Anybody Else Having This Problem?

[BBS1911]

I have been shooting IPSC for about four years. It seems that the longer I shoot the harder it is to get clubs to get the match results out in a timely fashion. They also have gotten slower and slower in sending classifier scores to USPSA. Anybody else having this problem?

[Merlin Orr]

I have been shooting IPSC for about four years. It seems that the longer I shoot the harder it is to get clubs to get the match results out in a timely fashion. They also have gotten slower and slower in sending classifier scores to USPSA. Anybody else having this problem?

It means the present scorekeeper is getting burned out and needs someone to replace him........

[mscott]

Merlin said it all. I get a bit irritated after a week, but since they are using their own time after the match to get the scores entered I'll never complain. I really appreciate all the efforts people make for this sport.

[ParaJoe]

I am guilty of this. Usually the match is scored after the match so that everyone knows how they did before they leave and then they are posted online that night. Well my schedule has been balls-to-the-wall this week and I haven't gotten them online yet. I feel like an ass because of it but I'm trying.

Joe

[sargenv]

I took the bull by the horns at our local match and took over for a very burned out web master. I took over getting the scores posted, updating the web site, and getting classifiers uploaded to the USPSA. The good thing is, I also volunteered to be treasurer so now I can upload the classifers and get them paid for by the club right away. I generally have results up the same day (or up to three days after if I'm particularly tired, also depends on the match or if there were scoring issues).

Vince

[CSEMARTIN]

I try to be very patient with the volunteer staff.......

Linda Chico sure does a nice job! At this years Summer Blast in Pennsylvania, I decided at the last possible minute to switch from single stack to L-10. She took care of everything with a great attitude as well. She really is a class act.

[EricW]

This isn't going to be a very popular statement, but occasionally you get exactly what you pay for. I'm strongly advocating that our local club get to the point where we can pay someone to do stats at the range. And I know the arguments that will come, but sooner or later we all need to pony up to make the system work. Personally, I think it's worth another $5 a match to get the job done right and promptly. I also think that prompt match results are a key selling point of a club. It pays dividends in match attendance - particularly if a club puts on major matches. If people know that you're solid on stats, serious competitors will get in their car and drive your way from afar. Treat stats carelessly or without a sense of urgency and people will stay away, particularly the hot rocks.

Hear me now or listen to me later...

[AikiDale]

The stats guy for our monthly steel match gets the scores out the same day of the match. He volunteered when I asked for volunteers and we get the scores days sooner than we did when I did them. I don't let him pay the match fee even though he keeps trying (he knows the match fees will eventually add up to purchase more steel). If you find help like this no matter which job they do count your lucky stars!

Thanks Clyde,

Dale

[CenTX]

It is a lot of work to put on a match and in most cases it is done by volunteers. In most clubs it is always the same small group of volunteers that do most of the work. Often these volunteers are the kind of people who are involved in many other activities because they are willing to commit or won't say no when called upon.

Likely the score keeper/poster arrived early to help set up the match or do sign up. They shot the match and may have helped tear down after the match, They may have driven an hour or two to get there and another hour or two to get home. Perhaps they wanted to stop and eat with fellow shooters on the way home or wanted to have dinner with the wife and kids when they got home. Maybe they are dog tired when they got home. Maybe the computer was acting up and things wouldn't work right. Could be that the only computer they have is at work and they do it on their lunch break. Many times there can be scoresheets that are hard to read, incomplete or have errors that can add greatly to the work load. There are a million reasons that delay things, and you need to be in the right frame of mind or you may make mistakes. Scoring is a lot of work and usually the only time anyone comments it's to complain.

I used to be one that volunteered or did not say no when asked to be a club officer or take on some project. I got burned out about 25 years ago and did not shoot a match for over 20 years. Started again two or three years ago. Every now and then I help with setup, usually help with tear down and work days and I feel guilty that I don't do more. Burn out is a definite risk for the mover and shakeres in any active club.

One of the matches I go to they do the scoring and email me the results which I then post to the web. Usually they are posted the same night or the next morning.

I like to have my results as soon as possible, but I have been there, done that and am thankful someone is willing to do it.

THANK YOU to all the volunteers in the clubs that host the matches I shoot. I appreciate your hard work and effort, keep it up. This sport depends on you.

[Steve J]

I score two matches a month. When I get home the afternoon of the match, I sit down and get the scores out by email and posted on line. I may fall asleep at the keyboard once or twice but the scores are always published the day of the match.

As they say... the job's not finished until the paperwork is done.

[abs]

We are very fortunate at our club to have a husband and wife team (thanks Debbie and Jack), who have the match scored and ready to post when they arrive home. If you are lucky enough to have quality people at your range, thank them the next time you see them!

