ROing

[nmipsc]

What would it take to get YOU ( yourself) to RO a Major Match. Please no answers like a Stripper on each stage or anything like that.

Edited August 10, 2007 by nmipsc

[Jim Norman]

Well that sort of kills the reason I had.

Seriously, I have worked as RO and also built stages for two Area matches, two NJ State matches and a couple others.

What would it take for me to do it again? Time. Between our home clubs match load, shooting the various matches I travel to to shoot and that annoying thing called a job. I have used up more than my alloted time away from my wife and daughter already.

Maybe IF we have a better schedule of matches next year where I can schedule the required time to work Sat Sun after shooting on Friday, I may. I am not yet ready to just shoot the RO match.

Jim

[uscbigdawg]

I've RO'ed a 3-Gun Nationals, an Area 3-Gun match, countless regionals/sectionals and will say one thing first is that I like RO'ing. Yeah...maybe it holds me up from "performing my best" as a competitor but I prefer to just shoot through.

That said, here's a good list of preferences I have:

- Score counts for the match. Nothing worse than shooting a major and it not count.

- Match Fee either partially paid, but since it's a major, fully paid

- Lunch is free (that's probably more important than the match fee for me )

- Hotel accomodations isn't a bad incentive either

- Bonus for the RO's at the A63G was our own prize table as well as our divisional prize table.

Other than that, just shooters with a great attitude and a good crew to work with. I've been lucky that every stage I've been fortunate to work on has been "the fastest stage in the match". Part of that I like to think is shooters willing to help out with duties and motivating them to do so, if only to get through the stage quickly.

In hot conditions, keep an ample supply of water available for (and delivered to) the RO's. Oh...give us shade and have plenty of tape, paint and in the case of shotgun stages clay birds available...on the stage.

That's pretty much it. There are other perks that I've encountered along the way, but I'll just wrap it up with this. If anyone wants to know how to run a match, just ask Mark Hearn down in Alabama or the guys that ran the '03 or '04 Georgia State pistol match in Gainesville (can't remember their names...sorry). They've got it licked.

Rich

[ima45dv8]

I've RO'ed a 3-Gun Nationals, an Area 3-Gun match, countless regionals/sectionals and will say one thing first is that I like RO'ing. Yeah...maybe it holds me up from "performing my best" as a competitor but I prefer to just shoot through.

That said, here's a good list of preferences I have:

- Score counts for the match. Nothing worse than shooting a major and it not count.

Yeah.

- Match Fee either partially paid, but since it's a major, fully paid

Yeah.

- Lunch is free (that's probably more important than the match fee for me )

Hell yeah.

- Hotel accomodations isn't a bad incentive either

- Bonus for the RO's at the A63G was our own prize table as well as our divisional prize table.

Very nice incentives.

Other than that, just shooters with a great attitude and a good crew to work with. I've been lucky that every stage I've been fortunate to work on has been "the fastest stage in the match". Part of that I like to think is shooters willing to help out with duties and motivating them to do so, if only to get through the stage quickly.

In hot conditions, keep an ample supply of water available for (and delivered to) the RO's. Oh...give us shade and have plenty of tape, paint and in the case of shotgun stages clay birds available...on the stage.

That's pretty much it. There are other perks that I've encountered along the way, but I'll just wrap it up with this. If anyone wants to know how to run a match, just ask Mark Hearn down in Alabama or the guys that ran the '03 or '04 Georgia State pistol match in Gainesville (can't remember their names...sorry). They've got it licked.

That was Roger Kooi and Carlos Rubio, 2 true treasures in this sport.

That's where you and I met, Rich!

Rich

[ima45dv8]

Having done a few, I'd say having a Match Director who's on the ball, and a Range Master who supports their CROs is a Must. **Overturn a call I make with no more reason than, "But we just want everyone to have fun" is a quick way to ensure I won't ever work that match again. It's only happened to me once, but that person left the sport years ago so I don't *expect* to have that happen again.

