Why are Nationals so important to USPSA?

[remoandiris]

I just finished reading the May/June 2011 Front Sight. Several of the candidates for USPSA president said Nationals is the single most important reason they want to serve as pres.

Why? What is so special about Nationals? USPSA has almost 20,000 members. About 500 USPSA members get to shoot Nationals. So why is Nationals so important when so few members get to participate? What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

I shot Nationals a few years ago and for the most part it was fun, but it isn't very important to me. I care about local/section issues and matches.

[beltjones]

I'm sure it's because it's one of the more visible things the President does.

However, I'd rank the overall marketing and management of the sport/association above Nationals in terms of importance to the sport's future.

[BritinUSA]

I think Nationals and USPSA Marketing go hand-in-hand.

Nationals is our premier event; Its the one event where you can be sure all the top shooters will be there and its an excellent showcase for what we do. Its important that we grow the sport at all levels and Nationals is a way to bring national attention to the sport.

Only 500 or so people get to shoot it, but if Nationals were to change to a single event (pick your division and shoot it), like a World Shoot or IPSC Level IV match then it could easily accommodate double that number.

IPSC matches in Europe can regularly get 1000+ shooters so there is no reason why we can't. For 48 of the 50 States there is no need to try and fly with ammo as it can be surface-shipped so we don't have that logistical nightmare that Europe and the rest of the World has to deal with.

[Jaxshooter]

Almost all of the other shooting sports accomendate far more than 500 shooters. If you look at our nationals entries you will see alot of the shooters are shooting more than one division as previously noted. We need to find a way to accommendate more shooters. The easy way is for shooters to pick one divisiion and shoot it.

[CHA-LEE]

I could be wrong but I think that it comes down to what the position has the most influence of changing or improving. The USPSA president has direct influence of how the Nationals are run. The Area Directors and local Section Coordinators have direct influence of how things are done at the local, state and regional level. Granted one charter of the USPSA president is to assist the Area Directors to ensure that USPSA matches are being held in accordance of the rules and regulations. But at the presidential level that can only be done in a fairly generic manner that applies to all clubs nation wide. For example, its not the USPSA's presidents job to enforce the proper use of the USPSA rules at a local match. That is up to the local Range Master or Match Director. If the RM or MD need assistance figuring something out they should go to the Section Coordinator. If the Section Coordinator can't figure it out then they need to go to the Area Director.

If you are concerned more with the local shooting scene and how things are done there, then its very important for you to vote for competent and effective Section Coordinators and Area Directors.

[remoandiris]

What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

[Jadeslade]

Because we do. It's important to me because it is. I want the Nationals to be the premier event for USPSA/IPSC. Therefore, the premier shooting event of all.The best shooters try to get to Nationals every year-its the one event that you can count on will be held. It is the showcase event for USPSA. It has a long history by now and is important for all shooters, whether they know it or not. It legitimizes our sport in a visible and concrete manner. You won Nationals-that's something to say. It really is.There are some people who complain about everything, but they are not the ones volunteering to run the event, work at it, and make it happen. USPSA members should care how Nationals are run and how the event is perceived because it it looks bad; is a disaster in any respect- it reflects on all of us in USPSA. If you don't care about it, c'est la vie. A lot USPSA members are the best shooters in their town, workplace, school, or whatever. And the best shooters of that lot are generally at Nationals.

[CHA-LEE]

Why would the average shooter that does not attend the nationals “Care” about the nationals. That is easy. USPSA is based upon the concept of providing competitive events where shooters can compete in order to find out where they stand against others. The peak of this type of competition is the Nationals. The nationals are used to define who is the best of the best. A local match is use to determine who is the best locally.

If we didn’t have a national level event that pulled in the best of the best shooters we wouldn’t have a base of classifier stages all of the local clubs use. More importantly we wouldn’t know what the 100% Hit Factors are for these classifier stages in order to rank the rest of the members nationally. So in effect you can thank the Nationals Match for setting the performance bar needed to accurately rank the “Average Joe’s” performance on these exact same stages during local matches. The best part about it is that the “Average Joe” doesn’t even need to attend the nationals to figure out where their performance ranks nationally. This can only be done with valid performance data captured from the top shooters while attending the nationals.

If you keep the classification system in mind, I think that the proper hosting and running of the Nationals is far more important to the “Average Joe” than them actually attending the nationals themselves.

Another aspect to think about is that the Nationals create a very good marketing tool for the Firearms Manufactures who support our sport. If we had a crappy Nationals that was not properly run and didn’t reflect a true test of who the best of the best is (Along with what equipment they are using) then the manufactures wouldn’t have anything to do with our sport. Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday is still a very strong marketing program that is supported by many of the manufactures that support USPSA and our events. A lot of these big matches simply couldn’t happen without the very generous support and sponsorship from firearm manufactures. Its also a two way street. If a manufacture is able to state that their equipment is good enough to win a USPSA National Title and in turn uses that in their general firearms advertisements that is also a huge marketing win for USPSA as it exposes more shooters to USPSA who may not even know it existed.

