I am writing this post as I sit in the airport waiting for my connecting flight on my way home from the 2024 Open and PCC Nationals. It has been awhile since I worked a stage instead of serving as Range Master and in addition to getting 21,000 steps each day, I also made some observations on a few things competitors can do to help ensure nationals is a good experience for fellow competitors and the staff.
These observations actually apply to all major matches, so even if you are not going to attend nationals, keep these items in mind for section, state and area matches. Staff at major matches have two goals: 1.) Apply the rules fairly and consistently to ensure safe, fair, fun practical shooting, 2.) Keep squads moving through the stage so everything stays on schedule. Stage staff work hard to do the above items, but sometimes their efforts are thwarted by competitors who just are not listening or paying attention. This is not all competitors, and I understand major match nerves, but there are a few things that competitors should do to help ensure the match keeps moving so the match stays on schedule.
Arrive ahead of time, move with your squad, and be ready to shoot when it’s your turn. Always make sure to be at your first stage of the day at least 15 minutes before the match starts. That gives the staff time to take roll call and do equipment checks. Also, staff cannot read the WSB until the whole squad is present. Same goes when moving between stages, please move expediently to the next stage, especially if the stage is open and the ROs are waiting for your squad. The staff needs the entire squad to be present to read the WSB and keep things moving. You can reload mags and such while waiting for your turn to shoot. And make sure you listen to the shooting order being called out by the scorekeeper. The next competitor should be waiting near the start position, ready to go, by time the stage is scored and reset.
Pay attention to the WSB and information on how the stage will be scored. Having read WSBs to squads for years, I know that no one is really paying attention, especially when the first questions are always how many rounds and what is the start position. But at the end of the WSB, the CRO will also explain how the stage is being scored (left to right, right to left, which targets are the last). The reason this information is shared is to ensure no one accidentally pre-pastes a target before it’s scored. After reading the same WSB eighteen times this weekend and asking squads to not pre-paste the last two targets on the left, I know some competitors were not listening because they pre-pasted those targets. It happened around five or six times and led to reshoots. The competitors who had to reshoot were not happy, and I get it. The stage staff was not happy either because that added another shooter to the squad and put the stage behind schedule. Listen to what the CRO says and don’t be the squad mate who potentially ruins a great run by pre-pasting a fellow competitor’s target. Also be aware that pre-pasting incidents are reported to the RM and if we think it is intentionally done to gain a reshoot, well there is a rule for that (see 10.6.1).
Stage staff are not your cleaners. One of the things that always amazes me is how much trash USPSA competitors leave behind on stages. From paster tails, to partially empty or empty beverage bottles, to food wrappers – the ROs should not have to clean up behind you! There were garbage cans on each bay, but I saw a competitor walk by the RO table and throw a wad of paster tails on it as he was moving to the next stage. I should have got his attention and made him throw it away, but frankly I was in shock at the rudeness. Stage staff spend a lot of time between squads and at the end of the day cleaning up their stages to ensure the range looks good and is not littered with trash. It really is sad that our competitors are not responsible enough to clean up their own trash. When squads are back-to-back and stage staff only get to sit down during the very brief walkthrough period, the last thing they want to do is pick up trash during that time. Please be considerate and use the garbage cans to dispose of your trash and if you do not see a trash can, please hang on to it until you see a proper place to dispose of it.
Remember that our staff are volunteers who are out there all day, everyday of the match. They deserve some cooperation from competitors to do their jobs. And at major matches, every little thing helps keep the match moving and on schedule.