Stage design that isn't going to cause me to have nightmares or new enemies after working the match.

Letting me select my own crew for the stage is a plus, but not absolutely required.

Weather -- I'm naturally well-insulated so it helps if the match isn't similar to GA in late-Summer.

Having cold drinks available is a plus, but if not provided by the match I'll bring my own. (See note below)

For no other reason than wanting to enjoy the experience as a competitor for a change, I took a break the last 2 years from doing the GA State and Area 6 matches, but I did work A6 match during ROing the ROs during their Friday schedule. Cindy Noyes, Roger Kooi and Carloe Rubio have my undying respect for knowing how to put on a quality show while taking good care of their match staff.

NOTE: A stripper on every stage is not required, but a stripper on *my* stage passing out cold drinks to the staff is a plus.

[kimel]

Rich pretty much nailed it.

The biggest one on the list is having the score count. I didn't bother to take the blaster over to the Nats in Missoula because I knew the score wouldn't count.

Cover meals at the range and hotel is the biggest one from a logistics standpoint. Per diem for dinner is nice, if the budget can handle it.

But the biggest thing that makes working a match worth it is when the competitors come up after running the stage and thank us for working and you can just tell they mean it.

[Scout454]

+1 for what Rich and 45dv8 said.

I've been working majors in Area 8 since 1997 (I worked the Limited Nationals in '97 as a volunteer) and I don't regret any of it. I will not work a match that I can't shoot for score - even knowing that I will not shoot my best because I'm working.

[SA Friday]

I've never shot an area or national match, but I can say if I was to shoot the match and the score didn't count because I volunteered to RO the match, I would not RO. That would be quite an expense for me to not even get to see where I stacked up. Just my 2 cents.

[ima45dv8]

It's all in the planning. If the MD gets it together, the RO's score will count.

I know there have been many matches where it didn't and I feel bad for the match staff in those situations.

While that *is* an important point, let's not get sidetracked and gloss over the aspect of the strippers.

[stingerjg]

Area 3 is coming up in Oct. The only reason im going to make the trip is to RO. Sure ill shoot the match, but thats not the important thing. I really enjoy giving back to the sport and meeting shooter from my area. If i couldnt RO it, idk if i would even go.

[vluc]

Time and location. I've done 2 Area's, 2 Sectionals, 2 Tri-States. I've been fortunate that in Western PA we have great clubs that step up and put on great matches.

I would not rule out working another Major depending on where and when if not in Western PA.

[johnhurd]

I would have to wake up 15-20 years younger

[Kingman]

I would consider it, but to date I have yet to see info on a close NROI course that was planned well enough in advance to get it aranged.

A lot of the ideas that people have are nice. I most certainly would not do it if it would not count.

[Shooter Grrl]

Actually, the only thing that makes me want to RO is a budgetary crunch If RO's get to shoot for free AND have the match count for score, AND I need the "extra help" then I'll volunteer to RO. If I'm broke, and there's no RO incentives, I'll just skip the match and find the next one that has what I want

Caveat- the nationals don't follow this plan for me. I RO the nationals for the experience.

[Flyin40]

The thing that stops me from ROing any majors is family. It would require me to usually leave on a Wed night or Thurs. morning to go and shoot then RO the rest of the weekend. That would leave my wife with a 2 and 4 yr old for that entire time. She works full time and I just can't justify doing it even if it saves money. It will be a few yrs before I will be able to work majors. Plus I can get her to come with me for the weekend and have my mom watch the kids for 2 days like we just did for Area 8.

Flyin

[sandankenpo]

score must count

no setting up stages on the day ro's shoot

match fee paid in full , if you work all days

hotel

meals at range, and evening, no drinks of course

[Mick]

score must count

no setting up stages on the day ro's shoot

match fee paid in full , if you work all days

hotel

meals at range, and evening, no drinks of course

I've done it for the same minus the evening meals and will work like a dog for that.

