The objective of the National Dart Foundation
of the Philippines (NDFP) is to elevate darts as a major Philippine
sport by creating a nationwide mass base of active darters – the “Mainstream
Darters”.
In pursuit of these objectives, the NDFP views darts as:
1. Darts as a Competitive Sport.
2. Darts as a Social-Life Game.
3. Darts as Hope for the Future.
“Darts as a Competitive Sport" is building
the national and local dart infrastructure for the "hard core darters”,
the “balik-darters”, the garage throwers and the novice beginners. This
entails creating a national network of strong local dart organizations
to mobilize suitable dart venues, organize dart activities such as dart
leagues, dart tournament and having yearly calendar of events, which
are recurrent predictable happenings to rev up for.
“Darts as a Social-Life Game" involves integrating
darts into normal patterns of living: work-friendly, family-friendly,
school-friendly and putting darts into the people’s recreation and entertainment
equation.
“Darts as Hope for the Future" is laying the
groundwork for advancing darters’ aspirations and careers, building
darts as a major sport in the public eye and creating darting heroes
on the same pedestal as billiards and bowling.
An Overview of the Dynamics of Philippine Darts
Before any programs can be laid down, we need to understand the historical
roots and dynamics of Philippine darts. This overview shows us where
darters first started playing darts, the different kinds of darters,
the evolution of the mainstream darters and the predicaments and problems
encountered that hamper the growth of Philippine darts.
The NDFP invested P100,000 to make the following market researches by
Vicente R. Valdellon of VRV Management and Property Consultancy, Inc.
in July 2003 to objectively understand the Philippine dart market.
1.) The Darting Milieu and the Prospect for Market Expansion
2.) Darts: An Imaging Study
The Different Kinds of Darters – an NDFP Classification
Understanding the aspirations and motivations of the different kinds
of darters’ profile help us pinpoint the strategies to integrate them
into the mainstream dart activities.
•
“Garage Throwers”
These are the darters who play at home, in their garage, among friends
and family. They play at home due to the following reasons: they lack
the confidence to play in the mainstream, they see darts as a hobby
and a social competitive game or there are no dart activities in their
locale.
•
“Novato Darters” – the Novice / Beginners
These are the darters who are new in the mainstream darting activities
of dart tournaments and dart leagues. They are either the direct products
of the breeding ground of darters who seek a competitive environment
or the garage throwers who have gained confidence to compete.
•
“Hobbyist and Enthusiasts”
These are the darters who continuously play darts in the mainstream
arena for the social value and fun of playing darts.
•
“Hard Core Darters”
These are the serious, competitive darters who regularly practice and
play in the mainstream dart activities.
•
“Mainstream Darters”
This is the sum total of the darters who play in the mainstream dart
activities such as the pub games, weekly tournaments, dart leagues and
major tournaments on a regular basis.
•
“Hibernating Darters”
These are the darters who stopped playing darts. They may be from the
mainstream darters who stopped due to various reasons or from the institutional
darters who wait for the next dart activity in their respective institutions.
•
“Balik Darters”
These are the darters who played darts, stopped playing and revived
playing darts again.
•
“Non-Darters”
These are all others who have never played darts before.
The “Natural Breeding Ground of Darters”
Market research shows that the Filipino darters came from what we call
the “natural breeding grounds of darts”. These are the institutions
where darters first learned how to play darts.
• 46% Barangays
• 24% Government Agencies / Corporations
• 17% Dart Venues / Clubs
• 13% Schools
Herein is the simplified link that will show the evolution of the mainstream
darters starting from the natural breeding grounds and the intervention
programs to expand the mainstream darters.
The Evolution of the
Mainstream Darters
Market
Intervention Programs / Building the Local infrastructure
The propagation and explosion of darts will
only materialize when the proper structures and programs are in place.
The NDFP supports the creation of the national dart infrastructure and
the strengthening and creation of local dart associations that will
build the local dart infrastructure.
Strengthen and Support Local Dart Associations
The nationwide development of darts will come from strong, autonomous,
empowered and well-informed local dart associations that will spearhead
the local dart development with the support, guidance and direction
of the NDFP. A mutual support network of the different dart associations
nationwide and the NDFP will be established to strengthen and complement
the local and national plans and programs.
Historically there is no support and encouragement for the establishment
of local dart organizations. There is no direction, support and vision
to propagate darts through the local organizations. This has hampered
very significantly the impetus for local organizing efforts for there
are no unified and standard practices to this effect.
The local dart structure entails a local dart association / club, viable
dart venues and continuing dart activities. The interplay of these three
factors will keep darts alive in any place. Take out any one of these
factors and darts will decline.
