I think about this a lot... the NADAC vs. other venues divide. Here are some thoughts I had this morning:
I think for many people, the question comes down to one of relevance. Simply put, the skills you need to succeed in NADAC (distance, obstacle discrimination, especially) are not seen as relevant to other venues (I disagree). But, if you trial in AKC & USDAA, it is easy to see how the skills for one venue transfer to the other. The obstacle list is the same, course design is similar, and even the YPS requirements are similar. On the other hand, if you come to a NADAC show, some obstacles are missing, and some new ones are added, the course design is very different, times are tighter, and there is a much bigger emphasis on distance, directionals, and speed. The focus is different.
One of my instructors competes successfully in all three venues with his dogs. The skills he needs to be successful in Elite Chances (for instance) actually do translate very well to AKC & USDAA courses (think about how easy even Masters gamble lines are for teams that really excel at chances!). In class, he's had us do several series of a few weeks of distance work. At first, quite a few of the people in the class who were AKC only competitors questioned it, but he kept pointing out instances where he's used distance skills on a tough AKC course, etc... and once they learned a bit more and got more comfortable, they came around. I think a couple of them have even entered their club's NADAC show this spring.
So, that's a good thing... but I don't see these folks traveling for a couple hours to go to an out of town NADAC show. They've come around enough to support their club... but NADAC is not (and will not) be a serious thing for them. And, that's only one instructor. Earlier this year, another instructor in the same club was going to tell her students NOT to come to a local show-n-go that was going to feature NADAC equipment and NADAC style courses.
Last weekend I was at a USDAA show and overheard one competitor telling another that she should come to the NADAC show in a few weeks, since her young dog needed ring practice and in NADAC you can train in the ring. I'm sure she'll come... but she's coming to practice, and once her dog gets over his jitters, I think she'll move on. This attitude is not uncommon here, and I've seen a few other competitors come to start their young dogs in NADAC and then disappear. Runs are cheaper (overall) and you can train in the ring... so it really is the ideal venue for young dogs.
There are things to like and dislike about any venue. I used to dislike hoops, I am now indifferent to them. I am not excited to see barrels (and yes, Anja and I do play and practice sends around all sorts of things all the time... trees, lamp posts, planters, chairs, whatever), but I accept that they are coming. But as NADAC grows more and more different, I wouldn't be surprised to see fewer and fewer cross-venue folks... I think a lot of people want to play a certain game, and while you can change some rules, at a certain point if you change enough of them, they won't think they're playing the same game anymore.
unfortunately, I don't think this is a problem that will go away. I don't think the trick is to get other venue folks to come to NADAC... long term, I don't think it's a successful strategy. As Chris pointed out, we need instructors teaching NADAC skills, and perhaps most importantly, teaching their students that those skills are useful in multiple venues. An instructor that trials (successfully) in several venues might be the most powerful tool to get more new folks to NADAC... but that is a process that will take some time.
