The IATF Panel of Throwers is approaching its one-year marker, and in that time it has had some growing pains in relation to how it interacts with the IATF and the community it serves. As I learned from Christina DeGraft-Johnson (an appointed representative on the panel), there's still a lot to figure out, but there's also a lot of possibility for a more expansive, inclusive, and proactive approach to a sport that's still in its adolescence.
For those who don't know, the Panel of Throwers, comprised of 16 throwers from different regions around the world, meets with IATF leadership about every 6 weeks. The Panel and the IATF leadership discuss proposals (like new rulesets), existing rule modifications, IATC changes and determining the IATC circuit schedule. The Panel also acts as the voice of the community, funneling concerns or questions from the throwers in their regions to the IATF leadership. This coordination and advocation is, in theory, to promote a more direct (and listened to) line between your average thrower and the organization that oversees how axe throwers engage with the sport.
I sat down with Christina on the Saturday of Urban Open 2024, in those very concerning bleachers they put up for spectators. Trying to not think about falling 10 feet (which is a lot when you're a little round boy like me), I asked her about how the panel was going, and where it might be going to in the future):
SO, HOW DO YOU THINK IT'S [THE PANEL OF THROWERS] IS GOING?
Honestly, I think it could be going a little better. We're still trying to get our sea legs, if I'm being honest. We're trying to figure out what works best for us as panel members versus what's best for the IATF. We as panel members definitely feel like we're very well organized as far as how we want to go about this position, but we can only do what the IATF allows us to do, if that makes sense.
One of the big things that I really wanted to focus on -- what we really wanted to focus on, is the Code of Conduct. And I feel that due to various things, it keeps getting pushed to the back burner.
So there's our priority of "the code of conduct really needs to be figured out so our throwers can feel safe and supported in a big tournament or league setting" and I think because IATC just wrapped up, discussing the code of conduct has been thrown to the wayside a little bit. There was a little movement -
I DID NOTICE AT IATC, THEY STARTED THE ROUND 2 TOURNAMENT BY BRINGING UP THE CODE OF CONDUCT/WHO TO TALK TO IF ANYONE NOTICED PEOPLE NOT FOLLOWING THAT CODE -
Yeah - and that was our recommendation. I remember sitting on that panel call. [IATF] said "we're really focused on the IATC - we're going to work on the code of conduct but for right now..." and I was like "But you're about to host the IATC, what are you going to do to ensure your throwers are safe during that weekend?"
Historically, there is a lot of assault that happens during large weekends. You have hundreds of people in a small area, it's going to happen. So we all worked with them to identify what we need, at a minimum, for a venue. We decided to start with an opening speech that tells everyone what the rules are, identify the point people, and make sure people feel safe that they can go to literally anyone to report unsafe behavior.
I'm glad that they [IATF] was able to do that, that was my biggest like, concern. I'm really big on the code of conduct, I really need this to be a thing because...I don't think people really understand the extent of what it feels like to be a thrower that has been ostracized or harassed or just not taken seriously because it's a social sport.
[People will say] "well, just avoid that person," or "just play nice" but you can't, sometimes, because you're around these people who can be very malicious, or clique-y.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GET HOW NOT FEELING SAFE CAN AFFECT YOU. LIKE THERE CAN BE A BEAR IN A BUILDING, AND PEOPLE WILL SAY "WELL, YOU'RE FINE. THAT BEAR IS 8 LANES OVER...NO. HOW CAN I THROW WELL, OR FEEL SAFE, KNOWING THAT THING IS THERE.
A LOT OF DUDES, ESPECIALLY, THINK THAT IF YOU JUST ADDRESS THE PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENS, THAT WE'RE FINE, OPPOSED TO CREATING AN EVIRONMENT WHERE YOU PREVENT THE THING FROM EVER EVEN HAPPENING.
Absolutely, I agree with you. And that's the thing: I won't say being on the panel and working with the IATF hasn't been a good experience, or that we're not making progress. I do feel like it's slow progress, and it's hard to really feel heard, because the IATF has their priorities, and we [the panel] has our priorities, and they aren't always in sync.
We're doing better at trying to be in sync, but there's a lot of moving pieces.
