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RESULTS: IDPA Nebraska Indoor Match, November 8

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Aldo:
Woot!! Woot!! There were 27 shooters at today's IDPA Nebraska's Indoor Match held at Thunder Alley Indoor Shooting Range in Lincoln, NE.

Results are posted on UberScoreMaster: https://www.uberscoremaster.com/?matchid=A724A380-00E7-4F6E-8A97-223CAD847922

Yes, it was..."quite a match today" (per prior thread)...right, jhthapkido?  :laugh:  Congrats to jhthapkido for his 1st place finish overall, despite the first and only procedural in all of your IDPA matches!! Hey, there were two shooters who had NO procedurals, NO hit non-threats, and NO failure to neutralize: Sean_N and Aldo!!! (Hey, I've got to get my kudos from somewhere!!)  :laugh:

One of the more memorable moments was when one of the (unnamed) shooters after being given the command to "load and make ready", he removed his handgun from his gunbag, loaded it, and tried at least twice to holster it, and then calmly turned to the SO (Aldo) and asked if he could unload and go back in line because his holster was upside down on his belt  :o ...after Aldo said, "Holy crap, now that's one thing I've not seen happen before at an IDPA match"  :blank: , Aldo kindly allowed the shooter to do so....knowing full well of the impending barrage of jesting the shooter was going to get from others  :P

For the record, I have absolutely no remorse for all of the painted hard cover on all of the threat targets. :D

However, I, as the Match Director, do sincerely apologize to the 3 of 4 shooters who elected to not finish...2 elected not to finish because of the late time constraint of the match lasting longer than usual and they had to leave; also, 1 was still sitting in the range's waiting room unbeknownst to us while we broke down the stages  :-[  One other shooter elected not to finish because, well, his ammo wasn't firing despite light primer strikes....but the cylinder in the revolver looked cool as it, well, revolved with each trigger press  ::)

Many kudos to Thunder Alley for hosting the match and allowing us to run overtime to finish the match (apologies to his waiting customers), and many thanks to all of the shooters who helped with the scoring and pasting and brass cleaning of the shooting areas, and many thanks to jhthapkido and Sean_N for stepping up to help with the "SO" roles (my right knee had me hobbling), and certainly thanks to those shooters who stayed until the end to help break down the stages!

Yes, there were a couple or few PO'd folks because they would have like to have left earlier in the match.  And I accept responsibility for that faux pas...we usually alternate shooters (i.e., one does Stage 1, and the other does Stage 2, and then we switch those two to shoot the other stages) based on the date and time of their online registrations in order to honor "the early bird gets the worm".  However, today we just had the entire group shoot Stage 1 and then pushed to get everyone through Stage 2....which apparently messed with some folks plans to leave earlier.  Oh, well, that experiment won't happen again.  ;)

Otherwise, I hope that most of the others had a fun time...despite the sadistic dentist's penchant for excessive painted hardcover on all of the threat targets!  :blank:

JTH:

--- Quote from: Aldo on November 08, 2014, 05:33:59 PM ---However, I, as the Match Director, do sincerely apologize to the 3 of 4 shooters who elected to not finish...2 elected not to finish because of the late time constraint of the match lasting longer than usual and they had to leave; also, 1 was still sitting in the range's waiting room unbeknownst to us while we broke down the stages  :-[  One other shooter elected not to finish because, well, his ammo wasn't firing despite light primer strikes....but the cylinder in the revolver looked cool as it, well, revolved with each trigger press  ::)
--- End quote ---

That first stage did take a lot longer than normal---but you also had quite a few shooters new to IDPA, and it was simply a very difficult stage.  As such, it was just going to take longer.  Not your fault that it took awhile, and by the second stage we had gotten ourselves an organization and it went faster. 

If people have to go due to time constratints, that's how it goes, and it is too bad those folks couldn't finish---but again, that's not your fault. 

In a similar fashion, if shooters aren't in the shooting area when their name is called and aren't checking to see what the shooting order is like, then again, there isn't a whole lot you can do about that.  While you are the match director, we are adults.  (Except for the juniors, and they normally are in there helping the entire time, so they don't have this problem.)  As adults, we are responsible for being where we are supposed to be. 

The match staff shouldn't have to wait on shooters not being ready, and shouldn't have to scour the building looking for people who aren't at the line ready to go when their names are called. 

If there are medical reasons for someone not being able to help reset the stage, that's one thing (if you don't have a medical reason, you should be helping)---but even with that, if you can safely negotiate the stage, you can also safely go into the range area periodically and check to see if you are coming up on the shooting list.

I know you feel responsible, Aldo---but it isn't your fault, because it ISN'T your responsibility to make sure all your shooters are where they are supposed to be.  That's on them.  (On us.)


