Novices Are The Club's Future

Autocross is a beginner sport. Yes, a lot of us stick around doing it for decades and we take it very seriously, but in the end the sport is geared for the novice. The safety is high for motor sport, the cost is low, and most clubs have a person whose sole job is to make sure the new folk know what to do.

Clubs should do everything they can to make sure novices keep coming back!

All clubs have attrition. Veterans move away or burn out and clubs need a constant flow of new blood or they will soon find themselves with few participants and fewer members to run things.

Here are some tips to make sure the new people enjoy themselves and want to come back:

Make A Novice Class

Most clubs do this thankfully. It gives the novices a place to compete against their peers and not feel out skilled by those who have decades of experience. That being said, it should be everyone's goal to graduate the novices out of the novice class and into the open classes.

Pay Attention To The Novices!

Novices should be taken under the wings of the veterans. More novices get frustrated and don't come back due to simply being overwhelmed and not knowing what to do. Clubs should make a few work assignments for hanging around in grid, riding along with every novice there. Clubs usually do this for the first timers and those that are getting lost repeatedly, but all of the novices could use help and most would love someone riding shotgun giving go-fast tips.

Give Out Trophies

Novices LOVE to bring home trophies. There should always be a trophy ceremony after every event to give out the bling. Also, the club could make a rule that the trophies are handed out only after the course is cleaned up so there is always plenty of help at the end of the day. Trophies give the novice something tangible to shoot for as well as give them something to show off to friends who may decide to give it a shot themselves.

Remember, Novices Are New

Well, duh. I know it sounds obvious but veterans need to remember that novices are new. This means novices don't know they are suggesting the same ideas that have been beaten to death for years. It means they will ask about potential venues not realizing the club has been turned down there for decades. When a novice gives a suggestion, take them seriously, and if it's something that cannot be done respectfully let them know why and thank them for being involved. The last thing a club should want is the veterans acting like an elite clique and making the novice feel unwanted. I'm not saying do everything the novices suggest, I'm just saying that if they are taking the time and effort to come up with ideas and present them to the club it means they are willing to be invested in the sport and that they are someone the club wants to hold onto.

Don't Mock The Novices

Sure it's easy to poke fun of the things some novices say and do but all it does it make them not want to come back. First timers often come in thinking they are the next racing god and quickly get schooled by lesser cars with better drivers, they have cars with modifications they thought were good but in reality only make them slower, and they will likely not walk the course enough and get lost. We were all noobs at one point so don't make fun of them. You may think it's harmless and funny since the veterans around you laugh at the jokes but it's only going to drive the novices away.