| |
|
|
I am excited to announce; I have reached the next Chapter in my life. I decided to retire on June 14, 2019. For those of you who are retired, you know what I mean when I say it is a good feeling however a little ire. The first thing that comes to my mind is the adjustment, meaning every morning what is your purpose in life? Well I can tell you; I will have no problems keeping myself busy. For sure the horseshoe business will be #2, keeping my family and grandkids first. With the extra time, I plan on assisting Laurie Lampkin with the World Tournament Coordinator work. I am planning on attending (with her) all the sports marketing events which by the way are paid for by the sports marketing companies. I really miss this work and will look forward to getting back into it.
I want to take a moment and wish everyone a happy summer. Horseshoe season has started throughout the country and I want to thank everyone for their efforts in recruiting new members. Based on our preliminary numbers, it appears are numbers are down a little from last year.
The 8th Annual HOF Invitational was held May 4-5 and was hosted by the QRHC at the NHPA Hall of Fame building located at Wentzville, MO. In talking to the QRHC, it sounds like it was a very successful tournament. I want to apologize to the participants and the QRHC for not being able to attend. The NHPA would like to thank all the sponsors who sponsored this event and look forward to another successful tournament next year.
Charter Presidents who are appointing their delegates for the 2019 delegate meeting at Wichita Falls, TX. Please take some time to go through their packets and educate them on what they need to be doing to support their Charter.
Positions up for election this year consist of the 1st and 3rd VP's. Both Brian Poole and Jerry Smith have met the By-Laws for getting their intentions to run for another term by the deadline. No other candidates submitted their intentions to run for one of these positions by the April 1st deadline therefore by rule of Acclamation (per Roberts Rules) both individuals will retain their positions for another 3-year term. The official announcement will be made at the meeting.
The 2019 World Horseshoe Tournament will be held July 22nd - August 3rd, 2019 at the Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall and the Kay Yeager Coliseum (NPEC) in Wichita Falls, TX. Many of you have asked me if we were planning on having the same format and schedule. For more information, visit our website at
www.horseshoepitching.com.
The NHPA Council is looking forward to visiting with everyone, especially all the new members and 1st time W.T. attendees. Don't forget to come out and watch the Junior and Cadet Divisions, they bring a lot of excitement and energy to the game.
For the members who will not be attending the W.T. feel free to contact me anytime to on how we can make this a better sport for everyone to enjoy.
Thank You.
|
Find yourself in the falls
Laurie Lampkin, 2nd VP Publicity & Promotions
For those that have not seen the Press release for the 2019 World Tournament, here it is. Thanks to Dalton Rakestraw for writing such a good article. The press Release has been sent out to Wichita Falls and they will distribute from their end to all of their local media outlets. I also have sent this Press Release to the following media outlets, CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX Sports, ESPN, The Associated Press, USA TODAY, Dallas/ Ft. Worth media outlets, Oklahoma media outlets. It is up to them to get this information out and publicize this event.
Press Release [Full Text]
Find yourself in the falls!
Welcome everyone to the 2019, National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA) World Championships! This year we have definitely found ourselves in the falls! Tournament competition will embark on the Kay Yaeger Coliseum and Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall at the MPEC in beautiful Wichita Falls, Texas! This year's 13-day competition will feature some of the best horseshoe pitchers and horseshoe pitching class options to date! Competition begins on July 22, 2019, and all champions will be crowned by August 3. Pitching will begin at 8:00 am each day and run into the night about 10:00pm.
Admission is free! Come on out and see the best horseshoe pitchers in the world!
This year we find the 2018, Women's World Champion, Mrs. Maxine Griffith, not "VOLUNTEERING" her world championship away. Maxine and her twin sister Marlene Ray come from Covington, Tennessee, with high hopes to bring it back to their town! Max has been dominant with her left-handed high back-swing pitch, while Mar has really hammered the shoes in with her right hand. Max has pitched consistent tournaments over 80%. She is definitely looking to repeat. Always a contender in the fight 9-time world champion Mrs. Joan Elmore. She as well is from Tennessee, just outside Nashville in Mt. Juliet. Elmore has been on mending trail, coming back from physical ailments. Hoping to come out of the losing side and take back what she has claimed as hers in the past. Amy Francis, Definance, OH and Shalee Cason, Titusville, FL are awaiting their taste of sweet victory for the first time. Cason has been pitching well, racking up high games in Florida, will this be the year she adds Women's world champion to her already former Girls titles? Karen Graham, North Bay, New York, has had some fantastic tournament wins early on this year. She is looking to keep it up her pitching streak and pull out a win. At Team World, Penny Steinke, WI, came out with one miss from a perfect game.
Wisconsin might have the edge since they have early wins this season. Lindsay Hodgins, British Columbia, Canada, comes back for her first year of World Tournament play in the Women's can she win a title, taking it back to Canada since 2003? The lady's competition will be fierce. Look for many upsets and close victories as these ladies always prove they are not done, till it's over.
