December 1, 2001
ANOTHER
DOT-COM GOES DOT-GONE.
PennTrackXC (previously known as DyeStatPA)
is now off-line.
It has been a fun, frustrating, rewarding, disheartening,
and inspiring ride. And it's for exactly those contradictory
reasons that after 20 months of providing continuous coverage
of Pennsylvania high school cross country and track &
field that I have decided the battle may not be winnable.
Most of you are owed an explanation.
Fun - No doubt about it,
cross country and the many events of track & field are
great joys to behold at any level. The enthusiasm exhibited
by each athlete is palpable. Indeed, at this level, it is
truly still sport.
Frustrating - From the
beginning, generating content has been an uphill battle. The
acceptance by the athletes, most of the coaches and parents,
and much of the media was almost immediate. They were hungry
for the information, and quickly found a view and a visibility
of their sports they wholeheartedly supported. Getting results
began as pure labor, and evolved into a spirit of sharing
and track-community-building that was evident in the sheer
quantity of results during the past spring and fall seasons.
But some information continued to be a difficult thing to
obtain, with more than a few complaints about missing schedules
and results, with few offers to find the information requested.
"Arrrrgh."
Rewarding - The friendships
I have made will enrich me forever. Watching as athlete after
athlete turned their commitment and work ethic into a lifestyle
that will make them valuable, caring, contributing members
of society, has been the most rewarding.
Disheartening - This is
the heart of my decision. While there have been fun and rewarding
elements to accompany the tolerable frustrations, my experience
has included a rather distasteful side. I guess disheartening
says it best. I have been threatened with expulsion from a
meet. I was asked to leave a press area during another large
meet, while other media had total access. I have been misquoted
– the resulting furor leading a power in T&F to deny
me credentials to a major meet with no chance for challenging
the misquote. Once again I have been denied even photo credentials
by the Penn Relays. It is the third and final time. It's the
biggest meet in the US. The major event in many a PA athlete's
life. And because I cover (covered) the state that sends only
the 3rd most athletes, my constituency was apparently not
large enough to warrant a press pass. (Note: during October,
2001, PennTrackXC had over 45,000 individual visitors who
selected over 420,000 pages on the site; for November, it
was 45,000+ visits and 448,000+ page views). What's more,
in trying to help PA athletes discover and aspire to a forum
for their talents outside of PA, I have been told I am endangering
their eligibility. It adds up to 20 months of discouraging,
disheartening experiences.
But ultimately, it came down to return on
investment. And during the 20 months of covering the sport,
I have generated virtually no income while expending an average
of 19 hours a week* away from my family,
my employees and my clients. In this economy, the disheartending
experiences now outweigh the return.
What will become of the results, photos and
stories from 20 months of continuous coverage, plus the archives
that have yet to be published from 1997-2000? I can't say.
Hopefully, I'll find them a good home, because they do belong
to the athletes of PA.
Inspiring - I started
running to quit smoking at the age of 31 (just a few years
ago, it seems). My kids followed me out the door onto the
trails, until eventually, I followed them to a sport that
has inspired me every day.
For that, I thank them, and you.
But now, I think I just want to be a fan.
Don Rich, PennTrackXC
PennTrackXC Email
2002 Indoor Schedule
* In my
business, we measure productivity in time. So the commitment
I made in March, 2000 to my company was that I would monitor
the time I spent on this website. It didn't have to turn a
profit. But it did have to justify its existence.
