TargetTalk

Just for completeness, I have been reading this thread with interest just to see what goes on over there. I'm in the UK and we have a totally different scenario but our nearest equivalent runs over 3 days (or 2 1/2). That said some of our events only feature once whereas the more popular events may feature 5 or 6 times. All competitors can however only shoot each event once.

The only thing that looks obvious is that to run an event over two weeks is way too long. How many people's partners are happy with that and taking so much holiday (vacation) for a shooting competition ?

If our equivalent was over such a long time you would get very few people attending for the duration and I suspect a lot would be put off completely.

Just my thoughts,

Rob.

This has been an intresting thread.

I agree that we need more shooters at The Nationals and the scheduling of matches could be changed/improved to shorten the time that is required to shoot the matches. However, scheduling everything and having it run smoothly is not a simple task. Mary and her staff work long hours preparing the National Championships schedule.

Having said that, competitors should be ready to compete on arrival. Schedule 1 hour of practice time the day before the match so that they can become familiar with the range and to make sure that the shooters equipment is in good working order and did not get damaged in transit.

The National Championships ARE the "National Championships" and should be regarded as such. They must NOT become a "shoot-as-many-events-as-you-can-in-as-little-time-as-you-can" type of event. Nationals are the culmination of practice, PTOs and effort for the year. They also serve as Selection Matches, etc.

Nationals could become a two-tiered event. Shoot the Nationals and then have the Selection Matches the day after the awards for Nationals. How many shooters would stay to see the Selection Matches? Would this further separate the "common shooters" and the "elite shooters"? Is this the best way to get competitors or would it merely fragment the match into two different levels?

I have been a Range Officer at Nationals and Match Director at over 60 PTOs and there is a lot more to it than just having competitors come on the line and throw lead down range. All shooters should be prepared to help clean and set-up the ranges, help the ROs and lighten the load of running the match for everybody. That way everybody benefits, and yes scheduling would be improved.

It is good to make suggestions for the USA Shooting staff but realise that there are no easy answers because no matter what they do, somebody will say, "you went too far or not far enough" or "why did you do it that way".
I will try to attend and help if I can.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but exactly what does USAS pay to use the Benning ranges for their Nationals? I understand that there has to be enough revenue to cover costs of volunteer housing and transportation, target materials and such, but the USAS full time staff will be paid the same if they are at Nationals or at OTC.

In Atlanta we were paying through the nose to Fulton County for use of the Wolf Creek facility, but if we're gratis guests at Benning, why aren't entry fees lower than at Atlanta?

Where's all the money going? Anyone have a balance sheet they want to share?