Disorganized organizers!

[M. Sage]

You ever have one of those situations where you finally get stressed enough to throw your hands in the air and yell, "**** it, I'm done!"? This is one...

Ok, here's a little rant for you. I'm going to try not stepping on toes, but the guilty parties will probably know who they are and might get butthurt if they see it. Whatever, I'm not trying to call you out in public, but I'm unhappy about this situation and need to vent.

A few months ago, I signed up for my first "real" shooting competition. I was told it was a 3 day competition, a very rough round count, and the dates. That was it. Waited and waited, realized the time of the match was fast approaching. Still not even a schedule or a firm round count. Send them a message, ask for a schedule about 2 weeks before the day. They send out the schedule from last year's match, say "this is the general idea." Come to find out, it's a 3 day match, but sign in is the day before. My new boss is flexible like that, though. My old boss might not have worked with me on such short notice. I'm annoyed because I find this sloppy, but I can deal. I'm sure they're very busy getting this match together. However...

This is the first match I'm going to shoot that's not a club match. I have no clue what will be different, what exactly I need to do, the whens, wheres and hows, etc.

It's not until TWO FUCKING DAYS BEFORE SIGN-IN (and barely at that - they sent the info out around 11:30PM) that the official schedule, round count, and stage descriptions are finally released. Of course, this is a couple days late for me, because my frustration and stress level has hit the point where I'm positive I won't have a lick of fun and I've thrown my arms in the air and declared, "**** it - I'm not going."

I'm so frustrated with this! It's done absolutely nothing to allay my stress levels and even if I re-change my mind, I'm pretty sure the experience will be poisoned by all the stress leading up.

**** it - I'm still not going.

 

[jasont]

There was a lot of complaining about the mandatory day before registration last year but the match director wouldn't budge on it. You can have someone else register for you if you know someone else going to the match early. There's no way I can make it the day before either but I've got friends that are going to grab my packet.

 

[M. Sage]

There was a lot of complaining about the mandatory day before registration last year but the match director wouldn't budge on it. You can have someone else register for you if you know someone else going to the match early. There's no way I can make it the day before either but I've got friends that are going to grab my packet.

I could probably do that, but I've got way too much other stress in my life right now for this. I'll just work the extra day and a half or two days that I would have otherwise, not have to hand out an extra key to my house so I can pay a teenager to watch my dogs for me. I can put off replacing the worn out tires on the car I just had to buy to replace the one that spun a rod bearing last month, etc. etc.

Like I said, got a lot more going on, but this was just the cherry on top of the shit sundae that's been my life for the past month or two.

 

[stx kid]

wow... how do they get away with that?

 

[M. Sage]

wow... how do they get away with that?

I'm sure most of the people going have been to this before and/or knew what to expect anyway.

 

[stx kid]

well, you could always start up your own competition. that or attend a different one

 

[M. Sage]

well, you could always start up your own competition. that or attend a different one

I'll look into it, but there aren't a lot around...

 

[benenglish]

you could always start up your own competition.

It's possible to be nominally in charge and still have things spin completely out of control. Rather than hijack this thread, I started a new one with an illustrative story here: http://www.texasguntalk.com/forums/rants-raves/45851-disorganization-redux-question.html

 

[M. Sage]

I'm the last person you'd want trying to put something together. I work 6 days most weeks, there's no way I could put enough time in.

 

[TX69]

I'm sure most of the people going have been to this before and/or knew what to expect anyway.

Easy way to keep others out.

 

[jasont]

I'm sure most of the people going have been to this before and/or knew what to expect anyway.

Last year was the first year they required registration the day before and many people were upset with it. Every other major match has registration available early on the morning of the match. It's otherwise a great match and demand is high so they don't seem to worry about this too much. Only other major 3-Gun match in Texas is Fallen Brethren and that's not until October.

 

[M. Sage]

Easy way to keep others out.

Eh, I don't get that vibe. But it's a good way to limit growth of the sport, which nobody wants.

Last year was the first year they required registration the day before and many people were upset with it. Every other major match has registration available early on the morning of the match. It's otherwise a great match and demand is high so they don't seem to worry about this too much. Only other major 3-Gun match in Texas is Fallen Brethren and that's not until October.

There was some precision 3 gun match late last year, too. I hope they do it again, it sounded interesting but I was completely broke (as opposed to my normal level of broke) at the time.

 

[TX69]

Eh, I don't get that vibe. But it's a good way to limit growth of the sport, which nobody wants.



There was some precision 3 gun match late last year, too. I hope they do it again, it sounded interesting but I was completely broke (as opposed to my normal level of broke) at the time.

You answered your own question.

 

[M. Sage]

You answered your own question.

I really don't think they want to do that, though.

I definitely hope they don't.

 

[benenglish]

I really don't think they want to do that, though.

I definitely hope they don't.

Yet some sanctioning bodies for shooting sports seek exactly that. They deliberately throw up barriers to new shooters so they don't have to deal with grass-roots popularity. The ISSF is notorious for it.