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Sending scenarios to shooters before a match?


Roger Rapid

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1 hour ago, Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 said:

I find this hilarious!   Because I consistently see the scenario writer get more P's than anyone else.  And this most certainly includes me when I write them. :rolleyes:

 

Possum

I too suffer from the stage writers curse.

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I post our monthly match stages on our website (www.ourcowboys.org) a couple of weeks ahead of time.  Quite honestly the biggest reason I do it to generate some excitement among our shooters ("Hey, did you see all the lines are from 'True Grit' this month?").  People seem to enjoy seeing the scenarios ahead of time, and it does generate some enthusiasm and talk.  They do review them, as I occasionally have someone point out a small error or clarification that I can correct prior to the match.  I only see an upside to doing this, so we will continue the practice.

 

For what it's worth, our scenarios are archived on our website, so anyone is free to go there and download our stages.  I do this as a service to other stage writers.  Feel free to borrow or steal any stages you want.  I've done the same with other clubs' stages for years.

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As a "profoundly deaf" shooter, I appreciate publication of scenarios before the match.  Everyone understands there may be last-minute changes due to issues with targets, etc.  But, "you get the idee."  The shooter's packet for the Texas State Championship hosted by the Texican Rangers includes a booklet listing all of the Main Match and Wild Bunch Stage Scenarios.  I don't know of any shooter that spends time memorizing the scenarios.  One benefit is that any vague, ambiguous, or confusing stage instructions as perceived by the individual shooter, are identified early so that the TO/RO/Posse Marshal can be sought-out for clarification before the fun starts.

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On 4/1/2020 at 12:53 PM, Creeker, SASS #43022 said:

Not trying to argue or be rude...

 

How are you "writing" your match?

If you are using any digital medium - it is incredibly easy/ instant to convert files to PDF for anyone to open and view in an email or from a webpage.

 

If your club has bulk email service - creating a few sentences of email; 

Howdy, the Lonsome Coyotes will be shooting six stages Saturday at the Coyote Gulch range.

Setup at 7am - safety meeting at 8:30.

The stages are attached for your review.

Hope to see you there.

 

And attach the PDF file.  Hit send.

Takes all of 10 minutes.

 

If your club has a website.

Create an upcoming match stages tab; so you always have a dedicated space.

Upload the file and you're done.

 

Again, 10-15 minutes.

 

If you're trying to do it all yourself - ask for help.

I'm sure your shooters appreciate your great matches - providing the stages just makes them appreciate everything even more.

 

 

Wow so easy thanks. 

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As a newer  shooter, I haven't shot various sweeps and patterns ad much as most of the others, so h as bing a chance to see them a few days or more before the shoot is very helpful.  

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IB-Even those of us who have shot for awhile appreciate seeing a new sweep or sequence prior to a match.  Just when you've seen it all, a new one come up.

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Our club posts the stages the week of the shootbut we always have the caveat that the stages might change after range set up due to range conditions, weather, rotation of the Earth...artillerymen will understand

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1 hour ago, Go West said:

I don't know how many times I've printed them only to leave them on the printer.

Sometimes we can tell!  Just kidding!

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On 3/31/2020 at 3:29 PM, evil dogooder said:

As a monthly match I haven't sent them out nor would i. I've seen too many people piss and moan about the slightest things.   It's a headache waiting to happen.  Somebody gets beat and all the drama about how it's unfair that some checked their email and others didn't,  or they never got it. 

 

  Then the email s about can I do this or that.     The simplest stages you normally have to explain at least three times anyway, I'm not going to do it for a week by email to then do it again in person at the match.   If someone truly doesn't understand a stage I have no problem handing off the timer and going over it with them away from the line until they get it  As many times as it takes but I'm not going to spend my limited free time at home doing it.  

 

 Basically a long winded way of saying I see absolutely no benefit and tons of headache by sending then out

 


- DITTO -   I agree with you.  

There’s no benefit to posting the stages in advance, and SOMEONE will be stuck with fielding all the questions and complaints in advance of the match.   Later, there’ll be complaints from some, regarding what they were told when they sent in a question.   Whew!


