In response to Robin Crocker s recent post here is my response since the post was removed before I had a chance to respond to some of your comments. Be forewarned - as per usual - its a long one :) Initially when I wrote this I was angry - however, I have since calmed down and I have done my best to respond professionally - so please keep this tone in mind when you read this. If you have any questions about it feel free to message me. I am going to have to agree with Tyler White on his comments. Just for the record Robin - I think you are a skilled player. However, your actions here display a level of maturity that I thought you and SIA had outgrown. Why did you decide to make your posts instead of speaking with me privately? In future Robin, if you have an issue with any event I am hosting or anyone else for that matter, I would suggest speaking with me/them directly about it - privately or in person. This would be the most professional route to take in my opinion. However, since I was called out publicly I am going to respond publicly. I have to say as well Robin, I threw my support your way at the beginning of the year when you had decided to run for an NSA board position for I felt you showed a high level of maturity. Your actions on the forums and at events (or lack thereof) do not show that and it seems I was incorrect. I must apologize to Perry Matthew Jaisin Smeaton for that error in judgement. SIA (or Mersey Road Airsoft - whatever you guys wish to be called these days) initially signed up 6 of your crew for my event when it was an 18+ event. You had no issue with the event then OR the rules at that time - and wanted your minors on your team to be able to play too. I was approached by Tyler Smith and some others (not SIA) about seeing if there could be exceptions made for 17 year olds. You had mentioned there may be fewer of your team attending due to this but that was the extent you spoke to me about it. Initially I said no, but that I would think about it. I decided to allow it for 16 & 17 year olds, but yes, with some restrictions after speaking with an insurance company about it. Since there appeared to be no interest once I changed the age limit - likely due to the restrictions - I decided to change it back - 18+ from here on out. So you dont like the rule restrictions for 16 & 17 year olds - no problem. That age group doesnt have to attend. You and your team were fine to support the event when it was 18+ initially, but not anymore apparently. The only one the new rules affected were the minors. Those have since been changed back and minors are no longer permitted to attend once again. Also - the only one on your team I have ever spoken to regarding this event about any of these issues has been Tyler Smith - whom I still hold some respect for. He did let me know though that you guys would not be attending but seemed disappointed in that - but he did however not tell me any of the reasons which you decided to post for the community. SIA/MRA has a reputation of signing up for events and then flaking out and bailing last minute. I have never been part of that personally so I was willing to give you guys the benefit of the doubt. So me asking about your teams attendance at the PEI event Operation: Tracer was a valid concern and still is. Why did I decide to go with the restrictions I did you ask? Nope none of you did ask - but here you go. Perhaps other game hosts might want to consider these things as well for minors. Safety and Liability mostly. Why didnt you decide to ask me Robin instead of pulling your support entirely from the event? I know why Tyler Smith could not make it and he spoke to me about it. Thats cool - I respect his decision to serve our country and am proud of him in doing so. You did not communicate with me Robin - and then you post it up as to why? Sorry - but thats not too cool. Kids dont seem to understand - and by kids I mean anyone under 18 for this post - that if they get injured they may be just fine with whatever happens to them. Its their parents that may have the issue - and there is no way anyone who does not have children can relate to this - I couldnt before I had a son and I also didnt understand statements like that either. It is however, very true. Once you have a child, your life changes and it is quite amazing the level of emotion that gets attached to this little person. And if they get hurt - well look out - for the momma/poppa bear is coming. That is me as a parent at least (I know there are some parents who dont care and I feel sorry for their kids for they deserve better). Many parents do not seem to know much about this sport or the apparent risks it has, if they are not a player as well. I was going to candidly speak with any parent prior to allowing any minor to attend my event, just to inform them of such and make sure they were ok with everything. Minors restrictions - Safety equipment required that many players use anyway. Mandatory. Its kind of like kids going to a skate park and leaving their helmet sitting on the ground. Kind of stupid right? Well, I was actually going to insist that the younger minors have to wear safety equipment to play. Protect all areas that could potentially get injury - as was available anyway - Head, eyes, mouth, face, joints (knees, elbows, ankles), hands, etc. I know - crazy idea right. But at least their parents would know they would be as safe as possible. And I was going to restrict the hours they could play - not allowing them to play during the hours of midnight and 6am - so missing 6 hours of a 18 hour event - so still getting to play 12 hours but just not during the time when it could be most likely they could get injured. And with supervision as well so they werent left to their own devices to potentially get into trouble or heaven forbid - sneak back into the game under the light of darkness. Not that they would ever do that. Idle hands are the devils something or other. There were other restrictions as well as you know. Yet - these minors would still get to take part in a 12 hour MilSim event which prior to that they would not have. And yes I did reduce their game fee. And I have to ask Robin... when you stated - some disagreements between the community and your team... yet you only choose to relate information regarding one event - mine. I do not really understand this. And no - you did not discuss any of this with me so why lie about it? I dont think you guys understand that you are also attempting to run an airsoft field - yet you still behave this way... ultimately I feel this will hurt your business. If you guys cannot do what you say you will do when signing up for events and having organizers count on you... why should players trust that your team will do what they say they will do when it comes to hosting your own events and running a good game? And if someone is not happy about the way you are choosing to do something - how would you prefer they approach that? Publicly or privately? You are not happy with the rules - nope nothing wrong with that at all. So dont come and dont sign up. You can even share that information if you want or not with the host. But not good enough apparently - you need to post it publicly for fear there is flak from the community for pulling out of a game yet again that you had stated you would attend. Well perhaps there will be. Tyler Smith Perry Matthew Jaisin Smeaton
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 02:11:15 +0000