Selection Process
U.S. Youth Championship Selection Process
The selection team is made up of individuals who are active in junior sailing. They can be race officials, coaches, judges, program directors or active sailors who know and attend junior sailing events. Chances are one or several of us will be at regattas and clinics that you are attending disguised as the person serving dinner or directing traffic in the parking lot, the college coach running the clinic, the PRO on the race committee boat and the college sailor setting marks for you in your sailing class. We are all those people and more.
The following is the procedure used by the Youth Championship Selection Committee to select participants in the U.S. Youth Championship. Your application included a list of some major regional and national regattas whose results are considered by the selectors. For doublehanded teams, the selectors are looking for your team results so you should have applied with and plan on sailing with your regular teammate. Changes are only granted in truly exceptional circumstances. (see the Conditions)
Each selector evaluates the sailors in their area of expertise but no one selector can see the scores of another. Each application is ranked regionally by more than one person and then ranked nationally using the selection process outlined below. There are no fixed fleet sizes – the selectors are looking for up to 175 of the best sailors.
Selection Procedure
Score each applicant using a 100 point scale"using the range as listed below. Though this will be difficult in many cases, it is VERY important, particularly in upper to mid 80 range. Keep in mind that comments and records will only be reviewed by the Selection Committee Chairman and are STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Decisions of the Selection Committee are final. Comments may only be released to the grievance committee if there is a challenge to the selection process for waitlisted sailors.
Categories:
90+= Definitely accept, sailor you feel is a top ten finisher. An “A” sailor.
86-90 = Definitely accept once all the A's are accepted.
80-85= Good Sailor, Good Potential but not quite ready. Maybe waitlisted.
>80= Declined for the Youth Champs.
The intent of the system is to accept all the 90s and above. If all the As cannot be accepted, the Selection Committee Chairman will contact the Selection Committee member before one of the 90+ is not accepted. Selectors should keep detailed records of decisions with respect to each applicant.
Rank the applications according to the criteria listed below. Use the following order of importance:
Demonstrated sail boat racing ability
Age (Older candidates are given preference in a tie)
Declared training program
Any other criteria
You may want to research each applicant's ability and background by:
a. examining regatta results
b. drawing on personal knowledge
c. talking with youth sailors in your region
d. talking with junior/youth sailing organizers in your region
e. talking with instructors and coaches in your region
f. researching the relative difficulty of regattas held in your region
While ranking applicants, the Selection Committee members must keep in mind the single most common "complaint" we receive is that a sailor in a region who did not get accepted regularly beats another sailor who did get accepted. Research and knowledge should minimize this occurrence. Selection is final.
AS THE NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY FOR SAILING IN THE UNITED STATES, SELECTORS MAY NOT DISCRIMINATE BASED UPON THE APPLICANT'S RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, AGE, SEX OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
v. 2013