The American Bicycle Association (ABA), created by Gene Roden and Merl Mennenga in 1977, originated in Chandler, Arizona, USA. Mennenga thought at the time that the kids and their families were being cheated by unscrupulous promoters (not the aforementioned individuals). As the NBA was declining, the ABA inherited many of its tracks and members making the ABA within two years the largest, albeit youngest, and the first truly nation-spanning sanctioning body. It was the ABA which introduced the "Direct Transfer System" that shortened the duration of race events. The ABA also started the team trophy concept to award trophies and prizes to the bicycle shop and factory teams with the best race results over a season. It was also the first to install electronic gates for its starting line with "Christmas tree" style lights (reminiscent of drag racing), to ensure fairer starts. It also started the BMX Hall of Fame, now called the National BMX Hall of Fame, recognizing the pioneers and industry visionaries of the sport.