Jumping in the falls are the Elder Men's classes. Current World Champion, David Holmes, Charleston, West Virginia, is not attending. So once again, it is back up for grabs! Russ Phillips, Grandview, WA, comes in as the top man this year. He was the 2011, world champion. Russ has had some minor injury in his shoulders; however, he is looking to put that behind him and take it back to Pacific Northwest. Jim Ellison from Alabama has won early this year. Taking home Gold in the Newberry Summer Fun Horseshoe Tour event in April. Ellison is on a hot streak with his left-handed flip. Ellison was runner up in 2017, after a down year, can he bring the title to Alabama? Although Mr. Holmes is out, West Virginia, will be represented, Mr. Marcus Rice, comes to us from the mountains to prove the WV is not out just because the number one rank is not appearing. Jim "Iceman" Cooper from Tennessee has won a Senior Men world title, he has been perfecting his turn to try and take the lead. He made a great appearance in 2017, look for the "Iceman" to come back from behind and sneak in there and get em'! Other competitors that have come up short but are looking to take the title are JD Drake, MI; Jim Culver, KY; Gregg Craven, MO. Roger Vogel, KS, was the champ in 2017, he has suffered minor set back's but never count him out. Look for him to move up. Dennis Reid, IL, doesn't let anyone stand in his way. He makes you humble yourself. Dennis pitches in a wheelchair and inspires us to never let anything stop you from doing what you want! Look for the Elder Men's classes to be a surprise until theend.
Our future of the sport relies upon our juniors and cadet classes. Derek Reynolds, AR, is the current Junior Boys Champion. Derek has been slipping up on his seed number and his average this year. Reynolds is hoping to take it back to the Natural State. However, the bluegrass roots of Kentucky's Seth O'Nan may have
a rebuttal. O'Nan was the 2017, champion. Reynolds beat O'Nan in this highly contested match last year. However, O'Nan had an 82.5% tournament. He is perfecting his reverse turn to take back the gold. Look for Walker Forester, OK, to be in the ranks too. He has been consistently getting better at 30 feet. This is his first year in the Boys group, will the jitters get to him? Also, from the Bluegrass state of Kentucky is Jarrett Keith. In tournaments early this year Keith has upset O'Nan, and will possibly be a factor in upsets for this year's world? Ryan Russell, KS and Aaron Hanes, NC, look to make the championship cut and may be a set back to the tops. Look for the boy's classes to get into the Falls with many ringers and high games. Will records be broken this year? Join us and find out!
In Junior Girls classes, Cameran Edwards, PA, has aged out, and is now in the Women's group leaving the door open for a new world champion. Can her sister, Catrina Edwards, keep the title in the family or will she be upset like last year? Sarah Chaffee, WI, has been pitching consistently the past few tournaments. Sarah might beat the odds to win it for 2019, however, Ellyn Ohms, Utah, looks to take the championship win. Ohms took third respectively last year, can she pitch thru and take home the biggest win in the world? Skyla Rioux, CT, takes on her first crack at the Junior Girls division. Rioux competes with current Cadet World Champion Riley Malino, CT, on a routine basis. Have they practiced hard together to rack up two world champions in Connecticut? Stay tuned for results to find out!
In Cadet's twenty feet competition, Riley Malino, hopes to retain his world championship title. Malino has continued progress with his flip shoe. Malino grabs wins in New England, can his shoes still make the trip and tough pitching of newcomer Brady Fox, MO? Fox has had some great tournaments this year! Fox beat out current Women's world champion Max Griffith, at a tournament at the Hall of Fame. He is a kid on a mission to put "Show Me" back on the world champion charts. Hastiin Begaye, California, pitched an 80% game on PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. earlier this year. Begaye has been improving, now that his first year of attending the world tournament was in 2018, will he finally have what it takes to bring California the gold? The Cadets always pitch with confidence and always put on a great tournament. The outcome is unknown.
The Senior Women will take the courts during week two of competition. Barbara Taylor, South Carolina, is the defending champion. She has been off to a slow start this year, however, her game has been improving as the months go by. Will she be able to take her Horseshoe Tour wins to the World Championship level? As always, Sheila Shepard, Colorado, has six titles to her name. Can she bounce back from last year's bounce off and take title #7? New to the division is none other than Terry Beagle, Michigan. Beagle had a great run in the Open Women's division in 2017, placing third. Could this be the year she takes a world championship win? Her faith in God motivates her to continue pitching ringers. Has she smoothed out her pitch and perfected her follow thru to take on Taylor and Shepard? Linda Aurell, CT, has competed for a few years now, however coming up short. Aurell seems to get shaky in the beginning stages but finds her groove too late. Will she be able to get it and stay with it from the beginning? Barbara Carson, SC, is part of the NHPA Staff. She is looking to pitch her way into the finals and maybe sneak into a championship title. Julia Charlton, IN and Marlene Cooper, OH, are not to be counted out. Look for these ladies to make some noise when it counts!
The next level of competition is the Senior Mens classes. Gary Roberts, OH, has just recently stepped down from NHPA Office, will this help him take on another world title? Roberts met Ray Bedard, MA, four times in competition in 2018, losing all but the one game that counted. The world title game! Roberts is pitching well, his performances early this year and at the Hall of Fame Invitational make him seem to be odds on to win. Bedard is not out though, he has won games when the time was needed. Bedard seizes every opportunity to take a win. James Dunlap, MI, comes back to competition since 2016. Dunlap was undefeated throughout competition in 2016 but fell short in championship play. Could this be the year Dunlap pulls out a title and takes home the win? Larry McAfee, MO; Gary Currier, ME; Ken Jones, NM; Dennis Wilson, PA, are not to be out done! There could be a dark horse in this group. Several men have made this championship cut, it is anyone's for the taking. The ole' no step flip from Arizona, Jacob Fimbres, will make another debut into this group. Fimbres has been racking up wins in the Southwest, can he take that same competitive drive to the world tournament and pull off an upset? David Mallory, OK, has been gearing up for great success for this year. He pitched an outstanding tournament in Arkansas here a while back and looks to take that same ringer rally to the courts at world. Look for the Senior Men's classes to be a competitive group none the less.
In the Open Men's division, the present and twenty-three-time world champion, Alan Francis, Defiance, Ohio, will battle again to attempt and keep his seven-year title run streak since 2012, going. Although Alan has appeared to have control the past seven years, last year he was hotly contested almost losing his title run.