We have a local match called the Double Tap Ranch Championship where the match director

offers this deal for his ROs. I will always work for this deal.

Others have offered a 1/2 price match fee and food and think that is good enough

but I have news for those that run a match like that...You will lose your ROs quickly!

Heck, I make $30/hour and if they think the half price and food is OK then they're cheating you.

Figure I work for 2 or 3 days at a match for 8 hours a day (and then some) and I've given $500 of my

time that I took in vacation or off time to work for $100 or less..????

Has anyone ever seen the match fees vs match cost from behind the scene?

If an MD isn't offering you all the above then you better run away!

[LPatterson]

Time & location are the prime considerations. As for the scores counting I think that should depend on the match, probably any level II or III because it provides the incentive to volunteer for the match. But the Nationals should be staffed by all volunteers who have no concerns about the outcome. The Nationals should never have to worry about the integrity of a call or scoring decision because it might affect the outcome of a match officials overall placement.

There is also the time problem of the staff shooting the match when there are changes needed to a stage to eliminate safety problems or to make a stage equal for all shooters. The staff match at Area 1 did not start on schedule because of various tweaks at the last moment but that was a smaller staff with less stages than a Nationals would have.

My first Nationals the CRO's were supposed to be there 2 days in advance of the match & the RO's 1 day. The day before the match was spent moving a bunch of targets around to satisfy concerns of how a stage might be gamed or that we couldn't have the baby dropped into a garbage can because it wouldn't look good on the video. My second & just finished Nationals was spent as part of the set-up crew as well as being an RO on a stage, making sure the stages met the RM's & MD's concept of the type of shooting challenge presented. What was the stage trying to test, could it be gamed, did the starting position or walk through need to be changed because of the stage position or location? Was there a change to the published COF that could be covered in the WSB? I was so tired after everything that I didn't care to shoot the staff match that looked for problems on certain stages.

Given the right location I would do it again and hope the heat is not what we went through in July or what it was in Tulsa during the PGA tour event.

[Charles Bond]

Getting to work with Kathy and Mark and LeRoy on my stage would do it for me.

Charles Bond

[Wakal]

Yeah, that about nailed it. Feed me, water me, "hotel" me, let me run the match for score, and I'm good.

A

[Shooter Grrl]

Getting to work with Kathy and Mark and LeRoy on my stage would do it for me.

Charles Bond

Your stage?!?! MY STAGE

[AikiDale]

What would it take to get YOU ( yourself) to RO a Major Match. Please no answers like a Stripper on each stage or anything like that.

I just volunteered to RO a section match because they were short handed and needed staff. I guess that's what it takes.

[boz1911]

Been shooting 2+ years and worked Area 6 matches 06 and 07. Although inexperienced, I feel I was treated well. Shot the match for free, was paid a daily amount and was treated to the special prize table. Can't complain but damn what a buttload of work. I advised the Area 6 staff I would just pay to shoot if the only stages they could find for me to work had Texas stars. After picking up hundreds of plates and painting them just gets old........Still invaluable experience!

[GlockSpeed31]

I advised the Area 6 staff I would just pay to shoot if the only stages they could find for me to work had Texas stars. After picking up hundreds of plates and painting them just gets old........Still invaluable experience!

What, I thought "we" were the Super Squad of RO's with Texas Stars of 06 & 07!! You don't mean that you will not work w/ me next year on the star stage? Man, what a way to let a brother down.

J/K, I will not be able to work it next year anyways with the new job I start next month. Heck, I might not be able to shoot it either.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

I have done a sectional and a regional. Didn't get to shoot either, paid my own hotel on the regional and my own gas on the sectional, had a great time on both.

If my knees and my pocketbook were in better shape I would continue but at these rates I can't afford it any more.

When I did IDPA regionals (4 years), we were offered a place to sleep by one of the local guys and they fed us and supplied the beer at night. That was a good time