BHAA - what do people think?

Racing Flat

Posted this elsewhere - but perhaps it merits a thread of its own...


Perhaps they should just the change the name from BHAA to Dublin Running League and let people register whatever teams they want. As it's not really Business Houses any more.

Or they could keep it as BHAA and let people who are in a Business Houses team run in the team race and allow everyone else just run as an individual.

IMHO Eircom is a Business House, Zurich is, Trinity College Dublin is...Beaumont Hospital would be, Dublin Hospitals is not, AIB would be, Banking is not...and Boards AC is not.


When I worked for Quinnsworth years ago, on starting everyone would be invited to join the soccer team, the rounders team, the pool team, the darts team and it was great - really contributed to the social fabric of the job. An awful job, which I hated, but at the same time, going to work every day wasn't the worst as you were often going off to some competition with your colleagues after.

I played for the soccer team and it was some laugh - you could have an ex League of Ireland player and also a 20stoner in the team....but everyone worked together. If you were good enough you got picked for the regional Quinnsworth team and so on.

I think 5 years ago when I was running first, the BHAA was a little like this. I got to know a few people at work through the BHAA who I mightn't have otherwise - (a big place I was working in). And we'd a good time in work planning the races, getting a team together with a bit of rivalry as to who would be the scorers.

And imagine what it must be like if you work for AIB and you beat BOI. I imagine that this must have been what the BHAA was all about initially, but by just putting people in teams based on profession, or other means, I'm not sure how beneficial this is.

That's why I think keeping an actual Business Houses league but still allowing people enter as individuals might be the way forward.

Busines Houses is a fantastic idea to get a sporting thing going between work colleagues. The way the BHAA is going this is being lost, IMHO.

So, be stricter with the BH classification (while still allowing individuals enter) or just change the name and constitution if you ask me. My 2 cents.

shels4ever

Racing Flat wrote: »

Posted this elsewhere - but perhaps it merits a thread of its own...


Perhaps they should just the change the name from BHAA to Dublin Running League and let people register whatever teams they want. As it's not really Business Houses any more.

Or they could keep it as BHAA and let people who are in a Business Houses team run in the team race and allow everyone else just run as an individual.

IMHO Eircom is a Business House, Zurich is, Trinity College Dublin is...Beaumont Hospital would be, Dublin Hospitals is not, AIB would be, Banking is not...and Boards AC is not.


When I worked for Quinnsworth years ago, on starting everyone would be invited to join the soccer team, the rounders team, the pool team, the darts team and it was great - really contributed to the social fabric of the job. An awful job, which I hated, but at the same time, going to work every day wasn't the worst as you were often going off to some competition with your colleagues after.

I played for the soccer team and it was some laugh - you could have an ex League of Ireland player and also a 20stoner in the team....but everyone worked together. If you were good enough you got picked for the regional Quinnsworth team and so on.

I think 5 years ago when I was running first, the BHAA was a little like this. I got to know a few people at work through the BHAA who I mightn't have otherwise - (a big place I was working in). And we'd a good time in work planning the races, getting a team together with a bit of rivalry as to who would be the scorers.

And imagine what it must be like if you work for AIB and you beat BOI. I imagine that this must have been what the BHAA was all about initially, but by just putting people in teams based on profession, or other means, I'm not sure how beneficial this is.

That's why I think keeping an actual Business Houses league but still allowing people enter as individuals might be the way forward.

Busines Houses is a fantastic idea to get a sporting thing going between work colleagues. The way the BHAA is going this is being lost, IMHO.

So, be stricter with the BH classification (while still allowing individuals enter) or just change the name and constitution if you ask me. My 2 cents.

