieve the impression that a couple families are monopolizing all the awards.

But speaking of running the derby, it's time for me to go help set up our track...

[davem]

I had a similar situation at our church.

It really helped when one of the competitive dads said to the frustrated dad...

"Ask me anything. I have no secrets."

And then we offered to teach / help everyone at a construction workshop the next year.

Helping everyone to do their best models the behavior you want the kids to learn. My kids initially complained "Dad, don't give all our secrets away" but then realized it was their responsibility to help others and not be selfish.

[3 Cub Dad]

Echoing a couple of the comments from above, whether it's an Awana outreach, or whether its the refrain heard in Scout derbys that "so and so always wins!", holding workshos prior to the event can not only mitigate many of those comments, it helps to raise the general level of competition, (it would also present another oportunity to speak with the family!)

No doubt, workshops take planning and effort, (just finished running 20 scouts through one today!) but the reward, for those who want to come, is great.

[emptyd]

I’ve considered saying to my kids, “we kicked butt this year, so let’s lay off and find a way to help others next year”

Must it be either-or, or can you find a way to make it both-and? Don't make your cars as slow as everyone else's cars; rather, help them make their cars as fast as yours.

We have toyed with creating a “more competitive” and “less competitive” division within each age based class.

In gimmick car rallyes, we have multiple classes based on experience: First Timer, Beginner, etc., all the way up to Master Expert. That works great for a monthly event, but I'm not sure how well it would work for an annual event. And we've had first-time rallyists who really did their homework before their first rallye, and their excellent score (which was competitive with the scores in the Expert class, IIRC) drew protests.

For a derby, I think that ultimately the best approach is to help the others be more competitive. We spend more time running workshops than we do running the actual derby.

And if you want to spread the awards around more, then go ahead and present more awards. If a couple families clean up when you go 3 deep, then go 4 (or 5) deep. That won't help neglected cars roll down the track any faster, but it can help relieve the impression that a couple families are monopolizing all the awards.

But speaking of running the derby, it's time for me to go help set up our track...

Darin,

Good insights. We do run hours and hours worth of workshops but they aren't very well attended - perhaps next year they will be. We (my family) are willing to share every "trick" we know.

The workshop approach may fail to address the "outsider" who may not feel comfortable coming to someone's "home based" wood shop - I don't know.

[emptyd]

Good thoughts all - thanks.

We have run workshops for the 3 years I've been in charge but perhaps the message just isn't getting out. The comment about "ask me anything you want to know" is also a good approach and that will definitely make it into our “rules” sheet for next year.

The idea of stating this again after the race – as a defusing comment seems like a good one, reminding people that we said it up front (in the initial handouts) and that we are still willing to do it after the race.

We are also considering holding a "seminar" as opposed to a workshop - "How to build a competitive Grand Prix car" ala Stan's presentations. It will only run an hour or so (low risk for the "outsider") and hopefully get more people on the right path.

Thanks again all!

[RMoose]

A few ideas, hope they are helpful -

We do our workshop in the church gym so it is a more "neutral" site than someone's workshop. If you have a similar site you can use that might help encourage some to come. We also spend as much time talking with those who come and sharing what we have learned. So a combined 'how-to" seminar and workshop in some ways.

The focus of RA's is missions, so last few years we have tried to work a missions project into the race. This year the registration fee is at least one box of cereal to be donated to a local shelter ministry. Don't know that an AWANA group couldn't do something similar. Real service to the community should be viewed favorably by any attendee.

Write out a one page tips sheet, maybe include websites(Derby Talk for example) that are good sources of information and pass out with the kits. No secrets! Plenty of offers to help!

Run races "just for fun" no awards; or for visitors only and let the AWANA members act as mentors and share what they know with your guests. Let the non-members earn the awards. This could be a one day build and race event. A true act of service and very different from the norm too!

Do you do design awards? Are they an after thought to the race? Could put the design aspect of car building into more focus - maybe more/better awards for car design or building rather than for who is fastest.

Most people's focus on pinewood racing is greatest just before or right after the race, so how about a display at the race on car building? Anyone there could walk up and see the basic steps and learn how to build a better car. Easy then to evaluate your efforts vs. that of the winning builder!

I'm not sure you can eliminate this reaction entirely, but the above may help you think of some ideas to make your group special and bring your main mission with the AWANA program into sharper focus for everyone.

