What Motivates You To Attend (and Return To) A Match?

[Jim Norman]

One constant I hear is: Get it over quickly! (or in a reasonable time)

Ok with me, if the shooters will show up 2 hours early and help us build the match, then stick around for an hour after the last shot so we can tear ita ll down, we can start on time, maybe even earlier than we currently do and we can all go home early as well.

As it is, a few people show up between 0730 and 0800, work their tails off toassemble 7 stages, then shoot the match and stay around for two hours to put it away, in large part because about half the shooters figure that they can just shoot and scoot, "Hey I paid my fees!" That fits well at a large match with diedicated staff that charges you $150 to shoot, when you are shooting at the club level, then we can use your help.

You want the shooting to be over quickly? Tape, Set Steel Reset Movers, and most of all, keep it moving, BS after the match. If you are not the shooter, RO, CRO, On deck or previous shooter, you should be taping and setting. Lets see, that leaves 5 people on a 10 person squad to tape and set, and maybe to brass. You should clear most stages in 3 minutes or less per shooter. When you are done, get to the next stage, If they are running behind, help them! Just don't sit there.

Matches do not happen in a vacuum! They take a lot of hard work. By a lot of people.

The number of people on a squad and the number of stages you have are in large part up to your clubs draw. We get up to and occasionally over 70 shooters.

We have found 7 tobe the minimum number of shooters that works on a squad with embedded RO's, If you have staff, then you can run 6 on a squad and I suppose you could run 4 stages in two flights, an AM and a PM squadding. But it is REALLY important then that people stay to help.

As to stage designs, make them fun and challenging, but as someone else said, not tNavy Seal World Championships. I'm over 50 and even my memory of how good I once was isn't that good! I have to get up and go to work the moring after a match. Large scrapes and Bruises are not the best thing to bring in on Monday!

Jim

[Shawn Knight]

Hooters girls RO's running the stages in short shorts and tube tops.. (Are you Match Directors finally listening?)

If it happens at my match it will be with regular shorts and none of that pantyhose nonsense. I don't understand the appeal of hot pants and pantyhose on a girl that looks like she's about 14....it's just creepy.

What the heck kind of Hooters do you have? Alaskan Hooters Girls are a little older

[Flexmoney]

...even my memory of how good I once was isn't that good!

That ...is a great line.

[Ozarksman]

I run the USPSA program at a club in northern Arkansas and we have just 4 pistol bays. We're in a rural area so there is not a good easy way to get here. One way we encourage others to drive any distance to shoot with us is to hold what we call a "2-gun" match format. We basically shoot 2 matches back to back, 3 field courses and a classifier. This does several good things for lots of us. First, it allows folks the chance to shoot two different guns and get credit for two classifiers all in the same day. Secondly, it lets us burn close to 200 rounds and shoot 8 stages for $15 (club members) or $20 for non members. And thirdly, I only have to set up four stages and depend on less people to get the match ready by 11:00am on match day. We don't do scoring at the match but typically I have them out that evening or the next day, never been any complaints about that. Match at 11:00 and we're usually off the range by 3:30 or 4:00 heading top our favorite watering hole. Our normal turnout is around 25 and I score around 35-40 shooters by the time its done. As far as stages go, I think we do a great job of mixing it up with easy-to-hard shots. Since we have several regulars in the 60+ age range, a few in the 70's and even one over 80, we have to be careful of how complex or physically demanding we make our stages.

[Baer_steve]

Let start by saying a match that is poorly organised. Running stages side by side with no burm between and not alternating shooters. Stage 1 starts from 15 yards and shoots running up and stage 2 starts at 1 foot shooting backing up. Guess this puts stage two shooter in front of stage one's barrel. If ya can't duck don't come.

Elederly men trying to data enter scores at match end and by 5:00pm still have a stack the height of a Hummer to go. Just couldn't wait them out, had a wife to feed.

Course we are now 20 days later and still no match scores posted. I can't believe they are still entering the data. Guys Add $5.00 dollars to the match and hire someone who types. So who knows how anyone did and who cares about the scores or how well they placed. I know I went for the fun of it.

I just want you all to know 2006 George Norton Memorial Match in Ohio had some great stages and I'm glad I went. But I would just like to know that I didn't stand in the rain to come in dead last.

Good thing this was a one time match.

Steve

[Steve Moneypenny]

It's all about the fun I go to have a good match and feel good about shooting. Wether we shoot good or bad no match should ever leave you feeling bad about shooting ( one local club puts on some super hard matches) their shooter count shows it many times. If a match is too hard it is demoralizing to shooters.

I also like the people a good happy crowd that is diciplined yet light hearted, and not bad mouthing other people and sports. That's what brings me back!

