|
HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION
Okay, first comes the confession, the mea culpa. Then, I hope, will come penance and forgiveness.
Here’s the confession: I used the ADA - an organization that I am proud to be a part of and hold in the highest esteem – to get a big discount on this year’s family vacation. And it was at a luxury resort hotel, only a darts toss from the biggest family entertainment attractions in the world.
Furthermore, (gulp, this is the hardest part), I took not only my wife and kids on vacation, but also my wife’s mom and dad. Yes, I took them all to Orlando, Florida, the whole unruly bunch, to the Wyndham Orlando Resort and thanks to the ADA I got a great discount room rate for all of us.
My kids got to stay in a room with bunk beds (very cool they said). They got to go with Grandma and Grandpa to Disney World, Universal Studios, Ripley’s Believe It or Not (next to the Wyndham), and Sea World. And my wife and I got to do something that we haven’t done alone together for a long while – play darts (we drove up I-Drive to a pool and darts pub called “Backstage Billiards” one afternoon. Played darts like we used to in college. She said that day rekindled the spark! What does that mean?)
Now that I think of it, if what I did was wrong, I don’t want to be right. What a great time we had!
Maybe I should have told the Resort people that Grandma and Grandpa weren’t going to compete in the ADA National Championship. The Grandparents certainly could have competed as they played steel-tip league darts during the 1970’s and early 80’s but they only play for fun nowadays.
Like Grandpa and Grandma I share a love of the sport of darts and of their daughter and our kids. That’s why I brought them along – that, and to baby sit. It was great. They got to spend quality time with their daughter and our kids and enjoy a wonderful family vacation. (I don’t know if they consider me to be part of the “quality time” thing, but they sure appreciated the free vacation I laid on them).
I’m going to tell you how I did it and about my time at the ADA National Championship – but first let me just say one thing. I’ve really enjoyed the Championship that have been held in Vegas and elsewhere. But for my money (and it was my money), this venue was the best ever.
I spent 12 days at one of the finest resort hotels I’ve ever been at for less than a hundred bucks per room per day. My wife, kids and in-laws spent four days there with me and had a great time. (My wife wants me to write about our romantic evenings walking among the lagoons and back-lit tropical landscapes on the resort grounds, but I’m not going to – as the kids would say “too mushy”).
How could I afford that, you ask? Well, as it happens, the ADA had negotiated a deal through which I got the ADA discount room rate from the total time I stayed…not just the Championship dates!
They way I did it was this – we all arrived in Orlando on Saturday, July 7 rented a car and checked in to the Wyndham. That night we had dinner at the Pizzeria Uno, Chicago-style pizza - a hit with the kids, just across International Drive from the Resort. For the next four days, we swam in all three of the pools on the Resort’s 44-acre grounds. We shared wonderful meals (“Fishbones” a short walk was my wife’s big favorite) and family sunset watches. And, while the Grandparents and kids were at the theme parks, my wife and shopped for the kinds of trinkets she collects, took a tour on the $1.00 I-Drive tourist trolley that ply the area, and enjoyed drinks at poolside bars at the Wyndham. And, yes, we did take romantic evening strolls through the resort grounds while Grandma and Granddad and the kids watched in-room movies and played games.
Then I sent them all home – took them all to the airport and sent them packing. They had had a great time and now were rooting for me all the way home. We are a family of darters and they knew it was time for daddy to play some serious darts.
And I was ready to play.
I had seen signs that the ADA was in the house since Monday, when I spotted Championship Director, Karl Remick sizing up “Gatorville”, one of the Resort’s poolside bars. I found out later that day that the ADA was bringing in two Shelti Eye2 soft tip machines for recreation at the bar. Great idea, I thought.
Another clue that the Nationals were drawing near was that, as early as Sunday, I had begun to bump into fellow ADA members, several of whom had had the same idea I had – get a good vacation at a great rate, come early, stay late.
I got another clue at the huge liquor mart across the street from the Resort. My in-laws wanted to make their own manhattans for a little happy hour in their room – a manhattan is that whiskey drink where you need sweet vermouth – that’s why I was in the liquor mart. That’s where I ran into some long-time ADA buddies of mine. We get together at every National Championship and have a tendency to do a little partying. Anyway, we started talking and the manager overheard us. He knew everything about the ADA Championships. The ADA sponsors, Jim Beam and Budweiser, had also paid him a personal visit and he as a result, he had printed up flyers for the occasion. I must say, my buddies and I were impressed with that kind of organizational and sponsor support.
I left my fellow members to get back to my family. But we agreed that our appetites for the Championships were whetted and we made arrangements to meet Wednesday afternoon for the pool side party Jim Beam organized for attending ADA members at “Gatorville”.
For dart players, the ADA Nationals is not just about who is the best, but it is also the social event of the year and everywhere I went, I could feel the excitement building.
After I saw the family off on Wednesday morning, I rushed back to the Resort to register for the Championship and get ready for the warm-up competitions – The Cricket draw doubles and draw singles.
A lot of excitement came with the camaraderie and competition of the draw Cricket matches of that day. But that night a huge storm blew over Orlando. The next day, we found out that one of the Resort’s buildings had a direct lightening hit. Now that was excitement.
Thursday, July 12, 2007 was the official opening day of the ADA National Championship.
Glenn Remick addressed the standing room only crowd. First he talked about the events of the year leading up to this day. The Pro Darts Championship, the conversion of the ADA computer system and several new proposed programs.
The ADA President then noted that there were two Championships being decided in Orlando. In addition to the American Dart League Nationals, there was the Military Cup. Glenn then took time to recognize the importance of the service the military provides to the country, often at great personal sacrifice – sometimes the ultimate sacrifice, I thought. I knew my thoughts were shared from the echoing applause that arose from around the room.
