no 2016 matches at Alpha Training Academy

Wall · Feb 1, 2016

I got this in my email a few days ago from Alpha Training Academy

Happy New Year!
I hope youâ€™ve had a great start to 2016. Itâ€™s been very busy on our end. As you may be aware, we have spent the past year producing new firearms and parts, and turning Mid America Armament into a successful business. As you can imagine, it is taking a lot of our time. Therefore, we have decided to cancel all ATA competition matches until 2017. The exception will be the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF) match on April 9-10. I hope you will sign up and join us for that event.

Our training schedule will continue as normal. If you are interested in training in firearms, edged weapons, and defensive tactics, take a look at our training partners, Guardian Shooting Solutions, who are teaching a number of courses at our range. We can also customize a class for you. If you would like to schedule, let us know, and we can accommodate.

As we build up our product line at Mid America Armament, we would be grateful for your support. We plan to send occasional emails letting you know about new products and events. Check us out at www.MAA-USA.com.

â€¢ April 9-10 - GSSF Match

Stay safe and happy shooting!

The Antichrome · Feb 1, 2016

Hopefully, the new Section Coordinator will be able to reverse this sorry state of affairs.

jtischauser · Feb 1, 2016

Wow that's a bummer.

irons_shooter · Feb 2, 2016

The Antichrome said:
Hopefully, the new Section Coordinator will be able to reverse this sorry state of affairs.

Sorry state of affairs? We held the most successful Section Championship ever last year, selling out at the capped 130 shooter mark, on the same weekend as a major 3-gun match just 3 hours away. We have been averaging over 80 shooter per month at just one of our clubs, and over 50 at two others. We were able to help sponsor a world shoot team. We have 7 clubs shooting monthly USPSA matches, 4 shooting monthly SC matches, 2 shooting monthly 3-gun matches and a couple one-off non-sanctioned shooting events. On any given month, our clubs are collecting entry fees from over 500 entries. We have the best MD's in the country and for the number of members, more certified Range Officers by ratio than any other section in the country. I would say the Section is doing remarkably well.

In regards to the business decision that Rick and Robert have made, I am curious how the SC will be able to change the mind of a business owner who doesn't have the time or resources to run a match that brought, on an average, 20 shooters when his training classes are full and gross way more money, not to mention running a startup company. Please let me know how this falls on the SC? Maybe time focusing on the clubs that WANT to run matches would be a much better utilization of resources. I don't blame the fine folks at ATA at all. They are creating a company and have to invest all of their time in it.

Yes, it sucks when a club decides to cancel their matches. We had another indoor club do the same, but the reality is that folks will still shoot the same amount of matches per month, if they want to, and the Sectional match this year will be even better than last.

Wall · Feb 2, 2016

I think it's sad when any match shuts down, but I'm selfish like that

irons_shooter · Feb 2, 2016

I agree Tony. I would love to have too many matches to shoot.

jcameron996 · Feb 2, 2016

You guys in Oklahoma are spoiled.

The Antichrome · Feb 2, 2016

Hey Mike,
I don't believe I criticized the Section Match at all.

I was just commenting that its a shame to see the decline and demise of matches at ATA (and for that matter, Mitch's match too)
"Sorry state of affairs" is hyperbole, my trademark. Its also a poke at 'My Buddy' Chad.

I do however believe that it is absolutely the job of a SC to cultivate new clubs, encourage growth of the successful clubs, and prevent clubs from folding up.

Its a damn shame that ATA wont be hosting matches...especially after watching Oil Cap get flushed down the toilet, and seeing the come and go nature (in the past) of matches at USSA.

poopgiggle · Feb 2, 2016

The Antichrome said:
I do however believe that it is absolutely the job of a SC to cultivate new clubs, encourage growth of the successful clubs, and prevent clubs from folding up.