[Dave Burg]

I heard some of those comments yesterday when my kids took 1st and 2nd for speed in the younger kids division. Plus 1st and 3rd for design my boy and girl swapped 1st's he taking speed she taking design. Then to make things worse my oldest boy took 1st in speed and design. I heard how much time "I" must put in. Like I told folks I cut the design out then hand them the sanding sponges and tell them to go to work. Same thing with axle and wheel prep. How much time they take and put into it shows in speed and appearance of there cars.

[Go Bubba Go]

My gut is that you should run the members and the outreach group separately.

IMO the members would be more likely to attend workshops (esp. at someone's home), more likely to approach the "experts" for help, and more likely to have run in (and learned from) previous years. They sort of have a built in "advantage".

You could formally welcome these "new racers" prior to their race. You might want to run them first, both to put the emphasis on the outreach and to hopefully keep your members from "tuning out" after their race is done. With your members not running at the same time, they are also more available to reach out and welcome / cheer on the visitors.

Make sure the effort you put into awarding / recognizing the outreach group reflects your happiness to see them. They should walk away feeling they had fun, and that you are a generous group that was happy to see them and would like to see them return.

You may notice this reply carries a bit different tone from other comments I have made with respect to Scout races. With Scouts, you have boys and adults that are already members and are committed (at least in theory...) to "Doing Their Best". That is not an attitude that you necessarily find in the general public, at least not initially.

Gut level, multi-tasking 2 cents...

Bubba

[ameliabedelia]

My gut is that you should run the members and the outreach group separately......You could formally welcome these "new racers" prior to their race. You might want to run them first, both to put the emphasis on the outreach and to hopefully keep your members from "tuning out" after their race is done. With your members not running at the same time, they are also more available to reach out and welcome / cheer on the visitors.

With Scouts, you have boys and adults that are already members and are committed (at least in theory...) to "Doing Their Best". That is not an attitude that you necessarily find in the general public, at least not initially.

There are no separate groups here. It's not "members" vs. visitors. The unchurched kids that the original poster is referring to are kids who come to Awana club but do not go to church services or Sunday School anywhere. So all of the kids, churched & otherwise, are members of the Awana club. Families & friends are invited to the race, and that is where the potential outreach opportunity is. All of the kids race together. If there are recent visitors to the club, they may or may not have time to build a car, but they are still welcome to attend the race.

[Go Bubba Go]

There are no separate groups here. It's not "members" vs. visitors. The unchurched kids that the original poster is referring to are kids who come to Awana club but do not go to church services or Sunday School anywhere. So all of the kids, churched & otherwise, are members of the Awana club. Families & friends are invited to the race, and that is where the potential outreach opportunity is. All of the kids race together. If there are recent visitors to the club, they may or may not have time to build a car, but they are still welcome to attend the race.

Perhaps then you would separate "Rookies" from the rest of the group?

Again, this provides time for extra welcoming and support to the kids and families that are relatively new to the group and the activity. Provide some introductions, perhaps an overview of the history of the activity at your organization, it's intents and purposes, etc. to ensure the new folks really feel welcome and get the most from the activity (you might even want to have a special kick off meeting a few weeks or month ahead of time just for the "Rookies"). You could mention that this is similar to NASCAR where they have special standings and awards for "Rookie of the Year", that sort of thing.

Then after the newbies (to the group and the activity) have finished their races, let the more established members have their turn at the track.

Bubba

[ameliabedelia]

Perhaps then you would separate "Rookies" from the rest of the group?

Again, this provides time for extra welcoming and support to the kids and families that are relatively new to the group and the activity. Provide some introductions, perhaps an overview of the history of the activity at your organization, it's intents and purposes, etc. to ensure the new folks really feel welcome and get the most from the activity

Then after the newbies (to the group and the activity) have finished their races, let the more established members have their turn at the track.

That might work in a larger club...I don't know how many club members there are at the original poster's Awana club.

An Awana Grand Prix is for 3rd-6th graders, and it is done far enough into the club year that there aren't really any newcomers. Perhaps the 3rd graders would be "new" to the Grand Prix, but so would older kids who have recently started attending club.

At my Awana club, we have a tradition that we started a couple of years ago where we bring up the 2nd graders to watch the race so they get an idea of what it's all about. It gets them excited to race next year.

At my club, we don't have enough kids to break the race down into smaller groups. Some clubs do have lots of kids in this age group, and they might divide them up for the race, I don't know. If they do, it's more likey they just divide by grade, and not by newcomer vs. veteran attender.

[dstory]

A simple solution is to have different race categories (novice, intermediate, professional). You could base it upon how many years they have entered the competition.

That way, the people that you are trying to reach out to won't be competing against the "old-pro's". Hopefully this would alleviate some of the resentment.

Happy Racing

Don