He then turned the program over to Championship Director Karl Remick who introduced the Top Seeds. The ADA is the only national organization to “seed” players based on their performance from league play. These Top Seeds were the best of the best. These eight members received Medallions (similar to Olympic Gold Medals) and cash.
Karl turned the program back over to Glenn who ended the ceremony by introducing 14 year old Ariel Ratliffe from “Florida Kids” who sang our National Anthem. She is a beautiful young woman with a beautiful voice and I, still thinking of the sacrifices of our young men and women in uniform that the ADA president had just invoked, felt a little lump in my throat as I listened to her sing.
I found out later that Glenn had arranged for her Mom and grandparents to come with her and stay, as guests of the ADA, at the Wyndham the night of her performance. That was a special touch, I thought, thinking about my own family’s very special stay at the Resort. This generous gesture made me feel proud of our organization.
In conclusion, the ADA President thanked us all for being members; he gave special recognition to the Team Captains and Division Reps and to the ADA Franchisees. With that the ADA National Championships were underway. $75,000 in prize money plus trophies was waiting to be won.
On Friday, the Finals took place in the Championship room at 10 a.m. The sense of excitement and anticipation in the room was heightened by the presence of an obviously professional film crew.
Under an arrangement with Jimski Productions the portions of the Championship were filmed. The ADA plans to provide a DVD sometime late this fall for members.
The finalist teams stepped in front of the boards and the ADA president began to introduce them. First the Captains and then each player. And as they were introduced each individual stepped forward and raised their hand.
Once again, I was reminded how ADA contests are conducted as “Major League” events, just as you see the introduction of “All Stars” in MLB, for example. My buddies and I nodded at each other, I knew they were thinking the same thing.
Over the next four days competition was constant. Members checked the bracketed “Leader Board” for their names and opponents. Upon completion of the games the coded match cards were returned to the Control Center for processing. Under these conditions we the members were responsible for keeping the Championship on time.
The singles on Sunday wrapped up the Championship. Non seeded members competed to do battle with the 96 Top Seeds. While awaiting their opponents the Top Seeds enjoyed complimentary drinks & food at the Top Seed Lounge. Only them & ADA Pros are allowed!
After crowning the Singles Champs the Most Valuable Member (MVM) awards concluded the ADA National Championship. What I would draw your attention to, is that the MVM is decided by objective data. This formula of weighted averages is used to decide who the MVM will be.
As with the Top Seeds the Championship MVP Medal presentations were very much like the ceremonies ending the Olympics and other world class sporting events. Medallions and cash prizes were given to the winners to a backdrop of thunderous applause.
You may wonder why I stayed on in Orlando after my family vacation and participation in the ADA Nationals. The explanation is pretty straightforward, I am the National Sales Manager for a consumer products company and as such, I always have customers and prospects to call on wherever I go in the country. My boss was delighted to know that I would be saving the company a bundle by being able to extend my ADA discount rate, even after my vacation week, as I called on Florida our customers.
I had a very profitable few days for my company and, as a bonus, I got to spend a little time with Glenn Remick in the days following the Nationals.
As it happened, the ADA Franchise Owners Annual Convention was taking place in the days immediately after the National Championships. Makes sense, I thought. I think it was Thursday, July 19, a week after the registration day of the Championships, I got a chance to talk with Glenn about what had transpired in the nearly two weeks that he and I had both been in Orlando.
I consider Glenn to be not only one of the most important figures in our sport, but also a personal friend. Obviously, too, he knows that I periodically write about my experiences as an ADA member and that I am going to ask questions in my role as a journalist as well as that of a friend.
My first question: what about that weird break-in and vandalism thing that happened early last Saturday morning and the “Criminal act” announcement?
It was weird, Glenn told me. Unfortunately a local slipped by the Wyndham’s security & broke into the Championship office taking various items including the main frame computer. Fortunately his staffed backed up the data on a laptop so no data was lost. On a positive note the Orange County Sheriff’s department apprehended the criminal who is now behind bars!
I nodded and raised my glass, once again I was impressed with the way the ADA handled the kind of issues that arise in any sport at any given time.
I asked Glenn to tell me about the ADA Franchisee Annual Convention.
He answered without hesitation that it was the most important business meeting he has every year. Meeting with his business partners, the ADA Franchise owners, to discuss and strategize ways for our sport of darts to compete in the multi-billion dollar sports market.
The ADA Franchisees meet 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and beyond Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of that week. On Tuesday night they had all gone over to Back-Stage Billiards for an evening of darts and fun. The ADA made arrangements for two vans to take them from the Wyndham to the location pub. It was an unforgettable evening, Glenn told me.
Then Glenn told me about the selection of the “Franchisee of the Year”. I was not surprised to learn that this selection is done just as the MVM selection, by objective data, by formula.
I make no secret of my pride in being a darter and a member of the ADA – if for no other reason, look at the social, familial and economic benefits. This year in Orlando, I enjoyed our sport, I had a terrific family vacation, I did some business and I had a wonderful time with old friends and I made some new friends. It all happened because of my membership in the ADA.
I hope we come back to Orlando next year. I’ll bring the wife and kids again.
Might leave Grandma and Grandpa at home, though. I think my wife and I want to just have time with the kids – go on the rides at the theme parks and take them on a trolley tour, that kind of thing. The Grandparents may be a little disappointed. But here’s my plan and I think they will like it, I’ll present Grandma and Grandpa with a bottle Jim Beam Black and some sweet vermouth. They can take manhattans, we’ll take Orlando.
We’ll all have happy hours.
See you next year at the ADA National Championship!
|