DO YOU FEEL THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS JUST GROWING PAINS AND THAT THERE'S MOVING FORWARD, OR DO YOU FEEL THAT THE PANEL AND THE IATF WON'T BE ABLE TO FIND THAT BALANCE?
I do feel like it's just growing pains. We've been working on this for a couple months now - panel bylaws - trying to figure out what our structure is, how to approach being on a panel so future panel members are set up for success. I don't think it's an incompatibility, I just think...none of us really know what we're doing, so we're building it as we're in it.
I HAVE...YOU CAN JUST SAY NO TO THIS QUESTION...BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE PANEL I THINK YOUR OPINION IS WORTH KNOWING:
WATL LOOKS LIKE IT'S KINDOF DISINTEGRATING RECENTLY, JUST FROM WHAT I'M SEEING ONLINE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A PART OF THAT COMES FROM DOING SWEEPING RULES CHANGES, GETTING FEEBACK THAT SAYS "WE DON'T LIKE THESE RULES CHANGES," AND THEN NOT ADDRESSING THAT FEEDBACK OR ITS AFFECT.
BEING ON THE IATF PANEL, AND BEING SOMEONE WHO'S INVESTED IN COMMUNICATING CHANGES AND COMMUNICATING HOW THE COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO THOSE CHANGES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WATL DID RIGHT OR WRONG - OR IS IT A NON-ISSUE.
Yeah...I don't know too much about WATL. I have heard the same things that you just told me. I feel like, given what I know, they didn't roll out changes the right way, because it is an issue of how you help your community. If the community is, overwhelmingly, not in support of the changes, you go back and you figure it out.
I think that's something that the IATF has done really well as they were working on the rules changes, as far as touch-clutch point value and things like that - we play tested that. We did a lot of playtesting and community-opinion gathering. I think the experience of figuring that out was very collaborative, the feedback was heard and recognized.
I know there were so many people who were passionate about touch-clutch being three points rather than five points, and I feel like the IATF was very responsive in hearing that feedback and being straightforward about how it took that feedback and implemented those opinions.
I feel like WATL didn't do the best job at that. They made changes, got the feedback, looked at it, and said "well, we still like it, so we're keeping it." That's not a great way of drawing people into the sport.
IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE HORIZON FOR THE PANEL OR FOR THE SPORT THAT'S COMING UP?
Currently we're working on redistributing the regions. We're trying to figure out if doing it by travel distance vs. population density - that's something we're talking about. And of course, that's going to affect panel members, as we're elected or appointed based on the current region, and if those are changing, how do we navigate that?
So that's the big one on the horizon, as well, as always, the code of conduct - which will be something we continue to work on. Again, we're considering the panel structure, how we want to organize ourselves.
The other thing: IATC for next year. How to make that better than it was this year in terms of big axe - how we allow for more big axe and doubles as well. We're also looking into the women's tourney - trying to be more inclusive with the title - there are people who don't have gender, and don't identify with male/female, and don't feel comfortable throwing in a women's tournament. So trying to make things more inclusive to make sure we can provide a space for those folx feel welcome in throwing.
Finally, looking at regionals as a better counterpoint for IATC, since it will be in November rather than January.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD, OR THAT I SHOULD HAVE ASKED?
I don't think so? I think at the end of the day, our panel is trying to better support the community, and we only know what the IATF tells us. So having patience with us in knowing that we can only support you as best we can, but still holding the IATF accountable.
There are times where the IATF will say "oh, we already answered that," but the answer is in the form of a comment on a thread that nobody would know to go see - so being more open and transparent - and redundant. They believe they are communicating information out in as many ways as possible.
Continue to send us feedback - no issue is too small. There was one panel meeting where someone was talking about rule changes to axe heads. The IATF said "We're really focused on IATC right now, and can't prioritize a single question about a single axe head," but realistically it might not be important to them at the moment, but if someone is planning to go to IATC they need to know if their axe is legal or not. The IATF recognized that and said "our bad, you're right, let's address that now." So it's a matter of just helping the IATF see the big and small picture.
We are fighting for you guys. Just let us know what you need.
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