It's an amature sport so why not give awards

[Joe4d]

bring it to a match or mail it back a month out, or get your USPSA records flagged, and you can get any scores uploaded.

[a matt]

On 10/15/2017 at 10:09 AM, mpolans said:

Haha, if you think that's bad, you should try motorcycle racing.  Between having to have a truck and/or trailer, tires, crash spares, travel and lodging expenses, etc, costs *dwarf* USPSA, then there's always the danger of crashing, and the most you're likely to win at the amateur level is a trophy and *maybe* some contingency money if you're using the right tires or bike...and I'm not sure if there's even much of that any more.

 For the better part of 20 years I raced motor cycles. 2 bikes per class. 1 to race and one to practice with for 2 classes that’s 4 bikes a year well over 20k add the trailer, truck, generator pressure washer and on and on. My parents know and I learned as I became an adult for the last 15 I raced motorcycles and still working 50 hours a week to make ends meet.  These are to totally different sports, motor sports vs shooting sports are on totally opposite ends of the competitive scale. The only thing in common is we enjoy them both, but the money is so different they can not be compared.  I have plenty of scars still to prove my efforts as well.

Edited October 16, 2017 by a matt

[bluedevil008]

On 8/17/2017 at 9:38 AM, CHA-LEE said:

As a competitor, I really don't care about awards at Majors. I am not a trophy collector and never have been. I would much rather a match have great stages and it run smoothly verses a crappy match with special awards. I also welcome lower entry fee's or at least an entry fee that reflects the match product you are buying. 

 

Over the years I have seen way too many major matches with excessively high entry fee's that come no were close to justifying the match product they are providing. There are way too many major matches with $175 - $225 entry fee's. If I am paying close to $200 for a match I am expecting a superior match product. There should be match meals included, match shirts included, awesome stages, solid prize table, appropriate awards issued, and a well organized and run event. Unfortunately that seems to be the exception these days.

 

If a major match has close to a $200 entry fee and the above items are not included, then one of two things are happening. First, some greedy SOB is getting PAID a crap ton of money to run the match. Second, the match staff is wasting a crap ton of money on things that are really not needed.

 

My 150 - 170 shooter Level 2 match has a $100 entry fee. That minimal entry fee can Feed Everyone, Give match shirts to everyone, Has well above average awards recognition, Provide significant $$$ prizes, Produce great stages, Run like a well oiled machine AND still produce a profit for the hosting USPSA club.

 

If I can do that with a $100 entry fee and 150 - 170 shooters then people hosting $200 entry fee and 300 - 400 shooter matches have ZERO excuse in being able to do it as well. 

 

 

I think just because someone can design good stages, or run a match smoothly, doesn't make him or her a businessman.  Our sport has incredibly high costs and unless someone really knows what they're doing, I can understand how it's tough to make ends meet.  With no sponsors, I can see how there would be no food or prizes provided.  That said, I agree, those people need to get their act together.  Coming up with creative ways to keep costs low (through stage design, staff costs, etc.) is key to providing a good "return" for the shooters.  

 

I also think IF you're going to spend money to provide an award to the shooters, make them worthwhile.  I have received some really hideous and cheap plaques over the years, and they'll probably sit in a box for the rest of my life.  One of the coolest award I received was from the Free State Championship where they gave the award winners nice tumblers with the match logo and award on it.  I use that thing everyday!

 

I have no issue with people not providing a prize table, or being stingy on awards, but it needs to be clear upfront.  I shake my head when 4th place (in any class) is complaining that they didn't receive an award. Especially the lower classes, how can you complain about not receiving an award when you finished 47th out of 70?  The class system of USPSA is cool on many ways, but it also creates unnecessary problems and stifles improvement.

[a matt]

On 8/16/2017 at 11:15 PM, MikeBurgess said:

 

This

For me as a shooter matches are about stages and how the match is run. If the organizer gets this part right, I'd be happy with no prize or awards at all, anything better than that is just gravy. If they get that wrong, a great prize table would only take some of the sting away.

As a MD I worry about stages and staffing, probably too much of the first and not enough of the second but I'm working in it. Awards and prizes are on the list but I would sacrifice them for better stages or staff in a heart beat.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 

 

Good stages and the total number of good stages are what I would like to see. We seem to be stuck on 9 to 10 stages for a section or state match, why? Money is no excuse, the cost goes up fot the most part each year and the number of stages stay the same...

 Pay the top 3 in each class but pay 3rd place GM more than the top placing M and so on down the line. No B class winner should get more than the 3rd place A class shooter. If you want more put in the effort and move up and stop sand-bagging to get more. Just my opinion. 

  Look at A6 in 2017 612 shooters, subtract 50 or 60 shooters for staffing this event (if you have 13) stages and a few Jr shooters that’s around 90k plus in entry fees.  Money is not a reason it’s an excuse. I still would like to know who received all those guns that A6 was giving away? I paid to shoot and from what I have found is no one knows or no one is sayin other than a few and a few is far from the number that was said to be given away. I don’t care if every one of the staff got a gun. Good deal, they earned it. Myself and many other would just like to know.  I don’t care if it’s for profit or not. 

Edited October 16, 2017 by a matt

[Racinready300ex]

Money is a pretty good excuse. If you're club runs a 10 stage match in 10 bays. They'll need money for more land, clearing tree's moving dirt, etc. just so they can add a bay to add stages to that match. It'll take a long time to recoup that cost.

[a matt]

Then don’t, if you have 10 bays, don’t ask to host that higher level matches or maybe don’t charge as much for the match. Oh here is another thought, have two stages in one bay maybe don’t put the chrono stage in a bay or maybe don’t have a chrono stage. I don’t care for the last option but I still shoot level 2 matches that have no chrono stage. But if you are looking at add bays and elect to host a major match as a reason to add bays in hopes the match will cover the cost the things you listed you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. I would believe each state has a range already in place to support 15 stages. 

Edited October 17, 2017 by a matt