RO'ing major matches

[CrashDodson]

Soooo I just finished up the Level 1 nroi seminar.  Lots of good information and the class was very interesting.

With that said, it sounds like ROing at a major match might not be that fun.  If you have RO'ed a major/sanctioned match:

Why did you do it? Because the match was held at your club?  To shoot the match for free?  Because you like standing in the sun for days and hearing shooters complain?  To give back to the sport?  

Did you enjoy it?

Would you do it again?

[cody6477]

I have not done it yet, but plan to.  Maybe to shoot for free, or to get into a match that might be really crowded and no other way in.  Giving back and being a contributor appeals to me, and is the main reason I took the RO course in the first place.  I contribute as an RO at a couple of clubs where I shoot regularly and have done some stage designs.  The main reason I want to do a major though is to learn more, to watch and learn from seasoned ROs in a really intensive experience.

[motosapiens]

I volunteered for nationals right after I did my level 1 RO seminar, and it was a great experience. I liked it so much I worked the next 2 nationals as well. Yes, it is alot of work, but the CRO's at nationals are some of the most experienced and best, so you learn a ton from them, and you also learn a ton about shooting from watching everyone shoot the same stage, and seeing what works and what doesn't and what kind of mistakes people make and what things people aren't preparing for that they should be.

I work my home area and section match if it's at all possible, and I plan to work more nationals when they come back to the west. One of the real benefits of working majors is I enjoy the heck out of the matches I don't work now, and I have alot of appreciation for how much effort goes into putting on a good match, and running a good stage.

Also I have noticed that the overwhelming majority of shooters not only don't complain, but go out of their way to be pleasant and express their thanks. Maybe 1% or less of shooters are whiny biatches, and I treat them the same as everyone else. I figure their life already sucks, so why should I make it worse, lol.

Edited August 29, 2016 by motosapiens

[CrashDodson]

Do your area and section matches cover your costs?

[motosapiens]

At area 1 there has always been free hotel room at least. sometimes more depending on the MD.

 

Section matches you generally shoot for free, but that's about it. Entry fees are pretty low for a section match... of course it also only takes 1 extra day out of my life too, and it's fun. But I'm one of those people who likes to be part of the solution. I figure if everyone works their own section match, then we should all be able to shoot other section matches as consumers and just relax and shoot and concentrate on our own game.

[Kraj]

Ive only ROed level 2 match. Every time ive shot the match for free, they put you up in a hotel room while your there and they feed you while your on the range. Ive always felt like ive been taken care of working matchs. I do it to give back to the sport, its not usually worth it from a financial standpoint to take day off work to work matches. The people youll spend the weekend with are generally a great group of people and if no one works matches there wouldnt be any matches.

[Trent1k1]

One of the very cool thing about volunteering to RO or work any major match (level 2 or higher) is the ability to watch and interact with some of the top shooters in the country in every division.

As an RO, you will normally shoot the match prior.  You will have already broken the stage down for your Division.  It is always interesting to see the top shooters in each Division shoot it, and mentally compare that to how you shot it.  I have also found it interesting to see how those shooters interact with each other, shooters not as accomplished, and how they work with the ROs.

I don't work for the pay, but the free match and stipend means that the cost to attend the match doesnt hit my shooting budget as hard and i can attend more matches.

If you really want to be competitive, it is VERY hard to shoot the match on staff day.  A 2 day match is jammed into 1 day of shooting.  12 stages in one day, in the summer is pretty brutal.  Also, the top competition doesnt normally shoot on staff day, meaning that there isn't anyone to watch shoot a stage, or get the timing of a prop as opposed to being a competitor and watching staff shoot as you shoot the next day.

Is it hard work? Yep

Would the sport exist without volunteers?  Nope.

It would be great if every RO would volunteer maybe 1 major per year in their area to help spread the load a little bit.

[MarkCO]

I work/run almost as many major matches each year as I shoot.  I do it for a few reasons, and they have changed over time.

Working majors, especially as a newer shooter is like taking a class for free.  You get to see firsthand what the differences are between groups of shooters (in terms of skills).  Now it is more about the fact that this sport was built on volunteers and they are still the backbone of the sport.  Staff is needed and necessary to play and if everyone is a consumer, no one gets to play.  I will do more than my part to make up for those who won't ever lift a finger to promote the sport or matches by giving of their time and energy because I love the action shooting sports.

It will, in most cases, hurt your score, be tiring, and frustrating at times as well.

You also get to hear all kinds of excuses from would be match winners...if only they had done...:)

[CrashDodson]

4 hours ago, motosapiens said:

I volunteered for nationals right after I did my level 1 RO seminar, and it was a great experience. I liked it so much I worked the next 2 nationals as well. Yes, it is alot of work, but the CRO's at nationals are some of the most experienced and best, so you learn a ton from them, and you also learn a ton about shooting from watching everyone shoot the same stage, and seeing what works and what doesn't and what kind of mistakes people make and what things people aren't preparing for that they should be.

