lawboy Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) When you talk about making the sport more visible, my question is, visible to whom? In other words, who do you want to attract? And do you want to attract them so they participate, or do you want to increase the mainstream social visibility and acceptance of the sport? There are ways to do both but first you have to decide who you want do deal with. One way to garner mainstream media coverage is for local clubs and USPSA HQ to start running charity matches. There are several ways to do this but one way is for the match proceeds to go to a particular local school, or to a particular program in a school district or county office of education. These events tap into almost everyone who has some connection to children. parents, teachers, local politicians, local news media. If you make it more of a "day fair" event, and invite local food vendors, other service agencies that provide services for children, etc. BAM! instant media event that they are almost obligated to attend. Have kids at the school sell tickets to the match event and have the tickets be good for free food, a raffle drawing, whatever. There are clubs out there doing this stuff. I have personally raffled of a "day at the range" everything included a several school fairs and they always go for well over $100. You can become visible. Just be ready for the problems that come along with it. That kind of dies into the "visible to whom?" part of the equation. Edited October 21, 2011 by lawboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreblePlink Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Our Introduction to USPSA http://orpci.org/content/ipsc_intro.htm The previously mentioned curriculum is pretty much what we have online at ORPCI - the link is above. When we get new shooters via our web site, they seem pretty informed. Trouble is, despite good Google placement, few read it. Also, I'm always looking for suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas H Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Our Introduction to USPSA http://orpci.org/content/ipsc_intro.htm The previously mentioned curriculum is pretty much what we have online at ORPCI - the link is above. When we get new shooters via our web site, they seem pretty informed. Trouble is, despite good Google placement, few read it. Also, I'm always looking for suggestions. That is quite a comprehensive writeup. And yeah, I'm not surprised that few read it---it is good, but it is long and most people just don't want to put in the effort to understand. [sigh] It certainly would be easier if more new shooters would first put in some time learning, but they just don't. One minor quibble: This page = http://orpci.org/content/ipsc_intro/intro_9.htm calls Jessie Harrison a grandmaster a couple of times. While Jessie is a good shooter, she isn't a GM, she is a M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 USPSA really does need a website catered to new shooters. While I don't like Facebook, lots of people do, and USPSA could use their pages and links to get the word out. The Outdoor channel does a lot to promote hunting and shooting. They have lots of shows for tactical wannabes and gun shop armchair experts. But the match coverage is mostly the same top guys being highlighted every year. They could have a show directed towards your regular B-D class shooter, and interview regular guys. Like people that have been in the sport for 25 years and put on state shoots, but are mostly unknown. It is true that the few that have heard of "Ip-sick" still think its only for raceguns(they've never heard of USPSA). Posters promoting single-stack and production should be appealing to a larger audience. I mean who doesn't like a 1911 or Glock, or both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErichF Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) I have found that, present company excluded, the shooting community is not into the 20th century yet in regards to computer literacy and social media use. Typical clunky club websites are months or years out of date, contact email addresses on said websites bounce back, and calendars are never updated or even used. It's the total opposite of the relatively geeky hobby I have been involved with for the past 22 years...RC airplanes and helicopters. I have to say that the USPSA national website is actually one of the better shooting sport-based websites out there, especially considering the member scores database. However, as a new shooter in this sport, I do agree that information on the site catering to new folks is lacking. Edited October 23, 2011 by ErichF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 It's funny. I purposely made a generic no-calendar, no-live-twitter, no whatever web site for a club a long long time ago. Match information, times, places, results and so on was there, but nothing time-critical or needing maintenance for the most part. A few years later somebody complained the site was 'old fashioned' or some such and redid it with calendars, classifieds, galleries and what-all. A year after that, the calendar was stale, the last classified post was 9 months previous and it was a pain in the rear to get scores uploaded... Now we're back to a plainer site that needs less maintenace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErichF Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Simpler web sites are usually better, IMO...but only as long as the critical info is kept up to date (POCs, etc). The more complex a site is made, the more work it is to keep updated. I think that is what the main problem is for most clubs who don't have professional IT guys hosting their sites, so it becomes the old story about Anybody, Somebody, Nobody, and Everybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 (edited) A friend a few years back looked into having his own shooting show on TV. He said he was quoted something along the lines of $35,000 is required to buy a half hour's worth of programming on one of the Outdoor or Sports channels. and as it was explained to me, you have to line up "sponsors" who will advertise...put on commercials during that half hour block of time you just bought. so I guess at the bare minimum you have to sell $35,000 worth of advertising in that half hour. you would still have to figure out something for your time, your cameramen's time, your video editor's time, etc...etc.... I don't have a clue as to what USPSA's advertising budget is like, but I am wondering why the higher highers couldn't team up with some of our more popular manufacturers (Glock, Springfield