Not to mention the fact that those who DID NOT receive the email AND those who didn’t read it, OR didn’t have time to read it, OR practice the stages,  are at a distinct disadvantage that should not have had a reason to exist.  Any fallout and silent, unspoken resentment from all of that will hang on with many, at various levels, for a long time.  
 

BESIDES.....real shootouts WERE NOT practiced; and match shootouts shouldn’t be practiced either.

Outspoken, hard-to-quantify “positives” may be outweighed by unspoken, impossible-to-quantify, “negative” feelings.


Cat  Brules

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On 3/31/2020 at 5:29 PM, evil dogooder said:

As a monthly match I haven't sent them out nor would i. I've seen too many people piss and moan about the slightest things.   It's a headache waiting to happen.  Somebody gets beat and all the drama about how it's unfair that some checked their email and others didn't,  or they never got it. 

 

  Then the email s about can I do this or that.     The simplest stages you normally have to explain at least three times anyway, I'm not going to do it for a week by email to then do it again in person at the match.   If someone truly doesn't understand a stage I have no problem handing off the timer and going over it with them away from the line until they get it  As many times as it takes but I'm not going to spend my limited free time at home doing it.  

 

 Basically a long winded way of saying I see absolutely no benefit and tons of headache by sending then out

 

We've NEVER has this kind of response.  In fact, to my knowledge, we've never gotten an email back asking ANY questions.  I think our shooters know if they have a question, it will be answered at the match.  All of our shooters seem to appreciate it and many of them print out their own copy to bring to the match just to be able to read along.

 

Sadly, I think your second sentence says a lot.

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We email, post them on our facebook page and upload them to practiscore a week in advance.  I have never had a single person come up and complain about posting the stages so they can view them.  

 

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I think it is a good idea for everyone to see the scenarios for state, regional, national and world championships ahead of time.  Sometimes there are some confusing scenarios that are shot in different regions that are not familiar to those not from the area.  It is a nice heads up on what to practice.  This is why I love Range War the State Championship in Michigan as everyone can see the scenarios a few weeks ahead of time.     https://www.wolverinerangers.org/RW.html   Everyone should make this match.  

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Years ago, when I was a match director in another shooting discipline, I distributed match copies a month before the match, right up until the time I discovered that the top shooters were practicing the stages at their own range before coming to my match. I distribute no stages these days, that way it is fair to all shooters because nobody gets an unfair advantage. 

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2 hours ago, Dapper Dynamite Dick said:

Years ago, when I was a match director in another shooting discipline, I distributed match copies a month before the match, right up until the time I discovered that the top shooters were practicing the stages at their own range before coming to my match. I distribute no stages these days, that way it is fair to all shooters because nobody gets an unfair advantage. 

I believe you are confused over the meaning of the word "fair".

 

Because some shooters made usage of their option to practice and others did not - does not make anything unfair.

 

And honestly; if you only give the shooters the same exposure to the stages immediately prior to shooting - the top shooters will ALWAYS win.

 

Providing the stages beforehand may give a newer, lesser skilled or lesser practiced shooter the opportunity to view, analyze and practice before the match and improve their standing.

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Doc Holliday's Immortals in Griffin GA has been posting the stages on our website for several years. Our resident web wizard, Marauder started me out with a nice Excel spreadsheet and when completed and reviewed by a couple other trusted/experienced shooters, they get converted to a PDF and posted on the website.

I try to get them uploaded several days in advance. We leave our stages on the website for all to see. I think it's great when clubs post their stages and leave them up.

Be proud of what you do.

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One scenario

 

Two scenarii.

 

:-)

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When you post stages, good shooters may or may not practice them.  They probably don't need to because they are GOOD shooters.  They have been doing this for a while and probably practice in some form a couple of times a week.  They will do well because of the effort they put in. 

 

The published stages really help out the new shooters.  They have not seen all the patterns, and it's good for anyone who wants to get better to see the patterns and figure out the transitions.

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