[acolt45]

Yes that happens..

And it is hard to fix sometimes, there are many varying factors and power come in.

I took it one step further, I like seeing what we done that day.

I started taking pictures and posting them the same day of the match on my web page.

Then I started receiving results mailed to me for posting!

Now over the years the clubs do a good job on their own web sites with results and pictures.

I found it fun and enjoyed it, candid shot, no message just pictures.

Remember it is a lot of work compiling results and posting them along with pictures.

You have to like it as the pay is not very much if any, other than the compliments of other seeing the results.

Help is Always needed - but may not be wanted..

[jasmap]

At Rio Solado we generally get our scores pretty quick. We get them the same day quite often. It's pretty good especially with as many USPSA and steel matches we have every month (8 matches of these 2 combined).

[Jim Norman]

I did the scores at our club for a couple years. 3 matches a month plus three large matches a year. A couple years ago I was saved from madness by Vlad, he took over the indoor and more recently the outdoor scores. Now all I do is the reports and the couple special matches. When we made the move to splitting the scoring chores we had a few hiccoughs, however we seem to have put that behind us.

Whether scoring, designing, building, or tearing down, or any of the other tasks that need to be done, the key is building a competent team. Don't think too much in terms of staff. That implies a boss and a subservient group, whereas a team implies a group effort with direction from a plan, likely arrived at by the group or a group with in the group.

When effectively implimented, this allows for each member of the team to be less critical and allows each member to take a rest from time to time.

Build a team if you want to avoid burn-out.

Jim Norman

[Bill Rosenthal]

Well spoken Jim!

I was an MD and did just about everything. People who don't help have no room to complain about how much get's done and how fast.

Bill

[ima45dv8]

I score matches for several different clubs in the Atlanta area. I just registered, scored, verified and posted the results from a 6 stage match with 41 shooters in just over 95 minutes. **I learned to run a 10-key pretty well at a job that required it. No formal instruction; just do-or-die.

I do this for 2 reasons. One, I'm competitive by nature and want to see how I did as soon as possible. It truely pisses me off to have to wait so long for results that I see a good score on a stage and can't for the life of me remember what the stage was. Secondly, I feel that charging shooters for the privilege of wrecking havoc on cardboard goblins, knocking paint of steel and chasing swingers is only part of the package. Clubs MUST produce results in a timely manner to complete the deal.

In terms a commodity sold to paying customers, matches without timely and meaningful results are worthless as tits on a snake.

JMO....

[Bill Rosenthal]

In terms a commodity sold to paying customers, matches without timely and meaningful results are worthless as tits on a snake.

JMO....

JMO.... Every club should have someone like you to do the stats. The point is that all who participate should help and no one should consider themselves a paying customer, at least at the local club level.

[shred]

Does anybody else notice that after-match attendance (assuming you have scores available right after the match) decreases with the speed of web-site posting the results? It used to be that we had scores at the range after tear-down was complete, giving some incentive to help instead of sitting around or scooting, but now half the match seems to disappear about 30 seconds after firing their last shot.... then are the first ones to bellyache when scores aren't web-posted for a few days...

[ima45dv8]

Our local matches make a point during the pre-match shooters meeting of reminding everyone that their help is needed with tear down. It works very well for the most part. A week ago we had a match with 7 stages but only 3 squads. It was announced that each squad would need to tear down 2 stages each. Went off like clockwork.

Yeah, there's still a few who ALWAYS have the "Sorry, but I just have to run because of <<fill-in-the-blank>>", but those few individuals better hope they never need my help with anything in their lives. They'll be old and gray before I turn a hand to help them, and most other local shooters feel the same (these sorry asses think their routine laziness isn't noticed on a large scale. . . . . . . .but it is).

[00bullitt]

I shoot at several matches that Mark helps score. We are truely privelaged for his assistance and tentativeness in getting the scores out quickly and accurately. I shoot every Tuesday night at a small local indoor match. 90% of the time....Mark has the scores emailed before I hit the sack.

Mark(IMA45DV8)......a formal public "Thank You" for your efforts and love of the sport.

Edited December 23, 2006 by 00bullitt

[scorch]

At the Double Tap Ranch Club Match (usally around 30 folks) I shoot Thru the Stages and then Start the Scoring. I have Figured out that I can Calculate a stage when Every One has Shot it and we print and post that stage on our score board outside the stats shack Right away. We do this for each stage as it is completed by everyone gives the "guys" something to look at and discuss if we have a squad(s) that finish ahead of the rest of the Pack. Also when the last person is done shooting the match, we have the Last stage printed and posted about 5 minutes later and are ready to do the finals right after that. We post them on our web page the same afternoon as the matchabout 95% of the time. Guess we got this down to a science.