Alabama's Dan Watson, has been a contender for quite a while now, coming up a few ringers short year after year. Could this be the year he perfects his pitch and takes the title? We shall soon find out. Expect nothing less of Oklahoma's Gary Bearpaw. Although, his disadvantage is less experienced pitcher in world tournament play, he never ceases to amaze us. Breaking the world record for highest average by a flipper from 40 feet in 2018. Bearpaw has placed 2
ND
the past three years, is this his year to take gold? The PBA Hall of Famer, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Florida, will also be attending this event this year. Never count him out as he is a solid contender and has seven championship titles. Will this be the year that Walter Ray regains momentum and adds another trophy to his collection? Look for him to sneak in and take a shot at victory. Coyote shoot man, Gale Greene, VT, is none short of amazing. Greene now, 77, pitching the full distance, and never giving up. Greene's best finish was in 2017, placing 3
rd
. Can this be his break thru year? Tom Williams, MI and Austin Bailey, IL look on to try and take a crack at a number one place finish. But watch out for those move ups, they can sure cause an upset.
The NHPA would like to welcome anyone to come out and attend the event. Opening ceremonies are on July 22, 2019, at 11:00am. This year, Competitors from other countries in attendance this year are from Norway, Germany, Canada, and the USA.
Come out and see what all will happen in the falls!
|
 |
What to Expect Your First Day of the 2019 World Tournament
Laurie Lampkin
Mr. Bill Marvin originally wrote an article in 2016 for first time pitchers and what to expect, what you should do at your First World Tournament on your first day. I thought this may be beneficial to all pitchers this year.
If you are a first-time pitcher attending the World Tournament for the first time you will sometimes feel overwhelmed and intimidated on their first day. Lots of emotions are going on internally, from excitement to being scared and nervous. We have a few processes in place that are very important to follow.
Opening Ceremonies will put the first day behind our normal schedule beginning with the second and possibly third flights of the first day, so please be patient. Opening Ceremonies is set to begin promptly at 11:00 am.
If you are competing, you should plan on arriving a minimum of 1 ½ hours prior to your pitching time. You will need to be prepared for class photos, shoe check, and the lines will be long so be prepared. Here are a few items that are "REQUIERD" and you will need to have on hand, and these things will be checked during the shoe check process before you are released for class photos and announcements, so please be ready and prepared so the line will move quickly.
You will be asked to show your 2019 NHPA membership card. Why? Charters submit membership reports at different times, some monthly, some quarterly, some semi-annually and some once a year. What brand of shoe do you pitch and what is your pitching style? Why? Each year, members are interested in what shoes are popular and how they are being pitched. This data is sent to Mel Yockstick, NHPA statistical guru, and he puts it on the web page. Just interesting information, nothing else. "Inquiring minds want to know" and fun facts.
Your shoes will then be weighed and checked to make sure they are within NHPA specifications. Each year there are a few that are either warped, have been illegally modified or will not fit in the jig for one reason or the other, and a few are over the weight specification. If shoes cannot be straightened or ground to fit the jig, they are held until after the competition is completed. This is a very good reason to bring two pair; if your favorites don't pass, you will need a backup pair or if you break a shoe during competition. If you have a pick-up stick, it will be checked. Sticks cannot be longer than 36" in length and the hook cannot extend 2" from the center of the main shaft.
After these things have been completed, your shirt will be checked to make sure you have your name and state on the back. Make sure the letters are "
Professionally" lettered, at least 1" in size, your name and state must be on the back of the shirt for score keepers to view
. No sleeveless shirts, no open toed shoes, no cut-offs are allowed. You will receive your round robin card for the first day. So now you are ready to pitch, right? Well, not quite.
Each class will have their picture taken. These pictures make an excellent souvenir. There will also be a few important announcements so "PAY ATTENTION"! After this, you will be dismissed to begin your competition. DO NOT TAKE THE COURTS TO BEGIN PRACTICE UNITL YOU ARE DIRECTED TO DO SO. There will be plenty of time to warm up so don't panic. Shift Directors will tell you when to start your games, so wait until that announcement is made to go onto the floor to your assigned courts. Please be mindful as to not distract the people on the floor that are still pitching games.
On days two and three, please be at the arena 30 minutes ahead of time to pick up your round robin card for the day. No other check in is needed. Again, do not walk out onto the courts to begin practice until you are directed to do so. If for some reason you cannot pitch the second or third day, please notify the NHPA office as far in advance as possible so a Pacer can be put in your place.
Good luck to all and lots of ringers to everyone - see you in Wichita Falls, TX.
|
Sightseeing & attractions in Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls has several things to offer when you are not competing. Places to visit and things to do while in Wichita Falls. The Conventions Visitors Bureau will have a table set up to get any information you may need locally, RV parks, Campsites, Shuttle schedules (if available), Medical Facilities, Pharmacies, Shops, Restaurants, Grocery Stores, Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Libraries, Museums, etc., and to get registered and/or signed up for some of these events.
For anyone that plans on attending The Junior and Cadets Party, please note the sign-up date of July 26th by 3:00 pm. Parents and Guardians, you will need to sign a "waiver" for your child before they will be allowed to attend, so please make sure that you visit the Conventions Bureau table to get registered. We want all of the kids to have a fun and safe experience while in Wichita Falls. Please contact Aleena Lepak, the Junior Director,for more details and information on the outings
.
|
What is a Great Game?
