US Nationals 2010

[shoot]

2 cents: Another prize table . There were plenty of helpers turned away.

I wanted to help work the prize table as well as a few of my friends. I also shot open/lim10 and worked LPR . I was signed up to help but was turned away as not needed.

That said for the prize table wannabe crew even though being all dressed up for the occasion in spiffy shirts after a frantic last stage and a quick shower we were turned away because there was just too much help for a single table.

I had looked forward to picking up my gun at the the nationals prize table for years but gave up on ever getting to it for a trinket. My idea for the future would be for 2 prize tables. For lack of a better word the also shot group. There was plenty of help willing and able to make it happen.

I would have liked a token prize but waiting for that long was very painful. The prizes for that second table were already separated out. We all knew what awaited us. Not scraps but you know the drill .. the lower level prizes. It would have made this thread much more up beat as well as gotten us maybe next year group a trinket for their efforts.

[smokshwn]

How many sponsors actually sponsor something used, and or for the match and not just for the prize table?

Oddly enough many of the sponsors you list below (who you don't consider sponsors) provide targets, steel, and chronographs as a standard sponsorship package that they offer to all matches not just a select few.

Shooters Connection and CED, Black Bullets and MGM are these types of sponsors. I don"t consider a gift certificate for a %discount to be sponsorship. nor the drink holder.

And here we have a classic example of exactly what drives vendors away from offering sponsorship of matches. I know for a fact that a couple of the "types of sponsors" above lose money on their sponsorship programs in this market. However they continue to offer their support simply because they want to support USPSA shooting. Yet instead of a thank you for all that they do offer they get kicked in the teeth and their gifts are derided.

Speaking for those who go door to door with hat in hand so to speak seeking match support from vendors, thank you for your help in showing our sponsors/supporters how much you appreciate them.

Edited November 1, 2010 by smokshwn

[shootingchef]

How many sponsors actually sponsor something used, and or for the match and not just for the prize table?

Oddly enough many of the sponsors you list below (who you don't consider sponsors) provide targets, steel, and chronographs as a standard sponsorship package that they offer to all matches not just a select few.

Shooters Connection and CED, Black Bullets and MGM are these types of sponsors. I don"t consider a gift certificate for a %discount to be sponsorship. nor the drink holder.

And here we have a classic example of exactly what drives vendors away from offering sponsorship of matches. I know for a fact that a couple of the "types of sponsors" above lose money on their sponsorship programs in this market. However they continue to offer their support simply because they want to support USPSA shooting. Yet instead of a thank you for all that they do offer they get kicked in the teeth and their gifts are derided.

Speaking for those who go door to door with hat in hand so to speak seeking match support from vendors, thank you for your help in showing our sponsors/supporters how much you appreciate them.

You totally misunderstood my post, the list were the ones that give to the match, they count, not the 20% coupons. Don't attack me personally. I will delete my earlier post as not cause more confusion to the issue.

[Thomas H]

My comment regarding Nationals is also about the prize table---but it doesn't have anything to do with the prizes on it.

I realize that it had been a long day for everyone, most especially those who worked the match. However, I find it really annoying to be dealt with like I'm an idiot because I followed the directions we were given.

For example, I was 25 on the Production list (not incredibly low, not incredibly high) so when they said "low numbers wait in the hallway out of the way" I went out, stayed far from the door, and waited. A few minutes later, a staff member came by and bellowed that "everyone not in the top 16 needs to go back to the ballroom [don't remember exactly what he called it] and wait, and we'll call your names".

I used the word "bellowed" not because he was merely loud, but extremely belligerent. This seemed odd, as I didn't think we'd had enough time yet for anyone to do anything particularly stupid.

Anyway--I went back into the large room, and waited, as we were told. Eventually, a couple of names that I recognized were called from the front, and I thought my name would therefore be called soon. It wasn't. I waited a little while longer, decided to find the room and ask anyway (since, after all, we hadn't actually been told where it was) so after wandering around a bit, I found the man with the clipboard and noticed that they were rather far past my name. I stepped up and said "Excuse me, sir, but I'm Thomas Howard, and I'm #25 on your list."

He looks at me, and from about 2 feet away, yells, "Well, where have you been? You sure missed out on some good stuff!"

This did not thrill me. He angrily (I say that clearly as I could hear him muttering to himself) put me in the line (whereupon I learned the guy behind me was #40) and I got to the prize table.

You know what? I can understand staff being fed up with people. I can understand it being a long day. That being said, I didn't really appreciate being bellowed at, and then being the object of derision, when it occurred because I FOLLOWED YOUR INSTRUCTIONS.

Organizationally, you need to have a plan. There was obviously good planning done on stages, staffing, and such for the match---devoting some planning to the prize table would be a good thing too. I'm not sure why they didn't simply say names from the podium in the big room. In this day and age, a simple projector hooked to a laptop would also suffice.

At the very least, making sure the directions you give actually match what you want to happen would be nice.

On the range, with one minor exception, I was impressed with the match staff---particularly on Stage 2, when they kept calm and polite in the face of a competitor who wasn't argumentative, but probably seemed like a moron because he didn't understand repeated explanations.

Afterward? Being made fun of (and losing 15 places on the prize list) because I followed your directions? NOT impressed.