Spectators at matches

[anonymouscuban]

Hey all.

 

First, Marry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all.

 

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this but I will be doing my first USPSA match next month. I've had several family members ask if they can come to watch and support me. Not sure if this will help me or make me more nervous. It's a blessing and curse of having a Cuban family.

 

Is this OK? Will they be able to watch maybe a stage or two or will they just be in the way?

 

Thanks.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

 

[ChuckS]

Have them bring eye and hearing protection, instruct them to stay back out of the flow of the stage and if they bring some Cuban treats for the squad, they will be more than welcome! Spectators are where new competitors come from!

[Hi-Power Jack]

My wife used to accompany me to matches for a couple years - I LOVED it.

 

Had my own cheering section - and she thought I was The Best Ever     

 

She usually hit if off with other wives, or female shooters - made some

good friends at the range.

 

Never in the way.

 

BUT, make sure you have eye/ear protection for each of them, and seating  ….  

[amokscience]

Spectators are fine.  Most spectators are bored out of their minds after an hour.

 

Make sure they take wearing eye protection (on the entire range) seriously.

 

 

[Rich406]

Never considered spectators an problem. The only time I’ve ever had an issue was when someone showed up with their 6-7 year old child, which is still fine when properly supervised. However this person didn’t supervise the child like the should have. The kid would constantly get in the way picking up brass, and by the end of the day was missing an ear plug, that was sometimes replaced by a finger. 

 

 

[Rez805]

Eye Pro + Ear Pro + Waiver = Good to go

 

I've invited friends and family to matches and it's never been a problem. They usually stay for a stage or two and then they're on their merry way.

 

I've also seen others bring spectators to matches at my range. They all seem to have a good time--even if some of them stick around for all 6 stages. They're never in the way. Some even stike up conversations about the match in general and stage planning and I think that's great. Bonus points if they're Gung Ho about helping reset.

 

It might be a good idea to bring another car or give them your keys if they start getting bored. Aside from that, most have a smartphone or tablet.

 

Edited December 23, 2018 by Rez805

[anonymouscuban]

Awesome guys. Thanks for the info. You know, had I not made this post, I wouldn't have thought to tell them to bring eyes and ears. Not sure why. I know its safety 101 but I didn't even consider it to this point.

Also, good point about the kids. My niece wants to come and she has a 2 year old. He's my Godson. I would love for him to come see his "Nino" shoot but I'm gonna ask that she not bring him along just to avoid any issues. I plan on introducing him to firearms when he's old enough so there will be plenty of other opportunities for it.

My wife will definitely come, along with my niece and her husband and probably my nephew, who is interested in competing. My sister, their mom will probably want to join too. We shall see. I will bring some Cuban treats to make a good impression on the guys. LOL Funny because my wife always brings some kind of treats for the staff at the range when we go shoot. They love us... or her more than likely. Haha.

Oh... and seating. Thanks for that heads up too. Awesome guys. Thank you so much. I've only been shooting for around 2 years and one of the things that has impressed me the most is the shooting community. So diverse and 99% of the folks are the nicest and welcoming people you can meet.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[jkrispies]

50 minutes ago, amokscience said:

Spectators are fine.  Most spectators are bored out of their minds after an hour.

 

Make sure they take wearing eye protection (on the entire range) seriously.

Please ask them not to film or photograph anybody without their permission, as quite a few shooters have jobs that may not approve of the hobby.  For instance, I'm in education, I know others in the film industry, and have shot alongside some law enforcement who are undercover at work.  These folks prefer to keep their "web presence" to a minimum.  Photos sometimes make it to the Internet.  Other than that, what amokscience said.  I'd tell them to drive themselves so they can arrive late and/or leave early, because this really isn't a spectator sport.  

 

Also, I generally recommend to new shooters that folks wear baseball caps, as the bills help to protect eyes from fragments coming down at a sharp angle and that can sneak between eyeglass frames and the brow.

Edited December 23, 2018 by jkrispies