Jerry Smith, 3rd VP
A couple of months ago I took over the duties of NHPA Historian, a position that was most recently held by the very knowledgeable and creative Bob Dunn. In early May I spent a week in Wentzville working with Joe Faron to get my bearings and learn about the documents and historical items stored at the Hall of Fame (HOF) facility. Joe has worked extremely hard and has built countless display units and with the assistance of Bob Rogers and others, has created a tremendous HOF museum. Bob does most of the design and graphics and has donated countless hours to the process as has Joe. Many others have also contributed time, money, and resources and yet, most horseshoe pitchers probably have no idea the efforts that have gone into and continue to be needed to sustain the continued existence of our fine facility. The jobs required for of most the "day to day" operations of the facility are accomplished by Quail Ridge Horseshoe Club members who do such an outstanding job. I certainly hope that all horseshoe pitchers will get a chance to visit this fine facility and show support to the NHPF financially.
While at the HOF I ran across many historical documents and writings. One caught my eye. The paper was just entitled "The Game" and featured the scoresheet of a very great game from 2009. I thought about "great games" and wondered, "what makes a great game"? The obvious answer might be either perfection on the biggest stage, the World Tournament, or maybe the longest perfect game. Perfect games are great, but often short and one sided. The other side of great games are long, competitive games where both pitchers pitched outstanding. Let's look at both situations.
World Tournament (WT) perfect games are few and far between. Only 10 have ever happened and Alan Francis has six of them. Guy Zimmerman did the first one in 1948 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he pitched 44 out of 44. Elmer Hohl repeated the feat in 1968 in Keene, New Hampshire with 30 out of 30. These are the only two pitched during the "50 point" era. The next one pitched was by Junior pitcher, Jimmy Walters in 1993, with 24 out of 24. Alan got going in 2005 in Ardmore with a 30-shoe game and came back in 2007 and pitched two in the same day, at 20 and 24 shoes. In 2013, three perfectos were pitched in the same week when Joan Elmore shot 26 out of 26 and Alan did another two, one at 32 shoes and the other at 28 shoes. Those games were all great, but only one was at least 40 shoes, (44) long.
Four perfect games (non-WT) have been discovered that were 50 shoes or longer. Three of the games went 50 shoes and Walter Ray Williams had two of them. The third was by the great Carl Steinfeldt. But the longest known game was by Walter Ray when he pitched 56 out of 56. Interestingly, his opponent, Bob West threw 70% and got skunked, what a way to lose. These are impressive games also but let's look at long competitive games and that kind of "great".
The "50 point" era, by nature, had the longest games. Some 48 WT games are known to have lasted 150 or more shoes. The competion from the late 40's to the mid 70's was all 50-point games and there were many pitchers pitching above 80%. This combination led to long grueling games and the most famous was pitched in 1965 featuring Glen Henton and Ray Martin. They pitched an incredible 194 shoes and even more incredible was how they pitched. Glen made 175 ringers for 90.21% and Ray pitched 174 ringers for 89.69%. They combined for an average of 89.95%, second best of the "50 point" era. The top combo was for 156 shoes by the same Ray Martin and Merlin Potts when they shot a combined 90.19%. The 194-shoe game will forever be "The Game", just not the one I referred to in the beginning of this article. That game came in the "40 point" era and was only the second longest game. The longest game in the "40 point" era belongs to Alan Francis and Brian Simmons. They battled 144 shoes in 2010 and shot a combined average of 90.63% which is the highest known combined average in WT history. But "The Game" happened the year before with Alan and Brian again doing battle in Springfield, Illinois. I happen to see this game and it was absolutely something to watch. At 100 shoes, Alan had 90 ringers and was trailing 28-18 which brings us to Brian, who had 93 ringers. Brian then made 15 of the next 16 to take a commanding 37-21 lead, remember it's a 40-point game. Alan made 25 of the next 26 and won the game 40-37. His missed shoe came as he pitched first on shoes 125 and 126. This, of course was Brian's only opportunity to score over the last 26 shoes but the close shoe point went to Alan. You can judge for yourself what you think of as a "Great Game" and particularly, what the "Greatest Game" might be, but I might just choose that game in 2009.
|
Introducing: Barry D. Webster Sr.
A few weeks ago, Stu Sipma received a phone call from Mr. Barry Webster enthusiastic about participating in the NHPA and to bring his Native American culture, his knowledge and education to benefit the NHPA. I would like to introduce a new member to the membership and sponsorship committees.
Here is Barry's Bio:
My name is Barry D. Webster Sr. I am a proud member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. I belong to the Thatada Clan and my Indian name is A'hin Sabe (Black Wing). I am married and have six children and plenty of grandchildren. Attended and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. I have experience in Sports Management and Business Strategy/Market Research.
I am excited about joining the National Horseshoe Pitching Association (NHPA) as the National Assistant Director of Membership and Promotions. Our objective is to bring awareness, increase membership, and sponsorship and promote this beautiful game of horseshoes to all ages in Native America.
I believe there are more Coke Bowkers and Gary Bearpaws out there! It's important for people to understand that horseshoes is a fun, healthy and competitive sport that all ages can enjoy! More importantly that you can prevent and control diabetes through the game of horseshoes. I have been playing horseshoes for over twenty years with the last six years participating in more tournaments in the area. My goal is to compete at the world tournament in the men's open division.
I want to thank the NHPA for giving me this opportunity to be a part of their organization.
