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 There
has been a lot of discussion over the last couple of years about
the different shooting classes and how we can encourage new
shooters to come out and at the same time keep current shooters
coming back. This
is as good a time as any to put my foot in my mouth and give you
my opinion (hmm, maybe we'll get a huge increase in letters
coming in with this editorial).
First
of all, I just plain enjoy Western-action shooting -
full-action stages, side matches, buffalo shoots, long-range
silhouette, you name it. I
can't seem to get enough of it.
I just wish I had more time.
There are many cowboy shooters just like me who are out
there for the fun of it. In
fact, I would say that the majority of shooters enjoy our sport
for the fun and do not necessarily ever expect their name to
appear in the winning slot.
Given this hypothesis though, it still feels good to
occasionally be in the top 10, 20, or 30, or maybe win fourth
place Gunfighter, or even fifth place Duelist.
I
am not sure what can be accomplished to keep everyone happy
(that is probably an oxymoron).
Let's try anyway.
We must first see if we can make some other assumptions.
We might do this by asking ourselves as individuals and
clubs some questions and see if we can come up with the answers.
Hmm, let's see:
1.
Do
we want to encourage more people to join this sport from all age
groups, both genders, and all skill levels?
YES
2.
Do
we want to keep ALL of the current shooters shooting regardless
of their class and perspective as long as they shoot safe?
YES
3.
Are
there feelings of, how do I put this, irritation at those people
participating in the sport who are more concerned about winning
and not necessarily playing to the spirit-of-the-game (and yes,
it is supposed to be a game and fun)?
YES
4.
Do
shooters feel better as they, their family members, or friends
see their names moving up the ladder closer to the top guns? YES
5.
Would
a new shooter be more inclined to start if at the monthly, local
matches they were not required to be dressed in period costume
or to use period correct firearms, especially the first, second,
or even the third time they shoot?
YES
6.
Some
clubs have a special "New Shooter's Day" or "Ladies Only
Day" in which only new shooters or ladies come out in their
jeans and, glory be, baseball caps and tennis shoes, and shoot
guns provided by club members (they will probably get the right
clothes when they become active shooters). Is this something that all clubs should try to incorporate
into their activities? YES
How
can we keep this game fun for all while still having top
shooters compete? The
answer to this question is somewhat more difficult and I'm not
sure if anyone has the right answer.
Editorial
Continued
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