Armory, Safariland, CR Speed, STI etc) reach some sort of agreement, and put on an intro to USPSA half hour show on ESPN....kinda like the video I linked to back on page one. I am sure the big wigs at ESPN have some sort of numbers spreadsheet that say if you buy a half hour of time on this day of this week between such and such a time, you will get X amount of viewers. Then the higher highers of USPSA and Paul E. can decide if they are getting enough bang for their advertising buck from there. I'm thinking.... well....gee...they put bowling....BOWLING??? on TV??? Edited October 24, 2011 by Chills1994 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justaute Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 (edited) Is USPSA/IPSC/Action Shooting just a weekend warrior's hobby? Is it an activity or a sport? Is it just a loosely organized event for gun enthusiasts to gather? And, once in a while have the top-shooters get together and showcase their skills (i.e. USPSA Nationals, World Shoot)? Or, maybe it's a hybrid? How do we/USPSA/IPSC want to be perceived by the public? Do USPSA/IPSC have stated goals and objectives? Is the governing body of these organizations sufficiently skilled to articulate these goals/objects to the public? If so, do they have the operational skills to execute? So many questions. So few answers. :ph34r: Edited October 24, 2011 by justaute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 "Air it, and they will come!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGMorden Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I think that one of the best things we had going for the sport was a short-lived magazine called "Gun Games". That may have been good back then, but fast forward to today and magazines are a mostly dead medium. You want to promote something these days, you have to use the web. One problem I've seen is the some clubs do not have an adequate web presence. At least one club that I shoot at monthly has no website at all. It too me quite a bit of detective work to even get in contact with them at first. Once I did they typically either score the match on site, or email the results to people on their mailing list, but other than that - nothing. Other clubs might have a website but its not well maintained and/or utilized. Also, a major detractor can be delayed scoring. Most local matches I shoot get scores out within a day or two, but occasionally you'll have to wait 4 or 5 days. People want to know their results sooner than that. Finally, I do think that the once-per-month thing is limiting for many people. I try to drive to different clubs here and there to make sure I'm shooting fairly frequently, but I know in larger cities (eg, I know two ranges do this in Atlanta) I've seen indoor ranges where they'll run small (about 2 stages or so) weekly matches. Being able to run little matches like that on a weekly basis would really, really help keep a lot of people interested, as it's something to do, and it's a chance to practice in an actual stage environment. Often times people have no way to practice except to stand on a firing line shooting a stationary target, so anything that gets them out there moving about and shooting is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreblePlink Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Thank you. Fixed. Wish I had more folks send me suggestions. Our Introduction to USPSA http://orpci.org/content/ipsc_intro.htm The previously mentioned curriculum is pretty much what we have online at ORPCI - the link is above. When we get new shooters via our web site, they seem pretty informed. Trouble is, despite good Google placement, few read it. Also, I'm always looking for suggestions. That is quite a comprehensive writeup. And yeah, I'm not surprised that few read it---it is good, but it is long and most people just don't want to put in the effort to understand. [sigh] It certainly would be easier if more new shooters would first put in some time learning, but they just don't. One minor quibble: This page = http://orpci.org/content/ipsc_intro/intro_9.htm calls Jessie Harrison a grandmaster a couple of times. While Jessie is a good shooter, she isn't a GM, she is a M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msshooter Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 That espn video was cool. I wish I had seen it back when it aired in 1994-95 time frame. I would have been hooked back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leadslinger275 Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 It will always be under the radar. It's not for everybody. And for a few reasons, I'm glad that it is. I've met more than a few of my 2nd Amendment Brethren who are not yet ready to engage in this activity. This sport is so different from "stand on a firing line at shoot at paper". Adding what might seem a simple task....movement....is so foreign it is akin to a new language. Some will readily grasp the new verbiage and some won't. Others, a few, will strive to understand the new form of conversation. I hold no animosity towards who don't participate. I don't look down on them. I just see them as distant cousins who don't "get it". I totally agree. I have seen hundreds of people in gun shops that I don't want involved in USPSA. Agreed... as a new shooter I used to get annoyed with the "Safety Check" by an approved RO requirement in my section when I would bring friends to their first match. Now that I have RO'd for a while and have organized and ran a few matches I am a firm supporter of the mandatory safety check at my club. Some people can't operate a car safely, even less can be trusted with a pistol while walking or running through a stage on an 180 degree bay. USPSA isn't for everyone and that's OK with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aglifter Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 I think youtube might be a better choice than TV broadcast for our purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g.willikers Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 (edited) This activity is not for everyone who owns a gun and likes to shoot. Any more than, say, driving a race car or cave diving. My introduction was by an invitation from a friend, along with three others. I was the only one who came back for more. The others enjoyed the day but weren't about to put in the time and effort to continue. It might be easier to reclaim previous participants, than trying to get new folks to take part. Edited December 20, 2011 by g.willikers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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