Edited April 27, 2011 by CHA-LEE

[dugout]

Why? What is so special about Nationals? USPSA has almost 20,000 members. About 500 USPSA members get to shoot Nationals. So why is Nationals so important when so few members get to participate? What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

one word,$; is that a word?

[Religious Shooter]

I don't think it is because of money. Last I heard the Nationals is a financial "loser".

[Chills1994]

cha lee wrote:

. More importantly we wouldn’t know what the 100% Hit Factors are for these classifier stages in order to rank the rest of the members nationally

HUH!?

I know I have been really swamped at work and I do kinda feel like I have been living under a rock with the respect to the USPSA world...butttt....are you saying that the USPSA officially published the 100% hit factors for each classifier?

[Jake Di Vita]

remo,

Your statement sounds a lot like "I don't care about Nationals, so why should anyone else?"

If you don't care about it, it is outside the realm of my ability to explain to you why I do care about it.

[CHA-LEE]

cha lee wrote:

. More importantly we wouldn’t know what the 100% Hit Factors are for these classifier stages in order to rank the rest of the members nationally

HUH!?

I know I have been really swamped at work and I do kinda feel like I have been living under a rock with the respect to the USPSA world...butttt....are you saying that the USPSA officially published the 100% hit factors for each classifier?

I meant that USPSA would know what 100% HF to apply to the classifiers so the appropriate ranking can be given to all that shoot the same classifier. As we all should already know, the 100% HF of any classifier can be easily figured out with a little bit of math. But the point of my comment on that was that USPSA needs to know what the 100% HF should be for any given classifier in order to set the appropriate shooting challenge for the masses. This baseline performance is done by leveraging the results of the best results on that given classifier at the nationals.

Edited April 27, 2011 by CHA-LEE

[sfchorn]

What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

The vast majority of people are never going to participate in the Olympics, either. But millions of fans watch those events. Does this impact anyone's daily life in any meaningful way? I'll say yes, and let me explain why.

Participants in these events have achieved the pinnacle of their particular sport. To them, it is the culmination of many years of dedication, hardships, and sacrifice. They are competing to achieve their dream of earning the title of champion.

With few exceptions, these are not highly-paid professionals playing for the money. Most will not see any financial gain. They are doing it for the love of their sport and to satisfy their inner need to test their skills against the very best.

Does this relate to USPSA? I believe so. I am fortunate enough to be close friends with a GM. He donates his time to practice with anyone that wants to show up. He is constantly giving tips, sharing his hard-earned experience and generally being a great Ambassador to the sport. What does he ask in return? Simply that you try to "pay forward" what you've received to someone else. He is not a paid/sponsored professional shooter doing this so he can win lucrative contracts to teach Military and LEO classes. He is a diesel mechanic who considers it a good day when he wins enough from the prize table to pay for the match entry fee, hotel, gas, food, and bullets he shot. He has a slot to this year's Nationals. His goal is to finish in the top ten in Limited. I am very excited about his goal, and am emotionally invested in helping him achieve it. I want to see a decent, honest, hard-working "Average Joe" fulfill his dream. It gives me hope, and it inspires me.

What about the "pro" shooters? Why should we care about the big-name guys and gals we read about all the time? Well, they are no less hard-working than anyone else. Just because their chosen profession is shooting/teaching doesn't mean they haven't paid their dues. They've spent countless hours perfecting their skills and techniques so we can benefit from them. They teach these skills to the Military and LEO so those folks can protect us and still go home alive at the end of their day. Ask Brian if every trip to the range, every match, every shot fired was fun. Ask Jerry or Julie if every "meet-and-greet" or every PR tour was a blast. Ask Todd if every day facilitating a class was all peaches and cream. They'll probably be gracious and say yes, but it has got to be a grind. But without them, there would be far less innovation in the firearms industry. Without them there would be far less on the prize table, because there would be less from the sponsors of our sport.

I guess what I'm trying to say may be corny. But I think we still need people who inspire us.

Put your name on the waiting list to try to get a slot at next year's Nationals. Go up and talk to the other competitors, GM and D-Class alike. I think you'll find good, decent, hard-working people who have endured a difficult path for the love of the sport and want to be tested at the highest levels of competition.

That's why I think the Nationals are important.

[ima45dv8]

cha lee wrote:

. More importantly we wouldn't know what the 100% Hit Factors are for these classifier stages in order to rank the rest of the members nationally

HUH!?

I know I have been really swamped at work and I do kinda feel like I have been living under a rock with the respect to the USPSA world...butttt....are you saying that the USPSA officially published the 100% hit factors for each classifier?

I don't think they've been published yet, but they paved the way for such a move at the BOD meeting last November.

High Hit Factors

Motion: The High Hit Factors for classifiers will no longer be

considered confidential data, and may be released under such terms as the

Executive Director deems appropriate.

Moved by A1 Seconded by A2 Passed

Top of page 3:

http://www.uspsa.org/bodminutes/20101106.pdf

[remoandiris]

remo,

Your statement sounds a lot like "I don't care about Nationals, so why should anyone else?"

