How to keep a match going

[Dan Hefta]

I agree with everyones suggestion to get more volunteers to help but how many are willing to drive 150-250 miles to attend a match that you have to help set up before you can shoot. Not me.

There lies the problem, this is a volunteer sport, too many shooters think they can just show up and shoot, this laziness can not be tolerated. There needs to be a change in the attitudes of shooters all accross the country, this is why MD's get burned out and don't want to do it anymore. Far too many shooters just waltz in pay there match fees and complain about the stages. Yes this should have gone in the "what I hate" forum.

[Nik Habicht]

One of the ways to help improve set-up in the morning is to have a roving wall crew. AT CJ, we often had stage designers showing up at the same as match directors, with other volunteers trickling in later. Once we get the trailers to the pits, it's not uncommon for us all to start in pit 1, build all the walls, move to pit 2, build all the walls and so on. With 4-5 people it goes pretty quickly (5 is ideal -- four lifting, carrying, one guy driving screws), and then set-up can continue even if it's a stage designer throwing target stands out on the stage by himself for a few minutes. As help arrives, target positions get refined, fault lines and wall get staked down, steel gets painted, movers get set, etc.

[calishootr]

its everywhere sad to say, here onthe left coast, i have been atthis silly sport for the better part of 20 yrs and i have seen my fair share of clubs come and go, because ofthis one problem, like was said before, we have 25 to 40 people show up at a given match, but its the core 5 or so that are doin all the sweating beforehand....its not fair to them...BTW i lovethe oneguyitus term and i HATE shoot an scooters, always have...

But this is a tough nutto crack, being a volunteer sport, tough getting people to give oftheir time...

we have done the MD shoots for free andthe help gets discounts, now i think its time to hit the scooters where it hurts, the pocketbook....say after a certain time(walkthru/first shot) the price goes up incrementally, may be enuff incentive to roll out of bed a half hr earier for some????

[BillChunn]

I've been around long enough to see clubs start shooting "IPSC" and to see others stop completely. As stated, it's burnout unless the leadership is passed from person to person.

This is what has worked successfully:

- Design the stages a week or more before the match

- Recognition of the stage designer(s) during the walk thru

- Setup the day before the match

- Have others look at the design once it is setup for shoot throughs and possible gaming

- Discount match fee for those that worked during setup (not just stood around with their thumb up their ass)

- Order pizza delivered to the range so the arrival is timed with the completion of setup.

- Head to the bar and buy the first round to cool off after working all day.

- For small indoor matches, limit the number of shooters and the number of squads. Pre-registration at a designated squad starting time to the match by e-mail. (9-10 shooters takes 90 minutes for 4 stages).

- Tear down is done by the squad shooting the stage last. Make it simple. "Pile everything here" works very well.

- Better yet, have the IDPA group take a look at what they can use so they don't have to do setup. They just handle teardown.

This is what has NOT worked:

- One person tries to do it all

- Late match starts

- Shooters sitting around waiting

- Stage backups where 2 or 3 squads are waiting to get on one 50 round stage

- Gimick "memory" stages

- Same stage designs month after month after month....

Running a match or even being a "traveling" RO for a squad is going to hurt your score. That is a given. If the same guys are doing the work all the time, eventually they are going to say "This just ain't worth it anymore".

Been there, done that.

HH

Edited March 29, 2011 by HoldHard

[Flexmoney]

It's funny... we all get to thinking that the guys we have been working with to put stages on the ground the last couple of years are going to be the same guys a few years down the road. Stuff happens.

We need to always be recruiting new help.

The Match Directors need to look at their gig as recruiting and training the next crew.

Always ask for help. Explain it is their match.

Adjust the complexity of setup to reflect the amount of help.

Ask for help.

Be nice. Nobody want to get growled at. (they can get that at work or at home, right? )

Explain it is their match. Ask for help.

New guys don't know they can help...don't know how to help...don't know what the finished product should look like...and don't know where things are. FIND A WAY TO GET THEM INVOLVED.

Don't be too nice either. Don't ever stop walking. If you do, somebody will want to tell you about the springs in their 1911 or their uber-tupperware trigger. Ask those guys to walk with you (they will, they want to tell their story). Walk them right into some work.

Delegate. Then, let them do the work.

Thank them for the wonderful match they put on.

[Jim Norman]

Interesting thread this.

My two home clubs, Old Bridge and Central Jersey are run this way:

A call for stage designs goes out about a week before the match. We have regular designers, but we add new people often resulting in more stage designs than pits. Designers, particularly new or 'Guest' designers are recognized. We have people showing up from 8am or before and they start setting up 'Their' stage. By 8:30 we usually have at least two-three people per stage. No discounts, no freebies. Our shooters OWN the match and take pride in putting on the best possible show. We have a dedicated Range Boss that drops off the supplies and verifies shot angles and safety issues. We have dedicated sign up people. ROs are embedded. The Range Boss and Stats guy (Old Bridge) then become Range Masters while shooting the match and handle any issues that come up. When a squad shoots their last stage, they tear it down, put up the walls and then we pick up the steel, stands, sticks and trash. Usually about 8-10 left at the very end. With the crew we have we have a generally pleasant day on match day. About the only truly stressful thing is squadding. Balancing the squads with people that want to shoot together, can RO, can't RO and can run a squad. That is stress.

After 10 years, except for squadding, I wouldn't give it up.

My advice: ASK FOR HELP, Answer questions, provide support and get out of the way. Don't micromanage.