Between Red Castle, Oil Capitol, ATA, and (sometimes, depending on management's whims) USSA, I'm thinking that there's some kind of weird radiation around Tulsa that reacts negatively with USPSA matches.
or maybe it's because motherfuckers around here don't volunteer to set up matches idk

dennishoddy · Feb 2, 2016

If a match director doesn't get volunteer help for the set up, the match will fade away. Also if the match director doesn't set up interesting stages, to make the shooter think and give multiple options of how to run the course, the shooters get bored, and won't come.

jtischauser · Feb 3, 2016

Interesting thing here is ATA isn't a club with volunteers like okcgc or Ponca city. It's a business that's trying to make money. Make sure you thank your volunteers!

irons_shooter · Feb 3, 2016

The Antichrome said:
Hey Mike,
I don't believe I criticized the Section Match at all.

I was just commenting that its a shame to see the decline and demise of matches at ATA (and for that matter, Mitch's match too)
"Sorry state of affairs" is hyperbole, my trademark. Its also a poke at 'My Buddy' Chad.

I do however believe that it is absolutely the job of a SC to cultivate new clubs, encourage growth of the successful clubs, and prevent clubs from folding up.

Its a damn shame that ATA wont be hosting matches...especially after watching Oil Cap get flushed down the toilet, and seeing the come and go nature (in the past) of matches at USSA.

Roger that. I agree, to a point. Sometimes you just have to respect the wishes of the private club owners and wish them well. Now, if Chad tried to quit, we would string him up and play pinata!!

OUshooter · Feb 5, 2016

One thing that hampers OK is our rural nature. You have lots of talent and folks concentrated basically in 3 areas, OKC, Tulsa and Lawton. Otherwise it's >3hrs total drive time to get to a match. For the land mass we have you would think we should have clubs in every county, but for the work it takes to put on a regular USPSA match the numbers just aren't there.

Considering the match quality we have right now....Ponca, SCRAP(Duncan) and ITPSC(Duke) should be drawing at least 40 shooters a match.

I wish Robert and Rick all the best, and hope to get back to ATA in the near future for a match and some training.

jtischauser · Feb 5, 2016

We have less people In our state then Texas has in its prison system.

LuckyDucky · Feb 5, 2016

Jesse Tischauser said:
We have less people In our state then Texas has in its prison system.

Texas Prison USPSA?

Airic · Feb 6, 2016

OUshooter said:
One thing that hampers OK is our rural nature. You have lots of talent and folks concentrated basically in 3 areas, OKC, Tulsa and Lawton. Otherwise it's >3hrs total drive time to get to a match. For the land mass we have you would think we should have clubs in every county, but for the work it takes to put on a regular USPSA match the numbers just aren't there.

Considering the match quality we have right now....Ponca, SCRAP(Duncan) and ITPSC(Duke) should be drawing at least 40 shooters a match.

I wish Robert and Rick all the best, and hope to get back to ATA in the near future for a match and some training.

Honestly, we (ITPSC) dont put on good enough matches to draw from OKC or Tulsa. I am doing 95% of match setup by myself every month and sometime I just cant get out there early. We also lack moving target setups like max traps and drop turners.

We get really good help from time to time. People like Josh and Luke help out a lot but they always move off (hell i did for like 8 years).

Seth and I have decided to tone down the major match shooting this year so we can improve our match and attend more OK matches.

mike cyrwus · Feb 6, 2016

I think our overall talent level is a bit below par, actually.
Eric, I hope to make more local matches at different ok venues this year. Not just okc

LuckyDucky · Feb 6, 2016

mike cyrwus said:
I think our overall talent level is a bit below par, actually.
Eric, I hope to make more local matches at different ok venues this year. Not just okc

Hey, I'm B class now.

:021:

jtischauser · Feb 6, 2016

mike cyrwus said:
I think our overall talent level is a bit below par, actually.
Eric, I hope to make more local matches at different ok venues this year. Not just okc

I'd agree. I shot with Burk and Tony today and it's almost like they are trying to get worse.

jtischauser · Feb 6, 2016

Fun match today! I need to send John and Matt an email thanking them.

I've been doing this now for 6-7 years. You see a lot of shooters come and go. These two dudes have been running the biggest match in the state for that long and more.