I work my home area and section match if it's at all possible, and I plan to work more nationals when they come back to the west. One of the real benefits of working majors is I enjoy the heck out of the matches I don't work now, and I have alot of appreciation for how much effort goes into putting on a good match, and running a good stage.

Also I have noticed that the overwhelming majority of shooters not only don't complain, but go out of their way to be pleasant and express their thanks. Maybe 1% or less of shooters are whiny biatches, and I treat them the same as everyone else. I figure their life already sucks, so why should I make it worse, lol.

what type of stuff do you get to do at nationals as a level 1 RO?

[Trent1k1]

Run Shooters, Run the tablet or fill out the paper forms, reset steel, reset props, double, triple check that all targets are pasted and the stage is reset.

It really is all the stuff any RO should do, but the repetition, and the ability to see how a good CRO runs the stage is very helpful to a new RO.  You will really learn how to 'turn and burn' shooters and be efficient on stage management (if you have good, experienced ROs)

You may need to make tough scoring calls, but as a Level 1 RO, you should have a CRO to escalate to, and a Range Master to make the final decision.

[JayWord]

21 minutes ago, CrashDodson said:

what type of stuff do you get to do at nationals as a level 1 RO?

Everything. If you have a three person team, you will run every third squad, score and shuffle paper. Some CROs will let you run more squads and concentrate on making sure the stage runs smoothly, but I am a hands on type of CRO so we share the wealth.  In my opinion, working the Nationals or any other big match is the best way to learn the skills to be a great RO.  I make a deal with my staff. They handle the squad check-in etc. and I will make sure the stage is physically ready to go, IE targets hung, steel checked, etc.

 

Jay

 

[JayWord]

21 minutes ago, CrashDodson said:

what type of stuff do you get to do at nationals as a level 1 RO?

Everything. If you have a three person team, you will run every third squad, score and shuffle paper. Some CROs will let you run more squads and concentrate on making sure the stage runs smoothly, but I am a hands on type of CRO so we share the wealth.  In my opinion, working the Nationals or any other big match is the best way to learn the skills to be a great RO.  I make a deal with my staff. They handle the squad check-in etc. and I will make sure the stage is physically ready to go, IE targets hung, steel checked, etc.

 

Jay

 

[Sarge]

7 hours ago, CrashDodson said:

Soooo I just finished up the Level 1 nroi seminar.  Lots of good information and the class was very interesting.

With that said, it sounds like ROing at a major match might not be that fun.  If you have RO'ed a major/sanctioned match:

Why did you do it? Because the match was held at your club?  To shoot the match for free?  Because you like standing in the sun for days and hearing shooters complain?  To give back to the sport?  

Did you enjoy it?

Would you do it again?

I do it to give back to the sport number one. Yes I enjoy it. I work 3-5 a year normally.

if you are in doubt AT ALL don't volunteer. It will suck for you and your CRO if you're not 100% vested. I often get stuck with newbies who "aren't ready to run shooters yet". That leads to a lot of work and very little enjoyment

[motosapiens]

3 hours ago, CrashDodson said:

what type of stuff do you get to do at nationals as a level 1 RO?

I ran the production supersquad on our stage (they are actually easier in many ways). 

I was a little nervous about running shooters, but after a few squads I got the hang of it, and it has never bothered me again.

[StealthyBlagga]

13 hours ago, CrashDodson said:

... Because the match was held at your club?  To shoot the match for free?  Because you like standing in the sun for days and hearing shooters complain?  To give back to the sport?  ...

All of the above.

I have RO'd matches from Level 1 up to Level 5 (World Shoot). All were fun in their way. You meet the nicest people. Certainly it is hard work... I consider them my diet plan as I always drop weight working them.

Edited August 30, 2016 by StealthyBlagga

[rowdyb]

Why did you do it? My club asked for volunteers for our sectional match. i told them i was not a RO. they put me on stats. I show up on match day and I'm assigned to RO a stage. I said I wasn't a RO but they said "oh, you're a competitor. you know the rules, you'll be fine." I didn't want to but it's what happened.Because the match was held at your club?Yes, it was at my local club, I just wanted to help.  To shoot the match for free? Not at all. My time is worth more than what they could possibly pay me by giving me a match fee. You get paid the equivalent of what, $10 a hour to RO a match? No, definitely not for the money. Because you like standing in the sun for days and hearing shooters complain? Funnily enough the only people who really irritated the hell out of me were other RO's shooting the match, not regular shooters. To give back to the sport?  Nope, no sense of greater good. Strictly thinking at club/local level. Again, I didn't think I'd be ROing when I just answered the call for general help for the match. I mean I'd also already helped set up the stages the week before.

Did you enjoy it? No.

