Ooofff.. Yeah. too long. TLDR: Putting on events sucks but in the end who really cares. We do it to ourselves. It just mean's I don't care much when people complain anymore.
Hi! I'm the president of the Illinois Cycling Association - the Local Association for USA Cycling that covers Illinois. These points were in fact what we covered on Sunday at our last race directors meeting. Quick background- I have been promoting/directing races since 2010. Since then I have put on something stupid like 32 events. Criteriums and cross races mainly. I have gone in and saved multiple races in that time. 3 or 4 off the top of my head.
1. Calendar - as a race director you don't have visibility to anything calendar wise. Just like with everyone else you have to know to go looking for any dates from USA Cycling and even then it's like they're hidden and reserved for only the special few. I am sure someone will say "it's easy they are all right here" but part of it is knowing there's actually a race someone should care about. "You scheduled your crit on the same weekend as the midwest gravel fondo 5000! Are you stupid?" "Yes...Yes I am." What's more USA Cycling is regional and then "local". Depending on the region and locale you may or may not have visibility on anything. Example: I know a lot about Wisconsin stuff because I personally know a lot of the board for the Wisconsin Local Association (WCA). I have a team I work with a lot for events in Indiana, just over the border. We provide officials, camera, results, course setup and design, etc... but that's officially in the INKY (Indiana Kentucky) Association so we get little to no feedback or help on anything with those races that are literally 5 miles from our border and considered part of the larger Chicagoland community. USA Cycling won't annex that area either (I have asked).
Also the dates you pick for an event are what they are. A lot goes into it. Believe it or not it isn't always what works best for the rider although that is a major consideration. I can think of at least one of my events that has to be held on a particular Sunday because of other local events in the region, Holidays that neighborhood celebrate, and noise permit waivers and timing....along with it having to be on a Sunday because of Law Enforcement availability and the lower traffic in the neighborhood. The date is always the same and if tomorrow someone puts on a midwest regional criterium championships on the same date... Oh well. I would be more apt to cancel my event for the year than somehow impossibly move the date.
We did one race that was on a race track and it had to be held in early spring before any of the car or motorcycle races were planned for the venue. Everyone was always like, "Hey it sometimes snows for this crit... can't we do it in July?" "No...you're not a car."
Also - USA Cycling under Robert DeMartini decided to start actively eliminating LA's. We (the LA) were controlling local permitting, upgrades, local officials, etc. It was a move to save money as the LA's are paid back based on rider participation in their area. Change was needed as some dead LAs had hundreds of $k in the bank not being used but for busy ones like ours it meant we lost sight of events being permitted and scheduled in our local calendar. Colorado didn't have any idea that we usually don't have a race on ___ weekend because ToAD will draw the riders away, etc. The new CEO has promised some of that will revert but time will tell.
2. Race events are down to downright disappearing forever. Now I will blow off some steam: so what. Everyone has shown they don't want to do racing so they get what they get. They sit atop their faux leather thrones and cast judgement on events and promoters for anything that does or doesn't happen the way they think it should. Even if their heart is in the right place they often just end up saying, "hey thanks for still putting this on. I always loved it when I raced. I hope you have a good turnout. I'd do it .... BUT..." but...but?! If there's a problem with races then the ones saying that are a big part of it.
<soapbox> I personally don't give a rat's ass about why you don't do it anymore. "It's too expensive", "I'm too old", "I'm too slow now", "It's too risky", "I like my teeth", "Doc said I've had too many concussions" wah wah wah
... no seriously though - everyone has reasons for themselves that work as valid excuses for no longer racing. I stopped for years because I was way too fat and an embarrassment to myself. So I truly don't care what your reason is. It's valid for you but it's effectively meaningless in the big picture. My soapbox if that y'all need to figuratively or actually take someone's hand and introduce them to the sport. We need it. We really need it. Just because you're over it doesn't mean you should walk away completely. I mean you're here reading this FFS so you're not completely gone. Just try and introduce someone. Someone did it for you most likely (I found it on my own but I'm stupid). So get someone to try it this year....and as a word of advice please don't take some of the little precious time of a struggling event director to tell them how disappointed you are that no one came out and then all your own personal excuses for why you didn't either. </soapbox>
The "every club puts on a race" bit.... first of all can we just eliminate the team and club designations and just call everything there the same thing - they are racing teams. Clubs don't sign up with USA Cycling. Anyway... I was "for" this. It is why, when I stepped up and started my own club I immediately started to reach out and look for events I could help with and then host/direct. I KNEW it was our obligation. Then we hit saturation. There wasn't a weekend throughout the entire riding season that didn't have some event thanks to the large series in our area like Superweek, then Tour of America's Dairyland and Prairie State Cycling Series / Intelligentsia Cup. Cross exploded and we had a huge series that is/was awesome but ended up starting in August and ending in December. The snow happens here into April and May... We started to be fairly discouraging about new races as there just wasn't any room in the calendar.
Then they dropped the requirement. We were happy. Then it backfired. It simply created this class of racer who is now able to indulge their self-indulgence and entitlement and simply consume what they deem worthy with no responsibility to actually create and maintain grassroots events. What we are left with is a tiny handful of actual directors that are all getting older and are more tired of the work and little to no pay than ever. I watch people that without whom there simply would be no racing in Illinois talk to others like everything is normal and fine only to later confide in me that if one more thing gets rammed down their throat rule or policy wise or if another masters racer that they have known since he was a junior comes up and talks to them like they are some sort of servant to them they will just pack it all up on the spot and walk away.
Sorry this is a long winded rant.
BTS - I don't have any problem with you and I know you don't like how it's scheduled but from my background all I can say is that it is what it is. I can say it's usually way more complicated than just looking at a calendar and picking a conflicting date just to mess with people. Event hosting sucks. If a local series you like is missing something you think is important then always feel free to suggest it. Don't be surprised if the response is a no response or even a "that would be great - when can I expect you to show up to do it". As for the recommendation to put on an event - Sure. If you want to. Last thing we need is people putting on events as some sort of punishment though.
While I am no longer where I was a few years back where I wanted to walk away from every event I put on I am at a point where is a municipality were to say, "hey we need you to cancel for this year" that I would probably shrug and say "OK" instead of fighting like I used to.