Attracting new shooters

[jkmccoy]

This actually came up in another thread ( a couple of threads), and it's been discused in articles in Front Sight (so it isn't an original thought), and I suspect that I may be preaching to the choir on this forum.  However, I think it is important enough that all of us should think about it...

When a potential new shooter shows up for a match do we make them feel welcome? Do we try to make allowances for the equipment the show up with? Do we encourage their performance (even if they don't win the match)?

Do we want our shooting sports to survive? If so, are we doing out part?

Cheers,

[Ron Ankeny]

I derive as much, if not more, enjoyment out of encouraging new shooters as I do shooting.  When a new face comes along I welcome them, answer questions, invite them to shoot, etc.

[Jeeper]

I have a problem once I have get them into it.  I cant get them out of my house.  They sit at my dillon all day and I cant get them to leave.  

[kimel]

I saw this thread start up earlier this week and I have pondered it for awhile and think I have something to add...it's worth is up to you the reader.

"when a new shooter shows up at a match..."

Hmmm...  Back up a bit.  How did that new shooter come to actually show up at the match?  How did they know the match was taking place?  How did they learn about this sport in the first place?  What advice (if any) did they pick up before they showed up?

I am probably an odd example but here is my story anyway:

I have been shooting handguns for about 35 years (I am 40...you do the math) and was tired of having to constantly find new places to shoot.  About a year ago I found a "local" range (okay, it is one state over, about 25 miles one way) on the web.  They had "action shooting".  I wondered what that was so surfed some more.  Found the USPSA website and read everything there.  Even ordered a rule book and read through it.  Seemed to be some pretty neat stuff.  But all these rules...this is gonna take some studying...

Then I figured I had better practice a few things before showing up at the first match.  Draws, reloads, etc.   Is my pet load major or minor?...better develop some loads too (I don't shoot factory ammo.  The only firearms I have that have ever seen factory ammo are the 22s and the .357 and .40 that I carry).  

Kept coming up with excuses until my busy time at work caught up with me and the next thing I know summer is gone and so is a lot of November.

So, I finally go to my first match in December and I am HOOKED.  So what if it was 30 degrees and foggy with a breeze?  I didn't care...I was too busy having fun!  The two days I stayed home sick the next week may have just been coincidence but they did give me an opportunity to work on my dry fire stuff.

Am I going back in January?  Oh yeah...

What can be learned from this tale?

1) If "we" can get new shooters to a match and they have a good time they will probably come back.

2) People can shoot for a long time, even belong to the NRA etc and not really be aware of IPSC/USPSA or, more importantly, that they can participate.  Heck, I knew who BE and TGO et al were I just didn't know about their sport(s) enough to know it was something we mortals could participate in.  I watched BE and TGO face off in some event on ESPN (I think) 15 or 20 years ago (Bianchi cup?) and thought that was cool but had no clue that I could get involved in that kind of stuff without major sponsors and several kilobucks worth of hardware.

3) All the rules and other assorted "stuff" is intimidating.  Somehow, "we" need to get to the interested people before the rules beat them down.  Get them out to a match while their interest is really high or, better yet, get them to the range with a couple "old hands" who can set up a stage or two and run them through an orientation.  Pick fun stages and give them a good taste of what it is all about.  Don't try and feed them *all* the rules during orientation.  Just make sure they are safe and having fun and generally following the rules.  Then get them to the real match and set the hook.

4) If your local club has IDPA/IPSC/Bullseye/SASS "factions" which will beat these new guys over the head with trash talk get to them first.  Be honest about what IPSC/USPSA is about and don't participate in the trash talk against the other factions.  

Most importantly, get the idea across that they can probably participate with the handgun(s) they already own.  Within days of joining the "local" club I was hearing "I would do IPSC but I can't afford a racegun so I can't participate but you should try cowboy..." stories from other members.  Major intimidation here.  How many people are staying away because they don't know production division exists?  

5) Get them to the Enosverse...fast!  I didn't find this place soon enough.

6) Play down the competition aspect a bit or at least stress that the competition is only what you want it to be about.  

7) Mentor the new guys (and gals) when they show up the first couple times.  Make sure they understand what is going on.  The guys I shot with on my first match did a great job of this.  They didn't even laugh (too hard anyway) when I made some really dumb mistakes.

Hope that helps.  Questions?  Ask away.

Cheers!

Kevin

[Bill]

I am one of the Safety Officer Trainers for IDPA. When I give a class I always tell my SO's that we are in the "Entertainment Business" People only have so many entertainment dollars to spend. If we want them to come to our club then we have to entertain them. They could go golfing you know. This means we treat the shooters with respect, courtesy and above all, bend over backwards to be fair and equal to everybody. Even a DQ should be treated with respect and courtesy. This treatment should also be used in all shooting sports.

Bill Nesbitt

[scottzerger]

To all

  My family and i have been shooting for years now

but have never entered any form of competition. We

have purchased, practiced and planned for most

of this year and have set Feb 03 as our start date.

The part about  standing up in front of others and

missing / screwing the poch as kept us from doing

this sooner. I know everybody as to start some

time, so we will.

Do most matches have classes? This would be great.

Scott z

[shred]

I always tell new shooters that nobody else will ever remember their first time out, so long as they don't shoot anybody.

(Actually we also remember the new shooter that shot all A's the entire match)

Watching new shooters get better and keep coming back is super cool.

(me, I reloaded from slide-lock every time at my first IPSC match)

[kimel]

Hi Scott and welcome to the sport!

Don't worry about what the other folks will think.  They all had their "first match" too and chances are really good they did some silly things too.

Just visualize all the targets as being in their underwear...

Remember, the sooner you get the 1st time out of the way the quicker you can get on with it.

Cheers!

Kevin

[scottzerger]

Shred

Kimel

     Thanks for the encouragement. I found a beginners

action pistol class in palm Springs Ca. that we will all go

to for starters . This will show us some fundamentals

and put us on the right track.

   Thanks  guys

[Duane Thomas]

Scott,

Good job, man! Many people never can get over the fear of performing in public, to lay it on the line in front of their peers, on demand, by shooting matches. The fact you all can says very good things about you.

Welcome to the fellowship of competition shooters.

[scottzerger]

Thanks duane

  Now my wife and son want to play . How am i going

to afford this?

    Have a good new Year.

Scott

[Duane Thomas]

Yer welcome.