Barry has been working with the Superintendent of the
Umonhon Nation Public School. Barry has contacted Jerry Smith and he has registered the entire school system K- 12 as a sanctioned club with the Superintendents blessings. Please look at the website above for more information on this school system. Barry's wife is also a teacher there.
|
Regional Director Update
Dalton Rakestraw, 5th VP
Already time for another article write up. We are approaching on the day we embargo upon Wichita Falls! Everything is starting to come together, schedules are out, times are set, just waiting on the day to start setup. I wanted to mention at the beginning that Horseshoe court sanctioning has been suspended for the time being. This will be a discussion topic at the world tournament delegate meeting on how to handle the sanctions. Please all delegates get some ideas together on how to improve our court sanction program for this meeting.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the world tournament. The warm up tournament will be on July 20, if you can attend it would be great. This is our run thru to make sure everything will be in working condition and clay start to set. Rob Hagman is the tournament director, he is also our IT guy. If you have a chance to pitch, be sure to thank him for all he does! We appreciate him and his family for the hard-working hours they put into making the world tournament run as smoothly as possible.
The NHPA Sanctioned League Championships Will once again be held at the NHPA Hall of Fame in Wentzville, MO. The date is set for October 5-6. The first 20 teams to enter will make the tournament. I encourage charters to get teams of 3 together, any distance combination, and come on out and support Jerry Smith in this event. Details regarding this event will be posted around the arena at the world tournament and elsewhere in this issue.
I want to say a late welcome to our new 1st Vice President, Brian Poole. He will take on the responsibilities that Gary Roberts assumed. Rules and Bylaws, Grievance etc. Thank you to Brian for stepping up and to Gary for all his time and effort put into our sport. We hope to have Gary come back to office in the future.
Any RDs that need additional patches, I will have them at the world tournament. Just stop by the NHPA Offices and I will sign them out to you. If you are a State President, Secretary, Regional Director, or Assistant Regional Director please stop by as well for the new officer patches are available. I have distributed to some charters, those who haven't received them should stop by.
I would encourage those charters who's RDs have resigned to submit the names of replacement to me ASAP. Please check with your local charters to make sure these offices are filled and if you are interested please don't hesitate to contact me for information.
I bid everyone safe travels to Wichita Falls and those staying home I wish you best of luck in your events until the next issue of Newsline. Stay safe out there.
|
Girl on a Mission
Aleena Lepak, Junior Promotions
From sleeping at the courts when she was only a few months old, to picking up her first shoe when she was eleven, Taylor Coile has been around horseshoes her entire life. Now eighteen years old and a recent graduate, Taylor is ready to compete in her last year as a Junior and take on the World.
Since Taylor was homeschooled, she already has 57 college credit hours to use toward a nursing degree at Piedmont College in Athens, Georgia. She has always had an interest in helping others and enjoyed her Health Science classes. Taylor attributes her dreams to her heroes, her parents. "They've always supported me and love me unconditionally. They raised me to love the Lord, and I definitely wouldn't be half the person I am today without them."
Along with horseshoes, Taylor has a very social life. She played varsity basketball at a small Christian school, enjoys spending time with her friends and family and doing different things with her church youth group. Right after this interview was over, Taylor left to go to Wilmore, Kentucky with her youth group through an organization called Fuge Camps. This year they will be serving at a home for individuals with special needs, while growing closer to the Lord. Taylor was very excited and couldn't wait for the chance to help others.
With her future looking bright and many doors open to her, Taylor still plans on keeping her love for horseshoes. From 2012 to 2018 she has won either a Cadet or Junior girls state championship. She has also been a Tournament of Champions Champion. When asked what she does to prepare for a tournament, Taylor admitted that many times she will lose her focus. If she finds that she is struggling she remembers some advice that a friend gave her. "' Get out of your own way!' It always helps me to remember not to focus on the last two shoes. Those are in the past, and I can't change them. I just need to focus on the two that I'm about to pitch."
It's a good thing this girl will one day be saving lives, she already has a big heart and a great head on her shoulders. Keep an eye out for this southern angel for years to come.
|
HPO Youth Program
submitted by Peter Zepponi, San Francisco Pitching Club
If you have not heard about it yet, you will soon. The HPO Youth Program is the latest revelation in attracting kids to the sport of horseshoe pitching. HPO stands for Horseshoe Pitching Online. HPO is an online Facebook group that Steven Gibson and Rickey Muter started on December 18, 2018. As of today, 6/24/19, there are 1,027 members in the group with new members joining daily. It features live online horseshoe games, tournaments, challenges and leagues. They are all recorded live on the Facebook group. They are fast 12 shoe games and short videos. Early on I was invited to join the group. Being someone who had Facebook but never used it, it took me a month or two to decide to join. Once I did I loved the concept. For a few years I had been working with my son Luke on creating a San Francisco Junior Horseshoe Pitching Club while he was in elementary school, then when he was in middle school I began working on the outline for an SF High School Horseshoe League. At the same time my son started taking coding classes and we began working on an online horseshoe pitching app. He built a preliminary version of it in the summer of 2018. Then I started watching the HPO group.
The main concept of online horseshoe pitching I wanted to accomplish with the app was already possible by utilizing features built into Facebook. While not an ideal tool, it was good enough, so the app went on the back burner and I reached out to Steven Gibson. I made a post about how they should create a Youth version of HPO, and Roger Vogel replied 'good idea! Why don't you do it?' I thought about it and decided, why not? So, I took the work I'd already done and started adapting it to HPO to create a ground up new program called HPO Youth. The HPO Youth Program is only for kids 18 and younger. Divisions of Y20', Y30', Y40'are based solely upon age and distance.
On May 9, 2019 we launched the HPO Youth group as a spinoff of the adult Horseshoe Pitching Online group and started taking signups. Three weeks later on June 1st we began the worlds 1st International Online Youth Horseshoe Pitching Tournament. We had 33 entries representing 12 US States, and 2 Canadian provinces.
