Nationals
Greetings Everyone,
I apologize for my lack or response, as I was soaking my backside in the emerald waters of the Caribbean and burying my feet in the white sands of the Bahamas for the last week.
So let me humbly chime in with some opinions here.
There are some who are questioning the number of shooters that are interested in attending.
And, some asking what our stats were in reference to locality. Yes there was a large number of local shooters. The numbers roughly break down to about 70% not local and about 30% local. That being said, lets look at a number of factors. First, this was the first National championship of its kind ever done. With that being said, the momentum had not started. Now that the ball is rolling it is easier to keep it rolling. One big example is the Extreme being held next month. There are estimated to be nearing 100 attendees as we speak. This I can confirm. I think that says enough. Every event will always have a strong representation from local shooters.
People from all over the world will attend the USARB National championship.
The venue has the potential to overshadow the Worlds in the right hands.
We saw attendees from multiple countries attend, considering we had about at least ten or so that could not make it due to visa issues, the numbers would have been higher.
Some very important mission statements need to be made regarding the Nationals.
- Remember this is an event to celebrate the sport.
- Make it a competition of inclusivity rather than exclusivity. There are many levels to this.
- Create multiple opportunities to shoot. ie lots of shooting time. remember not many people would want to spend thousands to travel the world/country to only shoot for 60 minutes in one or two classes.
- Make this a non rushed event over at least 4 days.
- Remember this is all about the all shooters and not about a few of the best.
- Incentives for the winners. i.e. significant prizes
- Incentives for the participants. i.e. shooters packets, raffle, etc
- Sponsorship involvement
- Social opportunities to enhance the experience
- Most importantly, make it a FUN and MEMORABLE event for ALL.
With these priorities in mind, the event will be successful.
For our event we had here, it was important for us make sure we had enough space to accommodate all who wished to attend every event. That task was monumental. The goal of this was to again attract shooters, not turn away. Down the road, if we have thousands of interested shooters, then maybe we should consider a selection criteria. Or consider a tournament style course at the event.
Scoreline. It is very hard to determine who the best shooters in the country are when each range has different conditions that have variable levels of difficulty and wind conditions. As exemplified in the Nationals, some who score high at a calm range, may not do so well in a turbulent range. One range’s 730 may be another’s 749 30X. Scoreline is a poor barometer to determine national ranking. It is however a great opportunity to share scores. When national ranking is considered, one should look at placement in events and not raw scores. This is where regional events should come in. If there is a selection or qualification process, this is how it should be done.
USARB membership. I believe every club should have a yearly membership fee. In addition, I believe there should be a small sanctioning fee at regional events that goes to the organizing body. For example, $3-5 per shooter at a regional, and / or $5-7 for a national should to go the the USARB. This affords the governing body to have some income for discretionary spending and maintenance costs.
Location of The National Event. It seems logical to host it in various locales each year. That would give every region the opportunity to support the sport, and to represent themselves to the rest of the world. But until that time comes, a range should have the minimum number of spaces necessary to meet the capacity needs of a national venue irregardless of where it can be held.
If neither location or bench numbers are available, then we deal with what we have until that time. And if we have to run constant relays over a multitude of days to accommodate every shooter, then so be it. Inclusivity not exclusivity.
National “control”. Now that the USARB is advancing. I agree that we need a set of rules that are clear and comprehensive. I agree that we need a body of persons in place to contend with unforeseen issues that come up at the least opportune times. I believe appeals and disputes should not be left to one sole person or a match director to interpret but rather a small official group. For example, Match Director, USARB Chairman, Scoring Officer etc. Rules need to be made so interpretation can be derived and concrete determination can be applied by anyone who can read. Safety, on the the other hand, should lie squarely and unequivocally on the match director.
The execution of any national event requires close collaboration with any match director and the governing bodies. yes, It’s that simple.
Looking to the future…. If the board would be interested, we here in Arizona would again be willing to host the National Championship in 2016. Now that… is another thread.
Kind Regards,
Garrett