[Topmaul]

What brings me back is the people, I have a few shooting buddies, at first it was a "Team Saiga" thing we had to band together, to share magazines, now we all pretty much have enough mags but we are still banding together.

Recently I have been hanging with the gun club regulars,

I often try to shoot a 3 gun match in Richmond VA about 3+ hours away again because I like the folks running the match.

[racine]

For me it is:

1. Friendly, knowledgeable and helpful people.

2. A well organized match that starts on time and proceeds smoothly. One match I shoot every month always starts an hour late so I factor that into my schedule. The other always starts within five minutes of the schedule and I much prefer that.

3. Challenging stages.

4. Strong competion in my division. One of the best ways to improve is to watch and compete against shooters who are better than you and are in the same or similar divisions.

5. A culuture of peer pressure that strongly encourages all to help out with the routine chores such as setup, pasting, scoring and tear down. I know of several people at matches that don't pitch in and do their part. I make sure to avoid signing up for the same squad they are on.

6. Match results that are posted that afternoon or evening.

7. Finally, the most important criteria is how I feel after the match. I almost always had a great time and look forward to more fun the next month.

Basically, all of these apply. I prefer the challenge of solving stages and shooting on the run to standing alone on the range. I've got the love, do you got the love???

Lately though this has been challenged. I don't know if by circumstances per chance but I personally value my time off and if I have to drive 1-4 hrs to a match only to find it cancelled without ANY notice, I'm just pissed! To show up to a locked gate with 2-4 other cars also waiting is enough to keep me wanting to consider other sports. This has happenend to me about 3X in the last 12 months. The last match I attended was a 2 hr drive one way and almost 2 months later the scores AREN'T EVEN UP YET??? I know it's a volunteer sport and I do help when and where I can but these kind of oversights are a DISSERVICE to your fellow shooters. Am I being unrealistic, unreasonable in my small expectations- you tell me, but I have to admit, it is taking a lot of motivation now to get me to go back to some clubs...

Racine

[CenTX]

Fun factor is the key.

It can be a local match with good stages and fun people. Your squad determines a lot of the fun factor. A major turn off is getting squadded with someone who arrives at the last minute, leaves early and bitches about the stages.

It can be travel match, over 3 hours drive, typically these will be bigger matches and you expect better stages with better props. A good prize table helps. 2006 Gator Classic is a good example. Great stages, great staff, fantastic prize table, wonderful Cajun food. Who you travel with also infuences the fun factor. The big DoubleTap matches have been fun, Robert puts on some great matches.

[MichiganShootist]

It's clearly more of a problem in IDPA than in USPSA... but in either case..... I hate gimick stages.

Stages should be test of shooting skill not a memory test... of how and when... and in what order,,, you deal with props falult lines... etc. If a stage takes more than a minute or two for a walk through.. it's not well designed. If a stage walk through generates a half dozen questions from each squad...it's not well designed.

Poorly trained ROs / Sos... will also turn me off quick.

Edited March 21, 2007 by MichiganShootist

[Shawn Knight]

It's clearly more of a problem in IDPA than in USPSA... but in either case..... I hate gimick stages.

Stages should be test of shooting skill not a memory test... of how and when... and in what order,,, you deal with props falult lines... etc. If a stage takes more than a minute or two for a walk through.. it's not well designed. If a stage walk through generates a half dozen questions from each squad...it's not well designed.

Poorly trained ROs / Sos... will also turn me off quick.

I can barely remember to look at the front sight let alone remember goofy tactical stuff! Give me a straight USPSA match any day!

Edited March 21, 2007 by theknightoflight

[grywlfbg]

For me the biggest driver to attend a distant match is to experience stages that I can't recreate at my local matches.

I attended Nationals for the first time last year and I was a little disappointed. There were a few cool stages but most of them were pretty standard setups that I could easily recreate back home. I realize that isn't the point of Nationals and that my expectations were wrong and no fault of the match organizers.

But based on my desires I'm looking more and more at the larger multi-gun matches as they seem to offer that mix of wacky stage design and crazy props.

[Thomas Moore]

Trying to beat Matt Cheely with an Open gun while he shoots an iron sighted gun.

[Resjudicata]

I also like the people a good happy crowd that is diciplined yet light hearted, and not bad mouthing other people and sports. That's what brings me back!

I know this was originally an old thread but since someone brought it back I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.

The above is one of my pet peeves about some clubs in our sport. Some of our local clubs here are really heavy with the Tactibilly, Mall Ninja, Gunshop Commando types. They come out and shoot USPSA while bitching and complaining about us Non-Tactibilly types shooting too fast and just generally acting like unhappy a&&es. This brings down everyone else and keeps the match from being enjoyable for the rest of us.