The intervention thrust of the local organization has been laid down
previously in the section on Building the Local Infrastructure.
The NDFP fully supports the creation and strengthening of the local
dart associations. The publication of the Dart Reference Manual, formation
of regional coordinators / managers, organizing power point presentations
in Visayas and Mindanao and the planned accreditation programs are concrete
examples of the NDFP’s commitment of support.
NDFP Darts Reference Manual
The NDFP realized the lack of dart materials and compiled the NDFP
Darts Reference Manual. The manual provides basic tools
for organizing local darts organizations / associations and understanding,
organizing and launching dart leagues and dart tournaments. This is
the only available comprehensive Philippine material related to dart
organizations, leagues and tournaments. This manual is integrated in
this website.
NDFP Regional Coordinators / Managers
The NDFP envisions a national dart organizational structure where the
country is divided into manageable and realistic dart regions and areas
led by the regional coordinators / managers. This is to accelerate implementation
of dart development programs and to address the needs and requirements
of each region. Basis for regionalization will be dependent on the area’s
level and stage of organizational maturity and its dart population base.
The initial thrust for regionalization was made in the latter part of
2004 as a pilot project for a national regionalization program.
The positions of the Northern and Southern Mindanao NDFP Regional Coordinatoras
/ Managers were created:
1.) To oversee the creation and the support network of the local dart
organizations,
2.) To stimulate and initiate dart activities and
3.) To aid the NDFP in formulating national policies and guidelines.
An NDFP Middle East Regional Coordinator was created this year to aid
and guide the NDFP in integrating our overseas Filipino darters and
ultimately to provide a support network for our overseas Filipino workers
/ darters.
NDFP Program for Accredited Tournament Directors and Coaches
The lack of trained tournament directors has significantly held back
the pace of institutionalizing major tournaments and setting the standards
of dart tournaments. It is a travesty, bordering on the criminal, that
after twenty years this know-how is limited to only few individuals
to the detriment of the sport.
To address this need the NDFP will establish a Dart Center for Excellence
offering an accreditation program for tournament directors, dart coaches
and instructors. This will be implemented once we see the growth of
the affiliated local dart organizations.
NDFP National and Major Tournaments
The strength of a national dart infrastructure is the continuous holding
of major dart tournaments nationwide. The NDFP envisions a year-long
calendar of major tournaments through out the Philippines presented
by the local dart organizations. The NDFP encourages and supports the
once a year major tournament organized by the local dart organizations
to be recognized and integrated in the NDFP National Ranking System,
known as the NDFP Performance Points. There
are no sanctioning fees to be included in the Performance Points.
The NDFP will present a yearlong Calendar of Events
which is recurrent and predictable for darters to continuously prepare
for. For 2006, the calendared events of major tournaments in Mindanao
will reach a minimum of 1.2 million in total cash prize. This is the
product of the active support of the NDFP machinery generated by the
NDFP Regional Coordinators / Managers and the affiliated local dart
organizations. As the local organizations become more established and
organized we foresee more major tournaments in the future, not only
in Mindanao, but on a national basis.
Create a Positive Image for Darts
The thrust of a nationwide dart revival is to regenerate a positive
image for darts. “Darts should transcend the image of smoke filled bars
and as a pastime for drinking.” Market researches showed a negative
perception for the sports of darts and not until this image and perception
changes, the expansion of darts will be limited. The public should see
the competitiveness and the positive social enhancement that darts can
provide.
TV Darts Specials
The NDFP invested in the TV darts specials of the free registration
Darterong Pinoy 2003, Darterong Pinoy 2004 and the 38th Araw ng Agusan
del Norte P400,000 National Darts Classic of 2005 to create a positive
image for darts and to propel darts as a major sport in the public eye.
The continuing replays of the TV specials in Prime Channel project darts
as a thriving wholesome family sport and hopefully alleviates the negative
perception people have about darts. NDFP is cultivating media partners
to maximize the exposure of darts to the general public. TV specials
will be produced at least once a year.
Dart Mall Tour
The Dart Mall Tour of 2004 was undertaken to enhance the image of darts,
propagate the sport and expose darts to the general public. One of the
goals of the Dart Mall Tour is to integrate dart-playing into the entertainment
and social lives of people and their normal social-life venues. The
Sunday afternoon mall tournament is to make darts family-friendly minimizing
the negative perception of darts as an “inuman” game that goes into
the wee hours of the morning.
NDFP Website
The main thrust of this website is to showcase and uplift Philippine
darts to the general public, present the rationale of the NDFP’s direction,
recognize darter’s performance, provide information to darters and to
secure feedback from darters.