All squads improved every round. Practice and Coaching WORK! 300 Games! 3,600 shoes were pitched! 3,240 points scored! We are looking at creating new pathways into the sport for the next generation of horseshoe pitchers and have begun working with the Southern Utah HPA and Omega Horseshoes to host a sanctioned online youth horseshoe tournament on the HPO Youth group.
The first step was to throw out the rule book. This was a new concept. If the NHPA didn't exist, what would an ideal youth horseshoe pitching organization look like? How would it run? Who would run it? What would be the format? How to make it as easy, accessible and fair to everyone? I didn't worry about making it "Fun". Horseshoes is already fun. If I need to tell someone it's fun the battle is already lost. Why else would you play a game?
The second step was to give the kids a voice. So, I created the "International Executive Youth Steering Committee" and started inviting kids to be a part of the conversation. I started with my son and his neighborhood friends, and then I reached out to others. I looked for an equal mix of boys, girls, NHPA, backyard, non-horseshoe pitching and international kids. Some of the kids that were part of the discussion were Luke Zepponi, Ellyn Ohms, Ethan Glass, Hastiin Begaye, Aaron Graham Jr, and Seth O'Nan along with several non-horseshoe pitching / video game / major sport playing kids. The question was 'How do we make horseshoe pitching 'cool'? Something you want all your friends to know you do and want to try themselves because it looks fun.' This is ONLINE Horseshoe Pitching. This generation of kids known as 'Gen Z', are characterized as the first people to never live in a world without the internet, cell phones, social media and video communication. Why fight the phone?! That is OUR perspective. Not theirs. So, I made the decision to make the phone an essential part of the game. Take selfie videos, share, like, comment, and chat with your friends about horseshoes. They will promote themselves.
The next step was to create an Adult Advisory Board. We had a diverse board that grew to 18 men and women with a vast knowledge of horseshoe pitching in the NHPA and Backyard styles.
When I had completed a draft outline in the beginning of April I shared it with the Advisory Board and we began an intensive discussion and debate over various aspects. Above all were the concepts of equality, fairness and accessibility to everyone. Online horseshoe pitching is accessible to kids around the world with minimal equipment: A stake in the ground, a pair of horseshoes and a cell phone. Pitch anywhere, any time. You may pitch by yourself, but you are never pitching alone.
One primary challenge was to design a system that allows the best of the best to play competitively with the newest and youngest without being handicapped. This is when I thought of Seth O'Nan who my son played against in St. George. He was one of the only kids in the finals that ever had a lead on Seth: 1-0... and then they threw the next two shoes. How do any of the kids that reach the pinnacle of the sport ever find friends that want to play against them? You don't. You have them play with them. This is where my idea of creating balanced teams came from. However, we don't call them teams; we call them 'Squads'. The 'Squad' idea came from my son and his friends. Many of whom are online gamers and when they play remotely together they play on squads, not teams. I was informed being on an online Squad sounded cooler than a horseshoe team. Give the kids a voice, and then listen.
Squads were balanced so they all have an equal total Point Potential. We use a Point Potential Average (PPA) based upon your ability to score count all points, not just ringers. Not all squads had the same amount of people, but they all had equal potential to score. By doing this the #1 seed is encouraged by their squad mates to do their best. A player with a potential to score 85% of their potential points might only have 3 squad mates with 5-15% PPA's. Another squad might have 6 players with PPA's between 3% -35% in order to have the same scoring potential in a round. This mixed division "Balanced Squad" system worked exceptionally well during our first tournament with the winner being decided in the last few games and by some of the lowest ranked pitchers. Going into the last day, 5 of the 6 squads were still in the running.
A very exciting aspect of the Youth Program is the Guest Coach/Mentorship Program. We had some of the best horseshoe pitchers in the world volunteering to be Squad Coaches! I wanted to tap into the vast amount of talent and knowledge out there that most kids would never have access to. Online it is possible. The coaches watched the kids pitch online, made comments and suggestions and offered encouragement and strategic advice. They were phenomenal. Our coaches were Stanton Griggs, David Lane, Rick Birmingham, Brandon Tenijieth, Emery Jackson, Ben Webb, Deborah Lock Hanes, and Sandra Johnson. We have reached out to others we think would make excellent coaches and mentors in future tournaments. If you are interested in being a youth Guest Coach or Assistant Coach, please let us know. Share your knowledge and experience with the kids.
Thanks to the young trail blazers who participated in this historic event.
Squad 1:
Hastiin Begaye (CA), Ethan Glass (UT), Jake Zepp (NY), Patirck Reid (NY), Jayden Green (TX) Coach: Stanton Griggs (MO)
Squad 2 (
1st Place): Ellyn Ohms (UT), Cyrus Marvin (CA), Carson Scott (UT), Yaya Ziebell (AZ), Hunter Wright (TX) Coaches: David Lane (CA) & Rick Birmingham (CA)
Squad 3:
Luke Zepponi (CA), Aaron Graham Jr.(TX), Adakai Begaye (CA), Logan Scott (UT), Eric Raizola (AZ). Coaches: Brandon Tenijieth (AZ) & Emery Jackson (AZ)
Squad 4 (2nd Place):
Dalton Moffat (BC), Joey Williford (SC), Michael Verdugo (AZ), Brooklyn Scott (UT), Claire Rideout (NB), Angel Ziebell (AZ) Coach: Ben Webb (KY)
Squad 5:
Kedan Mathews (OH) Jedidiah Sowatzeke (WI) Ella Owens (NY), Shantz Vigil (WY), Sebastian Souza (CA), McKenna Bunker (UT) Coach: Deborah Lock Hanes
Squad 6:
Taylor Coile (GA), Warren Highley (MO), Owen Barbour (PA), Christian Raizola (AZ), Maurie Bunker (UT), Landon Green (TX) Coach: Sandra Johnson (CA)
Here is a summary of statistics for the first HPO Youth tournament.