I think that is the way to go too, They have been making changes to the individuals running as teams to make them into propper teams. One good thing I see is that they are very open to suggestion and change and run some really good races like today

TheRoadRunner

I agree with most things you say. The idea behinds the boards teams and other was that other teams seemed to be a mixture of different businesses and we wished to do something similar as we were all individuals. T

he BHAA is a great organisation and I will still run even without a team, although probably not as often as I would like. Having a team really gets you out the door. I have no chance of getting a team from my work place in Maynooth. Most people commute to the college and live outside of Dublin (Kildare, Carlow, Laois etc) and aren't wiling to commute ! I've tried my best but I'm destined to be a loner

Hard Worker

Very good post Racing Flat.
It must be remembered though, that the AAI are the governing body for athletics in Ireland. The BHAA can only organise inter firm athletics and cannot organise open events ( allow non BHAA members ), unless they apply for and receive a special permit from the AAI.
I pointed out in a previous post, that the constitution of the BHAA can only allow for "working people" to compete in their events. The unemployed cannot run, students cannot run, neither can a work at home housewife or househusband. I remember the days when you could have 20 people from An Post and almost the same numbers from Eircom and Aer Lingus. I'm really not sure why so few from the big companies compete nowadays.
The BHAA, being the BHAA, have tried over the past few years, to amend the rules so that nobody would be turned away.
A discussion here is a good place to start to see if people have any ideas to improve things team wise.

geld

As Shels4ever says the BHAA are open to suggestions to change and the recent changes they have made are as a result of category teams (as opposed to company teams) becoming too strong. It appears to me that they are making an honest attempt to even the teams out. Maybe it will work maybe it will not. But to give them their due they are trying new things.

While the Boards AC team had a number of successes in the first couple of races they were not strictly a Business Houses team according to the BHAA rules. They didn't fall into BHAA categories either as I am sure that they were not all from similar professions. If they are an athletic club then IMHO they shouldn't be allowed to enter as a team. No other athletic club does. I know that this is disappointing to some members on this forum but at least Boards AC does qualify to run as a team in the IMRA races (and they did very well in Annacurra)

The idea behind teams from similar professions is to be as inclusive as possible and I think that we should see how it works out. If these were not possible and only large organisations could enter as a team then the BHAA would be a much poorer place as a result.

BTW I am a member of one of the organisations mentioned in Racing Flats post and it is difficult to drum up interest in activities like this. While we always have at least one team out for the numbers working we should have a lot more. I do feel that without the BHAA and IMRA I would not be running as much as I do.

Krusty_Clown

Hard Worker wrote: »

The constitution of the BHAA can only allow for "working people" to compete in their events. The unemployed cannot run, students cannot run, neither can a work at home housewife or househusband.

geld wrote:

The idea behind teams from similar professions is to be as inclusive as possible and I think that we should see how it works out

shels4ever

Hard Worker wrote: »

I pointed out in a previous post, that the constitution of the BHAA can only allow for "working people" to compete in their events. The unemployed cannot run, students cannot run, neither can a work at home housewife or househusband.

Yep i remember you saying that, but it also says the following on their site

What is the condition of membership?

The basic qualification is being in employment. Retired and un-employed are also welcome.

So maybe there have been changes?

robinph

shels4ever wrote: »

Retired and un-employed are also welcome.

There was some over 70 and over 80 category prizes given out today, and their times were not to shabby either I think.

I doubt they could claim to still be in full-time employment though.

Hard Worker

shels4ever wrote: »

Yep i remember you saying that, but it also says the following on their site

What is the condition of membership?

The basic qualification is being in employment. Retired and un-employed are also welcome.

So maybe there have been changes?

Retirees and the unemployed can run for their previous employer. In other words, if someone was made redundant by Dublin Bus ( unfortunate example perhaps ) they can still run for Dublin Bus until they find employment elsewhere. If that person gets a new job, he or she must then run for their new employer. It's similar for retirees. The retired person runs for the company they were registered with when they retired.

plodder

Racing Flat wrote: »

That's why I think keeping an actual Business Houses league but still allowing people enter as individuals might be the way forward.

I agree. I joined this year, and I'm a big fan of the BHAA. Personally I'm not that bothered about the teams aspect. Though I can see how it would be good for people who work in large companies/organisations. In fact, it might even encourage me to try and get a few other people where I work, to get out and compete.

runner7

I`ve entered teams under my company,but there only part-time and they all have there own full time jobs.can they run for me,seeing as i registered them.and that they have no intention runnig for there full time company.