If you don't care about it, it is outside the realm of my ability to explain to you why I do care about it.

Jake, you're reading something that isn't there and are using your own filters.

I started this topic because of what several USPSA presidential candidates stated was their impetus for running for the office; Nationals. I followed that up by stating a small number of members get to attend the event. No one addressed a few of the questions I posed so I broke it out into another post.

In any business, you put your efforts where it has the most impact to improve the bottom line. If your efforts are directed to something that 85% of your members do NOT attend, how is that important?

[remoandiris]

What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

<snip>

But without them, there would be far less innovation in the firearms industry. Without them there would be far less on the prize table, because there would be less from the sponsors of our sport.

<snip>

GM and D-Class alike. I think you'll find good, decent, hard-working people

I agree with you 100%.

[bbbean]

What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

For all the reasons everyone else cited, plus: This is still a relatively small sport. It is still easy to get a slot. A D class newbie who logs on for the nats waiting list the night it goes online or sends mail to Barry on the first day stands an excellent chance of being able to go to nats and shoot with and against the best of the best. Imagine being able to golf with Tiger Woods, play one on one with Michael Jordan, or hang out with a few of the Yankees for a day of batting practice. Thats the sort of thing that goes on at nats, plus it provides the opportunity to determine who the best of the best is in a given year. Even if you aren't in the Super Squad, going to the nats is an excellent learning opportunity.

If you're just shooting for the joy of shooting, don't care about competition, and your local club matches are as challenging a venue as you ever want to see, you can ignore the Nats, and it won't change your life a whole lot. But it is a tremendous opportunity for those who choose to go, provides a great venue for competition, and gives the sport visibility and prominence it wouldn't have otherwise.

[whitedog]

I entered another shooting sports "nationals", why? To shoot with and against the best in my "division" in that sport. I went from 3rd in my state to having my ass handed to me. I would not trade the experience for any thing. It was a blast. I learned a lot. I met great people.

These events exist for many reasons. Mine was to just experience it. I hope to do the same in U.S.P.S.A., even if I get my ass handed to me again

[remoandiris]

What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

For all the reasons everyone else cited, plus: This is still a relatively small sport. It is still easy to get a slot. A D class newbie who logs on for the nats waiting list the night it goes online or sends mail to Barry on the first day stands an excellent chance of being able to go to nats and shoot with and against the best of the best. Imagine being able to golf with Tiger Woods, play one on one with Michael Jordan, or hang out with a few of the Yankees for a day of batting practice. Thats the sort of thing that goes on at nats, plus it provides the opportunity to determine who the best of the best is in a given year. Even if you aren't in the Super Squad, going to the nats is an excellent learning opportunity.

If you're just shooting for the joy of shooting, don't care about competition, and your local club matches are as challenging a venue as you ever want to see, you can ignore the Nats, and it won't change your life a whole lot. But it is a tremendous opportunity for those who choose to go, provides a great venue for competition, and gives the sport visibility and prominence it wouldn't have otherwise.

Like I said, I've been to a Nationals. All the worldclass shooters I spoke to were very friendly. While I'd prefer 25+ rd field courses every stage, that isn't possible, especially with airlines limiting ammo in checked bags. I have competed in matches in the southeast and in the midwest. Used to drive 2+ hrs just to go shoot for less than 2 minutes. Now I shoot 3 - 4 matches a month and won't drive much more than an hour. Everyone cares about competition, whether you're a D class or a pro-GM.

[Coach]

The fact that many members do not have the opportunity to shoot the nationals is a concern in my opinion. The match needs to be move around the country more and let more shooters have the chance to attend. Perhaps format changes, earlier posting of dates and some things could improve this. I had the chance to shoot two nationals when they were at Barry in 2005 and 2006. I had a great time, learned a ton and would love to do it again.

Everyone should try and shoot the match once in a while.

[remoandiris]

The fact that many members do not have the opportunity to shoot the nationals is a concern in my opinion. The match needs to be move around the country more and let more shooters have the chance to attend.

At least one of the candidates would like to do this. I don't know if it matters that much though. If your Area match is good, it would likely have a Nationals "feel". A lot of the big shooters make Area matches.

The venue for 20+ stages (plus hotels, entertainment, and all the other stuff that goes into a Nationals event) may be a big limiting factor for moving Nationals around the country. Maybe not.

[Bear23]

It's our Superbowl. duh.

[Jake Di Vita]

It's our Superbowl. duh.

But, why does the Superbowl matter when 99.9999% of football players will never compete in it?!?!?

Area matches are definitely not Nationals. I expect the stage count and design to be far better at the premier match of the year than at area matches. Also, ALL the top shooters compete at Nationals. A fraction compete at area matches.

[ChuckS]

What benefit does the rank and file member, who didn't get a slot, get out of it? The vast majority of USPSA members aren't going to win, so why should they care?

Actually, only one person in each division is going to win.