HPO Youth Tournament #1 BY THE NUMBERS
Entries:
33
USA States:
12
6 (AZ, UT), 5 (CA), 4 (TX), 3 (NY), 1 (GA, MO, OH, PA, SC, WI, WY)
Canadian Provinces:
2
British Columbia, New Brunswick
Number of Squads:
6
Players per Squad:
3 Squads with 5 players, 3 Squads with 6 Players.
Squad Target PPA:
154%
Change in Squad PPA from Entry PPA to Squad Tournament PPA.
|
SQUAD
|
CHANGE
|
ENTRY
|
TOURN
|
TARGET
|
|
S1
|
10.21%
|
159.23%
|
169.44%
|
154%
|
|
S2
|
17.27%
|
156.80%
|
174.07%
|
154%
|
|
S3
|
8.80%
|
149.53%
|
158.33%
|
154%
|
|
S4
|
14.17%
|
153.11%
|
167.28%
|
154%
|
|
S5
|
-4.64%
|
155.57%
|
150.93%
|
154%
|
|
S6
|
15.47%
|
150.58%
|
166.05%
|
154%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Entry Fee:
$5 per player
Prize Pool:
$165. $135 to 1st Place, $30 to 2nd Place (Break Even)
Payout of Entry Fees:
100%
Rounds Played:
3
Shoes pitched per game:
12
Games per Round:
3
Games Played:
300. (297 + 3 playoff games that were not needed)
Shoes Pitched:
3,600
Points Scored: 3,240
Round 1 Average PPA:
27.61%
Round 2 Average PPA:
30.39%
Round 3 Average PPA:
31.65%
Tournament Average PPA:
29.88%
Average Entry PPA:
22.02%
PPA Increase over Entry:
7.86%
Average Over/Under:
1.89%
High Game:
29 points/12 shoes; Taylor Coile
Highest Round Total:
72.22; Taylor Coile
Highest Tournament PPA:
69.75; Hastiin Begaye
Biggest Comeback:
Squad 6. Rnd1: 6th Place, Rnd2: 4th Place, Rnd3: 1st Place
Most Consistent:
Dalton Moffat; Entry PPA: 50.00%, Rnd1, 2 & 3 all 50.00%
Highest Over Entry PPA:
21.80%; Taylor Coile
Pitching on the shortest stake:
Michael Verdugo (it looked about 8" high)
Most Family Members:
3 Scott Family, 3 Begaye/Marvin
Youngest Pitcher(s):
7 yrs old! Maurie Bunker & McKenna Bunker, & Adakai Begaye
Volunteer Coaches:
8
1st Squad to Choose a Squad Name and Squad Photo:
Squad 1 'The Six Pac Force"
Kids who were given FREE horseshoes who did not own them before:
5 KIDS!
Video Shares, Views, Likes, Comments:
THOUSANDS.
Biggest Winner:
The Sport of Horseshoe Pitching
|
NHPF Hall of Fame and Museum
Casey Sluys, NHPF President
You all know where Wentzville Missouri is right? On the way to the World Horseshoe Championships for many of you. Have you thought about stopping by on your way to Wichita Falls? How about taking a side trip on the way back home? It really is not that far out of the way for those of you that are driving. It is a must see at least once in your horseshoe pitching career. We have numbers listed on our website that you can contact in advance of your arrival that was someone is certain to be available when you do arrive. Be certain to search out your own charter in amongst the patio bricks. Read those that have bought bricks to get an idea of what your own brick will say. There are literally hundreds of options that can be used, buy one for a parent, a person who is influential in your life, your business with a phone number and so the list goes on.
We have some fantastic ideas sprouting up among those of us on social media. There are a number of horseshoe pitchers that are contributing great ideas to promote this fine sport. Horseshoe Pitching Online Youth just completed their first event and it was a huge success see the final results of an event that fellow Californian Peter Zepponi ran. Peter gathered up other horseshoe pitchers and various kids and began a collective discussion on how best to run an online tournament. I encourage you to read his article submitted in this Newsline to learn more and see the results of the tournament.
Don't forget that these online social media programs do not ONLY steal your privacy like to media wants you to believe. These platforms can become an intricate dance to develop new methods of playing horseshoes. Some of these new methods are already in full play, not only nationwide, but worldwide. It makes it simple to pitch horseshoes, HPO does not inundate you with a myriad of rules, their philosophy is "just pitch." All of you should watch some of the kids pitching it is a heartwarming experience and just may brighten your outlook toward our future.
Have you of your charter thought about donating to your Hall of Fame and Museum? It does belong to all NHPA members and we sincerely need your financial support. Please look us up online at https://nhpf.info/ Assisting us is as simple as a click of a button anymore, not check to write, not envelope to stamp, no mail box to stop at, try it sometime it is handy. Be sure to stop by our table to pick up your decal and very nice embroidered patch, plus many other fine items all for a donation toward the future of horseshoe pitching. Thank you in advance.
|
Hall of Fame
Vicki Winston
As World Tournament participants will soon be leaving for Wichita Falls, Texas, I wanted to encourage as many as possible to try and attend the Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet on Sunday evening, July 28, 2019 if it can be worked into your schedule. It is sounding like it will be a very enjoyable evening. The menu sounds good, even to some picky eaters that I know. Unfortunately, I will not be able to join the banquet crowd this year, as I will be at home preparing for some surgery. I've been around so long my body is wearing out and I need to go into the body shop for another replacement part. I've done knees, so it's time to do a hip now. The one on my plant leg has given out. Guess I pitched horseshoes and bowled for too many decades. I will be thinking of everyone and my brother, Barry Chapelle, has volunteered to take my place during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Paul LaCrosse and Phyllis Quist are planning to be present for the ceremony and three family members of Truman Standard will also be present. His youngest daughter, Jeanine, will be there along with one of her sons and his son. I think you will enjoy meeting them. We have not yet located any descendants of Harry G. Haynes, who lived in Ohio many years ago. From the live piano music during the cocktail hour through the Live Auction that will follow the Hall of Fame Inductions, I think you will find the banquet to be entertaining and a very nice way to spend a Sunday evening.
