Production Nats Shooter's Packet

[Airic]

So tonight I got an email from USPSA that my squadding got updated. I go look and me, my buddies....my whole squad have been moved out of squad 19 and over to 33. I don't get it. My friends and I decided to squad in 19 because it was next to the mens super squad. I felt like it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to see all the greatest shooters in our sport shoot production at the same time. GM's who never shoot production are there.

Why allow people to self squad if you are going to just move them around? This kinda pisses me off and takes away from my experience. If they needed that squad for something else, why wasn't it just locked to begin with?

I don't ever gripe but with the way things have been going with this match....this was kinda the straw that broke the camels back for me.

[Prov1x]

Did you email them and ask? I was on that squad at first for the same reason you were but it filled before we could all get squaded together.

[furyalecto]

I am sure many know that an unfortunate part of big match self-squadding is re-adjusting of the squads if the match isn't full so that the match runs as efficiently as possible. It looks like they staggered the squads to facilitate this.

Edited October 12, 2013 by furyalecto

[Airic]

Did you email them and ask? I was on that squad at first for the same reason you were but it filled before we could all get squaded together.

I have now.

I am sure many know that an unfortunate part of big match self-squadding is re-adjusting of the squads if the match isn't full so that the match runs as efficiently as possible. It looks like they staggered the squads to facilitate this.

I get that. I have zero experience running majors but I know stuff has to be done to make things run smooth. Problem is, it doesn't look like anything was staggered. It looks like they just removed 2 squads before the super squads.

[38SuperDub]

Maybe they felt the American's needed more time to shoot each stage to try to catch that damn Frenchie so they moved you and now they get twice as long? (just a thought I made up based on nothing)

[gardan01]

Maybe they felt the American's needed more time to shoot each stage to try to catch that damn Frenchie so they moved you and now they get twice as long? (just a thought I made up based on nothing)

[beltjones]

The super squad is always really really slow. I'm sure they removed those two squads to ease congestion around the super squad. It is probably for the best.

[Chuck Anderson]

It looks like they just removed 2 squads before the super squads.

Squad 18 is a morning squad and Squad 19 is an afternoon. Even though the numbers are close the squads aren't. They cut the last AM squad and the first PM. At least that's my read.

[Yagi]

Maybe they felt the American's needed more time to shoot each stage to try to catch that damn Frenchie so they moved you and now they get twice as long? (just a thought I made up based on nothing)

hahaha... now that's a morning laugh... (sorry can't help not to post)..

[-Ace-]

Regardless if frenchie is there or not its still bs, I have yet to receive a reply via email or on Facebook about this squad move. Who is in charge of this portion of it anyways? The MD?

[-Ace-]

The super squad is always really really slow. I'm sure they removed those two squads to ease congestion around the super squad. It is probably for the best.

I'm sure that's the case, but it doesn't warrant them the right to move us, they should have never given the option to squad in 19 then, instead of letting 10 people squad there for over a week before moving us without notice, Ive never received any notice at all that I was moved. Their incompetence or lack of foresight should not affect my match.

[Carmoney]

If you really want to watch the big boys play, the way to do that is to put yourself on the opposite schedule.

I think it's unwarranted and a little offensive to call it "incompetence."

Edited October 14, 2013 by Carmoney

[-Ace-]

I didn't squad in 19 to "watch the big boys play", my main reason was the stage schedule, regardless, the reasoning for me or other squad mates is irrelevant.

[JakeMartens]

It has nothing to do with anything other than balance out the squads

An until people squadded they could not see how the squads would balance

It is this way or they do squadding

[MarkCO]

With 10 competitor squads, you could not reasonably expect to watch the supersquad shooting an adjacent bay anyway. Off schedule from guys you want to watch is the way to do that. So you really have no change at all anyway.

Getting upset is just raising your bloodpressure and if you let it eat at you, you won't enjoy your match. This is supposed to be fun!

[BritinUSA]

Probably a moot point but I hope to have video of Men's Super Squad on every stage either posted immediately, or once I get back to the hotel each night if I can't get a network connection at the range.

[sperman]

Have you asked the people in charge? I've never used the "chat" feature on the USPSA web site, but I've never had an e-mail go un-answered.