Would you do it again?No. I would prefer not to even RO local matches actually.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

I enjoyed shooting so when the call went out for staff at sectional and area matches, I volunteered.  Without people helping, I would not be able to shoot so it was time for me to do it.  A couple matches it cost me money for Motel and gas and that was OK even though I did not get to shoot. 

Working a major can be a lot of fun.  Best ones I ever worked were IDPA New England Regionals early in my shooting.  Shot with some great people.  Had a 1911 go down on me during the staff shoot and had Massad Ayoob loan me a TGO1 he was doing an article on so I could finish.

We (staff) were put up at the local club members houses and fed every night with some type of barbecue.  We all got to be very good friends and the friendships hold today.  That is what the sport was all about for me and why I volunteered

The last two USPSA matches I worked I did not shoot.  One was 4 days away from home other I volunteered one day for chrono on staff day.  At the one day match, I couldn't even get a bottle of water and it was my last.

People that volunteer and shoot is one thing.  People that volunteer and don't shoot is another.  There are wives that do not shoot that help.  They deserve recognition.  There are club members that volunteer and do not participate in the sport.  They need to be acknowledged.  There are a lot of people that work as ROs and ask for nothing and they need to be recognized. 

If you want to work a match, I say do it.  It is the best experience you can get.  If you are a Match Director looking for staff, remember to take care of the people that are helping you out. 
 

[davidwiz]

I've RO'ed several nationals and stopped doing it because of the "old guard" RO's who treat other ROs not like them like dirt.  Not to mention the former military ROs who still think (or fantasize they were) a drill Sargent and bark at everyone (ROs included).  I just RO local matches now were I don't have to deal with the BS.

[motosapiens]

1 hour ago, davidwiz said:

I've RO'ed several nationals and stopped doing it because of the "old guard" RO's who treat other ROs not like them like dirt.  Not to mention the former military ROs who still think (or fantasize they were) a drill Sargent and bark at everyone (ROs included).  I just RO local matches now were I don't have to deal with the BS.

i must be lucky. in 3 nationals, i have only ever worked with really really good CRO's

[waktasz]

I do it to give back to the clubs that put on matches around here and to support the MD.

I'll be shooting Area 8 tomorrow and working this Saturday and Sunday actually.

 

[teros135]

I also do it to give back to the clubs and support the sport.  We're pretty much all volunteer at the match level and we wouldn't be having matches if people didn't come early and help set up, share RO duties on their squad, and help with teardown (real easy if the whole squad it tearing down their last stage).  RO-ing adds to one's appreciation of what's going on on the stage and during the runs and seems (to me and friends) to bring a greater appreciation for the rules and the principles of
Safety-Fairness-Efficiency.

This is multiplied in higher level matches, which you've already shot and now you get to see the work that's making it happen.  Running 100 shooters back-to-back in a day can be an experience, although with a cohesive RO team and good CRO and RM (I've been lucky to have these) it goes fairly well.  I've been pretty tired afterward, but felt rewarded for having done it (and having participated more fully in the sport and helped all the shooters move through the match). 

[ano]

I've done nationals, and nordic championships etc.

reasons:

Because the match was held at your club (multiple memberships)

To give back to the sport

 

If nobody works matches, there are no matches. so I figure I do 2-3 L3's a year, and some L2's, and I've done at least my part. 

 

 

[davidwiz]

19 hours ago, motosapiens said:

i must be lucky. in 3 nationals, i have only ever worked with really really good CRO's

That's good you were able to experience that.  The last 4 Nationals (back-to-back) I worked at Vegas were bad.  One battleaxe RO (the kind that sit in a chair all day and do nothing but take up space and complain) chastised me for not having hearing protection on while I was about 50' behind the line watching another squad shoot (I had my fingers in my ear).  She became so miffed that she called the RM to try to get me in trouble.  The year prior I was sick for a few days (bad cold, sore throat, etc) but still showed up to work.  The CRO actually had the gall to chastise me for being "grumpy".

[CHA-LEE]

If you are looking for an equitable trade in working a match verses being a consumer at the match its never going to be a fair trade. Donating your time, effort, and skill to RO a major match comes down to a labor of love. There are a few perks here or there but don't expect it to be an "Even" trade and it can't be unless the match fees are doubled or tripled.

That being said, this sport can't happen without the dedicated volunteer efforts from many to make it happen. When you help run a match take pride in your efforts as it is much appreciated by most. Sure there will always be a bad apple or two in the bunch that choose to make the match staffs life more difficult than it needs to be. But that is the same in everything. You can choose to allow those few people to ruin your day or blow them off and enjoy the bulk of the shooters who do appreciate your efforts.

[ctay]

There is another advantage to being an RO or even working up to being a MD or RM. Seeing a good match run the right way. It is sooo much work to put on a match I can't even really describe it. But when everything comes together, the competitors and staff have a fun safe match - it is immensely rewarding.

Heck, I even enjoy seeing people finding holes in what I thought was a bullet proof stage design. I enjoy seeing other people being clever or seeing other people *think* they are being clever.