--- Quote ---Yes, there were a couple or few PO'd folks because they would have like to have left earlier in the match.  And I accept responsibility for that faux pas...we usually alternate shooters (i.e., one does Stage 1, and the other does Stage 2, and then we switch those two to shoot the other stages) based on the date and time of their online registrations in order to honor "the early bird gets the worm".  However, today we just had the entire group shoot Stage 1 and then pushed to get everyone through Stage 2....which apparently messed with some folks plans to leave earlier.  Oh, well, that experiment won't happen again.  ;)

--- End quote ---

I'll note that if they had wanted to do it the other way, they could have spoken up when you asked everyone what their opinion was.  Exactly ONE person wanted to do it a different way, and several wanted to do it the way you ended up running the match.  While people (being people) will of course complain, they don't actually have much basis for it when they didn't speak up in the first place.

I note also that if people come up, let other people paste/reset the stage for them, shoot, and then leave, it really makes it hard on everyone else.  After all, we are all needed to help reset the stage---just like folks reset for you, you should reset for them.

As a local club, we really want to foster a community where everyone helps---that it is a normal thing that everyone helps.  Everyone helps reset the stage, everyone helps pick up brass, everyone stays to the end and helps tear down---because otherwise, some shooters get the idea that other people will paste/reset, that other people will make the stages and tear down the stages---in other words, that they can sit on their rear ends and watch other people do all the work so they can shoot.

That's a great way to have a local club fall apart and die, because there is too much work to do, and if multiple people aren't always helping, then the few people who DO work get burned out, and it ends.  (That's what happened the last time IDPA was attempted in this area.)

Everyone helps.  Through the whole match, even if you shot early.  Sure, sometimes people HAVE to shoot through and leave early.  That happens.  But it should be a rare thing---in general, it is just good manners, being a good shooter and competitor, and wanting to have these matches continue that should make everyone help through the entire match.

Lorimor:
I have to agree with JTH here, Ron.  You're a Match Director, not a nursemaid. 

We shooters constantly preach about "self-discipline" and "personal responsibility."  Maybe they're more than words? 

bullit:
+++++1  ALDO  ...  similar comments above as my text to you last night ....

OnTheFly:
Regarding the one person who was not on the range and did not get to shoot the second stage. He has some very serious physical limitations. It is not possible for him to stand in the range for long periods or make several trips in/out of the range, let alone walk up/down the range to paste. For those reasons, I feel it was on all of us to help him out. If I was thinking, I should have gone out into the lobby to check for him, instead of just accepting it when someone said "He left".

Regarding assisting with the match, including staying to help teardown, I agree. However, the verbiage in the original post regarding the match holds out the carrot that those who register first will shoot first. By mentioning that "benefit", it implies that the shooter can be done early if that is their desire. A few of those people probably would not have attended due to prior obligations if they understood that they would be there for the duration. Ron, Cliff, Thomas, & Sean…please do not take this as a bash on you, but If we don't want people to have that expectation, then that carrot should not be held out there. This is just one of those "live and learn" experiences that all burgeoning organizations experience.

Another aspect is that we are conducting the match in a place of business. Not a public or club range. As such, the owners want to see every shooter satisfied with the match. Otherwise, this has long-term effects on their business. Their opinion on how the matche is run, including early registration, should weigh heavily in the discussion.

ETA: To reemphasize what jthhapkido has said, every shooting match in the Lincoln and Omaha area, I believe without exception, is a ALL VOLUNTEER endeavor.  If we don't have people like Ron and Cliff (using IDPA Nebraska as an example since that is the subject at hand) organizing and setting up, not to mention all the interim work with score tallying, website management and the like, then there simply won't be any matches for us to shoot.  Asking people to show up and help is not unreasonable.  Otherwise, the people like Ron and Cliff are going to get burned out.  If we want these matches to continue, but we can't (don't want to) get involved in being one of the principals of the organization, then the least we can do is provide our physical labor to aid in its success. 

With that said, my prior statement stands.  Don't offer the carrot if the shooters don't get to have the carrot.  Maybe every future IDPA Nebraska announcement should include a "THIS IS A VOLUNTEER DRIVEN EVENT" or something to that effect to emphasize the point.  Also, Ron and Cliff could certainly request help at Thunder Alley for stage setup the night prior.  There are some nights that I could be there to help out. 

Ron...don't take the weight of this on your shoulders.  None of this would happen without yours and Cliff's selfless time commitment.  As I said, live and learn.  Don't be afraid to ask others to help out, whether on the range or with all the work between matches.  You did this to provide some serious dynamic tactical activities (not a game  ;D) for the rest of us.  We will all suffer if you get burned out on it and it all goes away.

Thanks for all your hard work!

Sheesh...after looking at how long my post got, I'm kind of feeling like JTH Junior.  :D

Fly

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