Flyball: Friends, Fun, and Coconuts
By Nancy Garcia
When my friends and family ask me why I devote so much time to Flyball, my
answer is simple – because it’s FUN! Flyball is a team sport. Practice with
teammates is usually held on a weekly, or sometimes bi-weekly basis; and
tournaments are played on the weekends. And as with any dog sport, the time
spent training and playing with your dog is very rewarding.
Flyball team
consists of four dogs and their handlers. Two teams race, in relay fashion,
side-by-side over a 51-foot-long course. As each dog races down the course, he
must clear four jumps, trigger a Flyball box, release the ball, retrieve the
ball, and then return back over those same four jumps to the start/finish line.
The next dog is then released. The first team to have all four dogs finish the
course without error wins the heat.
Flyball is a sport for all types of
dogs. The biggest difference between Flyball and other canine sports is that it
truly is a team sport. If the whole team runs well, all the dogs on that team
are rewarded with points toward titles. But, if one handler or dog makes a
mistake then the whole team is affected. Each title is a symbol of the time that
you have spent playing as a team with your friends and with your four-legged
companions.
Interest and participation in Flyball has soared since it’s
beginning, and is now enjoyed throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and
other countries. The North American Flyball Association, Inc.(NAFA®), which was
formed in 1985, has over 300 registered clubs, with more than 14,000 registered
dogs.
Clubs attend tournaments in and out of their regions to have fun
running and competing against dogs from other clubs. Some clubs only have enough
dogs for one team while others will enter multiple teams. Seed times are
submitted upon entering a tournament for each team. Divisions are then made so
that like-speed teams will be paired against teams of similar speed. After the
completion, awards are given for the accomplishments in each division.
We leave our homes with cars packed full of dogs, kids, crates, luggage,
and equipment. We arrive at the tournament site on Friday night, unload
everything, and greet our Flyball friends from other teams. Everyone goes out
for a Friday night dinner and discuss the excitement of the upcoming races. All
the while, the dogs are pacing with anticipation.
Some tournaments have
themes, which add to the fun of the events. In Texas, we have Hippie Hounds in
January; this is where everyone pulls out their old bell-bottom jeans and
tie-dye T-shirts, never knowing when a protest or sit-in will occur. Margarita
Mania is in May – no explanation needed for that one! Then there is Maui Mutts
in September where the competition focuses on wearing the ugliest Hawaiian
shirt. Crating areas are decorated with plastic palm trees, beach chairs,
surfboards, and coconuts. As you can see, Flyball teammates can become an
extended family.
Saturday night after a tournament is especially fun.
After a hard day of racing competition, the evenings are spent relaxing around a
campfire. The humans unwind by enjoying a grill-cooked dinner and roasting
marshmallows; or they might decide to eat out or cater dinner on-site. The dogs
are resting as well, following a hard day of racing.
By Sunday
afternoon, the racing is over, the awards have been presented, and new
title-owners have been congratulated. We pack everything up, tell everyone to
drive safely, and head for home. We are tired, our bodies hurt, and the dogs
sleep the whole way home. As we drive, our thoughts reflecting on the fun we
just had – we begin planning the next tournament, when we can do it all over
again.
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