[Chuck Anderson]

I've used that chat feature several times and have always had good luck. Of course I don't hurl insults at people trying to put on the match either.

[BritinUSA]

FYI; I think that Kim and perhaps some of the other staff are on the road/air towards Tulsa today.

[-Ace-]

I've emailed both Kim and Phil early Saturday, maybe they're traveling? as well as posted on the uspsa Nats Facebook. Who's hurling insults?

If I would have known that 19 was just going to be moved to wherever then I would not have selected it in the first place, squad 1 would have been my next choice as it starts on stage 1. I can see squads being moved around for "continuity", but moving 19 and then leaving a cluster of 20-27 intact, how does that work?

[Bunchies95]

I've emailed both Kim and Phil early Saturday, maybe they're traveling? as well as posted on the uspsa Nats Facebook. Who's hurling insults?

If I would have known that 19 was just going to be moved to wherever then I would not have selected it in the first place, squad 1 would have been my next choice as it starts on stage 1. I can see squads being moved around for "continuity", but moving 19 and then leaving a cluster of 20-27 intact, how does that work?

Try looking at the sqaud schedules to see what impact it makes before going off half cocked at the match management.

I'm not sure what other changes were made, but by moving 19 to 33, it balances out the rotations for each group. Instead of group 4 having 6 squads, 5 - 5 squads and 6 - 2 squads, they are more balanced at 5-5-3. Also remember that the last 6 stages are the biggest, so having some space there will help mitigate some potential backups.

You are still shooting on the PM-AM-PM schedule, just starting on a different stage. So what difference is this really going to make? When squadding was posted, nobody knew what the stages were going to look like, so you had no idea if you would start on a short or long stage. If you waited until the stages were posted, most people already had squaded so your choices were limited. So I ask again, what difference does it REALLY make?

[-Ace-]

The stages may have not been posted but the matrix had. Squad 19 starts on stage 1, as well as squad 1, I prefer the pm-am-pm so that's why I went with 19. With a recently torn meniscus and sprain in my right knee, I had figured this would be the least amount of back and forth between stages. Now compare that to squad 33's schedule.

Edited October 14, 2013 by -Ace-

[Chuck Anderson]

"Their incompetence or lack of foresight"

Many people find being called incompetent insulting. Thin skinned wussies.

I can't tell you the reason they left squads 20-27 intact. I didn't look that close at what the squadding looked like before they moved anyone. Looks like there is quite a bit of empty space towards the later squads, Definitely makes sense to try and move some people into those spots. I've also never been that worried about what stage I start on or squad I shoot on. There is no guarantee with any match that you will get THE squad you want. As an MD I've moved people around as needed up until the match starts. I guess I don't see what the issue is. I can see if they swapped you to a different schedule, AM/PM/AM, from PM/AM/PM. That might mess with travel plans. Of if they split up your group and scattered them around. But just changing the stage you start on?

[Chuck Anderson]

The stages may have not been posted but the matrix had. Squad 19 starts on stage 1, as well as squad 1, I prefer the pm-am-pm so that's why I went with 19. With a recently torn meniscus and sprain in my right knee, I had figured this would be the least amount of back and forth between stages. Now compare that to squad 33's schedule.

Are you familiar with the layout of the range? I wouldn't guarantee a Stage 1 start would save you any amount of walking. Until there is a range map with where each stage is going, I would bet the actual walking distance is going to be pretty darn close. And I say that as someone who shot the Vegas Nats a couple years ago 3 months after a torn Achilles Tendon repair. I was about two weeks out of the boot and still managed to get around OK.

Heck you may find out that squad 33 may save you walking. There's no sense in getting upset about something you, a. can't change, and b. may end up better.

[Bunchies95]

The stages may have not been posted but the matrix had. Squad 19 starts on stage 1, as well as squad 1, I prefer the pm-am-pm so that's why I went with 19. With a recently torn meniscus and sprain in my right knee, I had figured this would be the least amount of back and forth between stages. Now compare that to squad 33's schedule.

You must not have paid very much attention to the squad schedule then. It's not if you started on stage 2 that you would shoot 2-7, 8-13, then 14-18,1. Shoot a block of six stages a day (1-6, 7-12, 13-18). That way if a backup occurs on one stage, it won't impact the rest of the match, just that group.