Weekly Weeknight Match - Tulsa

[ripnbst]

Alright guys, I had an idea yesterday while having a semi-heated discussion with my wife. I am a relatively new dad, and her a relatively new mom so heated discussions occur from time to time. She works one day a week Saturday mornings because she is home all day during the week(stay at home mom. The money she made vs cost of daycare is a wash) with the baby so as her "get away" time for some adult interaction with people other than me she goes to work on Saturday mornings til noon and I hang out with my kid. I enjoy spending time with him doing whatever we want but he is currently coming up on two years old so our options of stuff to do is somewhat limited.

The problem with this is it seems nearly every match around is on Saturday mornings. We can't really move her work day because doing so requires a babysitter and that costs money which negates her working. Really her working isn't even about money and I pointed that out last night, but I was still wrong for reasons I can't recall, I digress. Our closest family is a 16 hr drive away so dropping him off with Grandma/Grandpa/Aunt/Uncle is not an option.

I am just a guy who wants to get out and shoot more often and get more competitive however that's hard to do when finding time to shoot competitively is a challenge. I don't work at USSA or OCRGC or anywhere else or have any pull at any of those places. I cant help but think I cant be the only guy whose Saturday mornings are occupied by something other than shooting.

I wanted to see if there was any interest in a local match in the Tulsa area that was a weekly match that would occur on weeknights after working hours maybe a match that ran from 6-8pm. Something similar to a softball league or bowling league or whatever. You'd pay one fee at the beginning of the season, season length TBD, cost TBD, and then that covers you for say the 8 matches in 8 weeks. There are no officially recognized weekly winners but of course points standings leaders, it is a "season" and your scores are tallied throughout the "season" with winners tabulated at the end of the season. You'd be allowed to miss one week. Just like with shooting typical matches where your lowest score on a stage is dropped your lowest scoring week is dropped. If you miss a week that score is out and the rest are it. Round counts would hover around 100-125 weekly and you'd typically shoot 4 or maybe some weeks 5 stages to keep the matches short enough to be done before dark if outdoors.

My hope would be that if there was enough interest someone on here who works at a place capable of hosting such a thing would approach their management and see if this would be possible. Or I could approach a range and make the pitch and see if they are interested in hosting it if that is typically how something starts. These are unfamiliar grounds for me.

Someplace indoor might be ideal because then things like getting dark and weather would have little effect on the schedule but I am not aware of any places locally that are indoor and host any type of competitions in the first place. Someplace outdoor would be better for more potential variety of stages and we could could have rained out weeks rescheduled. I've seen video on the tube of people shooting competition at indoor ranges so I assume it can be done.


Let me know if my idea is stupid or if this sounds like something you think could happen. This probably wouldn't happen until after winter because real shortly it will be getting dark too soon plus it would probably take some time to figure out the specifics of the format and other details.

 

[jeffhughes]

You can shoot Steel Challenge at USSA on the first Sunday of every month.

OCRGC has IDPA the second Sunday.

Old Fort(FT Smith) has a great USPSA match on the third Sunday.

OCRGC has Steel Challenge on the 4th Sunday.

USSA has 3 Gun on the 4th Sunday if you want to try that game.

You should talk to Eric at 2A about a weeknight match. He would probably be open to it if he has a night that is slow on a regular basis.

 

[ripnbst]

I have thought about sundays but here lately we have been more religious about attending church.

I know I know, I want to have my cake and eat it too. Hence my looking for a weeknight fix for my shooting habit.

 

[benjamin-benjamin]

I have thought about sundays but here lately we have been more religious about attending church.

I know I know, I want to have my cake and eat it too. Hence my looking for a weeknight fix for my shooting habit.

i feel ya. I don't attend sunday morning matches due to church and totally get the idea of a weekday match, the tough thing is all indoor ranges stay open late!

 

[jtischauser]

Week night steel challenge during the longer days or under lights all year long would be epic! 'Im sure if we put lights up at USSA for them they would take our entry fees to shoot out there under them.

 

[mikey80]

What if this concept grew into a series? What if this specific match could be hosted by different clubs each week to be even more accessible to a wider base of shooters? What if there was a "tournament" or a "shoot-off"?

I was looking at my Heartland Outdoors 100 Round Burn Down trophy and it came to me.

Anyway you slice it, I would support a match like this. Sometimes work does conflict with Saturdays. I might be able to help with lights, too.

 

[jeffhughes]

It's all about the numbers for 2A. If there would be more income from and evening match than keeping the lanes open for regular shooters, Eric would do it in a flash. He has talked about it before. He'd do basic USPSA rules with time plus scoring.

You should go talk to Eric(Eric Fusion, General Manager/co owner). I know there would be nothing that would motivate John to do his homework more than getting to shoot a week night match...

 

[ryanncass]

We at ussa did a weekly wednesday match and we had very low turn out. At the most 5 people. It was not worth keeping someone to keep the range open or the lights so the weekly match ended.

 

[ripnbst]

We at ussa did a weekly wednesday match and we had very low turn out. At the most 5 people. It was not worth keeping someone to keep the range open or the lights so the weekly match ended.

This was my concern if you didn't make it a "season" type of deal. If you just made it a typical type of match people could come out in droves one week and crickets the next. By doing it as a "season" the host range has their money up front so if no one shows up then it doesn't really matter.

By making it a "season" you also give the shooters competing a definitive start and end. 8 matches, 8 weeks, this eliminates the "ehh, I'll just go next week" mentality. You've only got so many weeks to put up your best so you gotta get your ass out there and perform.

 

[ripnbst]

Tapatalk is being dumb and not letting me edit my above post. Another thing organizing as a season minimizes is the "it's too hot, it's too cold, I'm too tired". You go anyway even if those things are true but you work through them because you've already paid for it and it will hurt your score if you don't go.

Either way and regardless of any of that, the range gets paid at the beginning. I will talk with Eric at 2A and see if be would have any interest.

 

[JustSayWhen]

I love the idea and if I worked in Tulsa I would be down to help but I am in Stillwater. I might steel this idea for Stillwater!

 

[dennishoddy]

Kind of like chasing points in motoX.

 

[Wall]

I might steel this idea for Stillwater!

Pun? LOL

 

[jtischauser]

Heartland was packing 35+ two Sunday nights per month. I think the OKC guys just like to shoot more.

 

[mikey80]

I love the idea and if I worked in Tulsa I would be down to help but I am in Stillwater. I might steel this idea for Stillwater!

Matt, if you get something going I will drag my ass out there every chance I get!

 

[JustSayWhen]

Matt, if you get something going I will drag my ass out there every chance I get!

I have been trying and once the wheels start turning with this club (at OSU) it will either be up and running or nothing will happen but I am hoping for the best!