Our store Box Loader Humor	North American Box Loaders' Association
	Introducing Ourselves The North American Box Loaders' Association (NABLA) is a fictional organization designed to have some fun with the glorious profession mentioned in our name. The box loader (our first major decision was to officially reject "boxloader" and, heaven forbid, "boxLoader") is the key element in the sport of flyball. In our opinion, the box loader is more important than the handlers or the dogs. Think about it. Without the dogs or the handlers, we could still load the boxes (although, admittedly, they clog up after two balls) but the dogs couldn't race at all without us. And just what would the handlers do, we ask? Our Symbol Our symbol is a "nabla", a mathematical symbol that usually means "delete". If anyone comes up with a reason why this has any relevence to flyball, please let us know. Our Slogans We have two: It's always our fault. Yep, whenever anything bad happens on the flyball mats, we know who's to blame. You told us so. Your balls are in our hands. With great power comes great responsibility. We're generally a pretty careful group, thank goodness. A wide variety of merchandise is available with our NABLA logo and you choice of slogans. See it at our store. A Note of Class NABLA has appointed a poet laureate. Really. He wishes to remain anonymous, so we shall refer to him here only as "Jack Brown". Here is his first creation for us. The Box Loader's Lament I stand behind the flyball box At the tournament. I load the balls for all those dogs Until we both are spent. I am supposed to know the balls they want, The way they turn and such, And reload in an instant when Dogs and handlers get in dutch. I don’t claim to be a handler, But when the racing gets all sick Handlers depend on boxloaders To make the whole team tick. To stand behind that flyball box Takes courage and agility. Being a target for a ball-crazed dog Seems completely insane to me. But life would be a pleasure And I would wear a great big grin, If teams would only share the lineup BEFORE the race begins! We are encouraging other literary submissions, although, frankly, you'll have to go some to be better than the ode reprinted above. Haiku, anyone? Please send your submissions to libraryref@gmail.com.
	The copyright for all material on this Web site, including the name North American Box Loaders' Association (NABLA), the nabla logos, and all text is held by the Prepare for Takeoff Flyball Club (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada). All rights reserved. No use may be made of this material without permission from the club executive.

North American Box Loaders' Association

Introducing Ourselves

The North American Box Loaders' Association (NABLA) is a fictional organization designed to have some fun with the glorious profession mentioned in our name. The box loader (our first major decision was to officially reject "boxloader" and, heaven forbid, "boxLoader") is the key element in the sport of flyball. In our opinion, the box loader is more important than the handlers or the dogs. Think about it. Without the dogs or the handlers, we could still load the boxes (although, admittedly, they clog up after two balls) but the dogs couldn't race at all without us. And just what would the handlers do, we ask?

Our Symbol

Our symbol is a "nabla", a mathematical symbol that usually means "delete". If anyone comes up with a reason why this has any relevence to flyball, please let us know.

Our Slogans

We have two:

It's always our fault.

Yep, whenever anything bad happens on the flyball mats, we know who's to blame. You told us so.

Your balls are in our hands.

With great power comes great responsibility. We're generally a pretty careful group, thank goodness.

A wide variety of merchandise is available with our NABLA logo and you choice of slogans. See it at our store.

A Note of Class

NABLA has appointed a poet laureate. Really. He wishes to remain anonymous, so we shall refer to him here only as "Jack Brown". Here is his first creation for us.

The Box Loader's Lament

I stand behind the flyball box
At the tournament.
I load the balls for all those dogs
Until we both are spent.

I am supposed to know the balls they want,
The way they turn and such,
And reload in an instant when
Dogs and handlers get in dutch.

I don’t claim to be a handler,
But when the racing gets all sick
Handlers depend on boxloaders
To make the whole team tick.

To stand behind that flyball box
Takes courage and agility.
Being a target for a ball-crazed dog
Seems completely insane to me.

But life would be a pleasure
And I would wear a great big grin,
If teams would only share the lineup
BEFORE the race begins!

We are encouraging other literary submissions, although, frankly, you'll have to go some to be better than the ode reprinted above. Haiku, anyone? Please send your submissions to libraryref@gmail.com.

The copyright for all material on this Web site, including the name North American Box Loaders' Association (NABLA), the nabla logos, and all text is held by the Prepare for Takeoff Flyball Club (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada). All rights reserved. No use may be made of this material without permission from the club executive.