Frankly, a club that is willing to cull the herd and only leave the happy people who are just glad to come out to shoot and enjoy our sport will get my money every time.

Chris

[sslav]

The above is one of my pet peeves about some clubs in our sport. Some of our local clubs here are really heavy with the Tactibilly, Mall Ninja, Gunshop Commando types. They come out and shoot USPSA while bitching and complaining about us Non-Tactibilly types shooting too fast and just generally acting like unhappy a&&es. This brings down everyone else and keeps the match from being enjoyable for the rest of us.

Chris

Unless your club does not accept squadding requests, this should be one of those self-correcting problems.

[larry cazes]

For me the biggest driver to attend a distant match is to experience stages that I can't recreate at my local matches.

I attended Nationals for the first time last year and I was a little disappointed. There were a few cool stages but most of them were pretty standard setups that I could easily recreate back home. I realize that isn't the point of Nationals and that my expectations were wrong and no fault of the match organizers.

But based on my desires I'm looking more and more at the larger multi-gun matches as they seem to offer that mix of wacky stage design and crazy props.

For the reasons you stated, You should try to make Area 2 this year.

[KGentry]

Some of our local clubs here are really heavy with the Tactibilly, Mall Ninja, Gunshop Commando types. They come out and shoot USPSA while bitching and complaining about us Non-Tactibilly types shooting too fast and just generally acting like unhappy a&&es.

Chris

That has to be one of funniest things I have heard in a long long time!!! :roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

[workingman]

Some of our local clubs here are really heavy with the Tactibilly, Mall Ninja, Gunshop Commando types. They come out and shoot USPSA while bitching and complaining about us Non-Tactibilly types shooting too fast and just generally acting like unhappy a&&es.

Chris

That has to be one of funniest things I have heard in a long long time!!! :roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

Funny, but amazingly true.

[KGentry]

I will be using that line everywhere I go and probably getting into trouble!!

[persona non grata]

I think everyone has hit on the positive aspects of why they would come back to a match. Now let me focus on at least two negative aspects that will make me never, ever return to a match. If I even suspect something fishey went on with the scores (i.e. pencil whipping, i.e. cheating) in the stats shack, I won't be back. If there is one hint something fishey went down with any of the prize distributions, I won't be back. Those two are absolutes in my book. I do not reward unethical behavior by paying that club my match fee ever again.

[TM262]

- Friends

- Challenge

- Self Discipline

- Self Improvement

- Competition

- Personal Satisfaction

[chbrow10]

Good, challenging, safe stages

Challenging targets (Texas Star, swingers, etc. The kind of targets that I see at the three big matches I go to).

Friendly people.

Lots of competitors in my division.

Fellow competitors that I can learn from.

[racine]

I think everyone has hit on the positive aspects of why they would come back to a match. Now let me focus on at least two negative aspects that will make me never, ever return to a match. If I even suspect something fishey went on with the scores (i.e. pencil whipping, i.e. cheating) in the stats shack, I won't be back. If there is one hint something fishey went down with any of the prize distributions, I won't be back. Those two are absolutes in my book. I do not reward unethical behavior by paying that club my match fee ever again.

PNG, U I hear what you're saying here. So here I am getting back into the swing of things shooting primarily at 2 different clubs. I finally get a friend to get me on a club's mailing list for match notification/cancellations and all goes well for 2 years. A month ago with nice weather, I head on down not receiving any notices by email only to find the club locked solid on such a nice day(1 hr of driving, okay I go play golf). The next month again no notices but I call someone who says the match is on. Somehow someone entered my name into the computer without me there so when I show up I get logged on again (without any idea). At the end of the match, the director calls me inside to tell me my name and scores won't show up but that my classifier goes in though. Either way he can't make changes so I don't know where I really stand?! I'm a little peeved but bite my tongue and help tear down.

SHOULD I ASK FOR MY MATCH FEE BACK or just suck it up as a fubar of a day??? What's the right thing to do? The computer man/match director states correcting this will take 20+ minutes and doesn't want to hold anyone over at 1400hrs. I've been shooting USPSA for 14 yrs and never had so much fodder show up like this at any club. What's a reasonable shooter supposed to do?

Racine

[Pro2AInPA]

What are the features that motivate you to attend a match? What movivates you to drive several hours each way to go a particular match over shooting at a closer venue?

- Fun crowd

- High Round Count

- Extras like food, drinks

- Prizes?

- Challenge - i.e. tough shots, challenging props.

- Discipline that is not available elsewhere (i.e. Action Pistol, IDPA...)

- other?

Meeting new shooters, interesting/fun stages, USPSA is only available at two clubs within decent driving distance (one is 45 minutes, one just over an hour).

[LT45]

It's pretty simple for me... a GOOD CONSTANTLY RUN MATCH!