I want to remind people that nominations can be sent to me anytime of the year for persons (living or deceased) that you think deserve to be considered for the NHPA Hall of Fame. A printable Nomination Form is available on the Hall of Fame link of the NHPA website. All nominations should be sent to me in hard copy form via the US Postal Service. I am not accepting any nominations that are sent via e-mail. A hard copy is the best way to submit the form and any documents or photos that accompany it. The deadline for submitting nominations to be considered in the 2020 voting is January 31, 2020, but please don't wait until the last minute. When a new nomination is received, it is first reviewed by our Screening Committee, before a nominee is placed on the ballot. If a nomination is rejected, it will be returned to the sender. All approved nominees remain on the ballot as long as they receive some votes each year. If two consecutive years go by where they did not receive votes, they are removed from the ballot and the person who nominated them will be notified if that person can be located. A candidate that has been removed from the ballot can be renominated after being off the ballot for at least two years. I give you this information, so you will know that nominations need to be made only once as long as the nominee continues to receive some support each year.
If your horseshoe courts aren't under water, as they might be in several states, I hope you are enjoying a good summer pitching season. Best wishes to all pitchers in the events you will participate in during the remainder of 2019 and may you have safe travels.
|
NHPF Thanks Our Donors
We express our sincere thanks to the following who have donated as reported in the Jul/Aug 2019 issue of Newsline.
Donating $10 - $99
Charles Bunner, WV
Douglas Carr, TN
Donating $100 - $300
Network for Good (Anonymous)
Tennessee HPA
Jim & Phyllis Quist, WA
Ronnie Boyd, TN
Jerry Dean, MD
Gus McGehee, AL
Anonymous
John Austin, OH
Bert W. Logsdon, IA
Other Income
Quail Ridge HC $2500.00 rent
|
Junior Stats
Mel Yockstick, Statistician
|
NHPA Mighty Ninety World Tournament 90% + Games
|
|
|
|
1909-1981 50 Point Era
|
|
50 Point
|
40 Point
|
|
|
|
1982 -2018 40 Point Era
|
|
ERA
|
ERA
|
Total
|
Last
|
|
Jr's. with 2 or more 90% games
|
90% +
|
90% +
|
90% +
|
90%
|
|
Name
|
State
|
Games
|
Games
|
Games
|
Game
|
|
Jim Walters
|
OH
|
|
18
|
18
|
1992
|
|
Alan Francis
|
MO
|
|
6
|
6
|
1985
|
|
Lenwood Conner
|
VA
|
|
4
|
4
|
1993
|
|
Jeff Williams
|
CA
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
1976
|
|
John Passmore
|
IN
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
1975
|
|
Johathan Williams
|
WI
|
|
2
|
2
|
1982
|
|
Walter Ray Williams Jr.
|
CA
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1976
|
|
NHPA TOP RANKING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
|
|
|
|
Jr. Champs
|
40 Point Era 1982-2018
|
|
|
|
|
Top Junior's with 2+ wins
|
|
|
TITLE
|
LAST
|
|
NAME
|
CITY, STATE
|
|
WINS
|
YEAR
|
|
Jim Walters
|
Troy, OH
|
Boy's
|
5
|
1993
|
|
Alan Francis
|
Blythdale, MO
|
Boy's
|
4
|
1985
|
|
Shalee Sebastian
|
Shinglehouse. PA
|
Girl's
|
4
|
2002
|
|
Debby Bestul
|
Eau Claire, WI
|
Girl's
|
4
|
1988
|
|
Celeste Polak
|
East Bernard, TX
|
Girl's
|
3
|
1992
|
|
Tyler Howard
|
Richmond, KY
|
Boy's
|
2
|
2016
|
|
Dalton Rakestraw
|
West Plains, MO
|
Boy's
|
2
|
2013
|
|
Michael Bowman
|
Archie, MO
|
Boy's
|
2
|
2009
|
|
Thomas Lee
|
Sisseton, SD
|
Boy's
|
2
|
2007
|
|
Drew Becker
|
Kitchener, ONT.CAN
|
Boy's
|
2
|
2003
|
|
Branson Miller
|
Middletown, VA
|
Boy's
|
2
|
1999
|
|
Jeremy Umphries
|
Tyler, TX
|
Boy's
|
2
|
1997
|
|
Cameran Edwards
|
Surgar Grove, PA
|
Girl's
|
2
|
2018
|
|
Lindsay Hodgins
|
Duncan, BC-CAN
|
Girl's
|
2
|
2014
|
|
Betany Heinritz
|
Pewaukee, WI
|
Girl's
|
2
|
2011
|
|
Tava Cook
|
Stratford, WI
|
Girl's
|
2
|
2004
|
|
Penny Steinke
|
Waukesha, WI
|
Girl's
|
2
|
1996
|
|
Boni Boser
|
Pierz, MN
|
Girl's
|
2
|
1983
|
|
Ryan Schepers
|
Lake Ozark, MO
|
Cadet's
|
2
|
2014
|
|
Blake Roberts
|
Beaver, OH
|
Cadet's
|
2
|
2004
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
