2016 IPSC Invi-Nationals

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Is this years nationals an invite only match???....that is the question I propose to the IPSC Canada members.

First off....thanks for people stepping up and hosting the Nationals....it is a big job, no doubt about it, and It can be a thankless job, maybe what I write here can help the IPSC Canada membership.

In this vein, I hope to improve IPSC for its members by explaining my situation. I have so many thoughts about how I find myself in the position of really wanting to attend the Nationals this year, but the actions...and sometimes the lack of actions by the match organizers have really soured me, to the point where I find it impossible to even think about attending.

Registration process: this was completely unclear. The timeline that was posted was not clear at all. In my case I read that I was to register at 12 am, in which I logged on at 12 midnight, and tried to fill out the form (more of this later), and I came to realize that it was 12 Atlantic time....(some people in my area sent registrations just shortly after 11 pm eastern standard time, fully 1 hour before I thought registration opened) my bad on this for not clearly understanding time zones.
Where it really screwed me though, was that the PDF wasn't able to be edited by my iPad. I don't have a computer at home, so I had to wait until I was in to work, at 6:37am to send in my registration.

At around 5 pm on the 1st of March, I emailed the match md, I was concerned whether I had my registration in on time.....his response was :
"You should be good it will take a couple of days to sort and we still have a
few openings as of know"
obviously I am pretty happy to see this news.
Then at around 12 pm on Wednesday the 2nd, my EMT was cashed....Woot!!!
Then around 12 pm Thursday the 3rd, I receive the email stating....

"This email to inform you that your registration for the 2016 Canadian Nationals was not received before the match filled to capacity.
You have a couple of choices
#1 Remain on a waiting list and take a slot for the main match if one becomes available do to cancelations .
#2 Choose to shoot the prematch and work a scheduled work day and pay the regular match fee of $250 ,there are limited spots available and will be taken on a first come basic.
Please advise if you are interested in these options or not ,if your decide on the above options we will process you payment and in the event you do not get in will then refund the full amount.
If you used your email to register someone else it may refer to them and not you"

I sent multiple emails to the match MD asking what was up, this situation was pretty confusing to me. The emails went unanswered, until I posted on CGN on Friday night, March 11th, and low a behold I receive this email response March 12th, 9:47am:

"We have finally compiled all the entries and although your EMT was cashed
your entry did not arrive until after the match had filled .At this point we
have the options outlined in the previous email
Waiting List
Pre match
or we can refund your entry .
Please let me know we will be releasing the list and the pre match only has
a few slots left"

In emails sent to the MD I ask multiple times where I would be on the wait list, I was never given an answer....I have to wait 2 weeks to find out, or take a pre-shoot slot. It seemed to me the MD was specifically trying not to give me a specific answer to the wait list position. (I do have emails that anyone that wants can look over and come to your own conclusion)

Here comes the smoking gun:

I sent in my registration at 6:37 am on the first of March....EST.....I didn't make it into the match, and the MD won't tell me where I stand on the wait list.

A friend of mine sent his registration in at 8:09 am on the first of March...EST....and he is in the match.

And as posted on CGN by f4iguy
"Just got an email that I'm waitlisted ( I submitted my form and EMT 7am AST March 2nd). Sounds like I'm about 10 names deep into the wait list"

I really would not like to think that I was singled out and not allowed into the match because of personal opinions....or for other nefarious reasons. But it sure seems to me that there is a selection process other than time of registration.

This is our National Championship.....it is shameful that match organizers would do this. If they have no shame doing this, what else will they do? Will it be a fair match? I urge anyone that feels like the registration process, or communication from the organizers was not up to par, contact their Section Coordinator to complain.


I am not an RO anymore, but I think the #12 rule of the RO's creed is "to never do anything that even has an appearance of wrong doing"

So...is this an invite only match??? Or something else that should be clearly defined to all IPSC members in Canada???...or is this a Jim Smith decides who shoots this match??. Or???? And is this the way we as IPSC members want matches to be controlled and run????
 
I can appreciate your situation, I appreciate that Jim was fair in offering you a chance to shoot the prematch and work a day for the same match fee. This kind of accommodation is becoming rare.

Maybe we need to look at a slot based system for nationals?
 
ovrec

If applications were based on attitude, I could see why you didn't make the list. That's not the case though, i'm sure there is a system (provincial teams, then so many people from each region.. I honestly don't know).
You do realize people were mailing in applications, which takes 4-5 business days to get to this side of the Country. I wouldn't expect Jim to be able to say much after 2-3 days without all the information in front of him, because at that point he wouldn't even know.

Emailing 250 people would take so many hours, my head hurts just thinking about it. Couple that with people sending in blank forms, not sending in EMT passwords (or wrong passwords) and all the other issues like maximum EMT allowed to be cashed per day.. i'm astounded anyone would sign up for that.

Next year you should volunteer your time and assist the administration with setting this stuff up, rather than taking their time dealing with the constant complaints.

:popCorn:
 
Personally, I think it should be inviNationals as you put it. If this is the National Championship it should be a contest between the Nation's best shooters. While the Teams are there representing the top tier, I think the remaining slots should go to competitors based on their rank and/or class. As people pass on the spots it should go on to be offered to lesser ranked shooters.

I do realize that the funds to pay for big matches come from all competitors from the best of the best to those who just do it for fun and may not place well, but those who aren't competitive should be accepting and supportive of those who have the skill and put the time and effort into succeeding. At a mere $5.83 a month to be a member of IPSC (in Ontario anyway) I wouldn't take it as an affront if there wasn't a spot for me to compete because other more skilled shooters were taking part.

As a low B shooter myself, I'd probably end up not making the cut myself so don't think I'm standing atop my soapbox preaching while personally guaranteed a spot. For the record, I'm not taking part in Nationals.
 
This only points to the only logical future which is that registration for level II matches and higher should be electronic and payment as well. For such large events with needs for large scale coordination and administration it only makes sense to use technology to take the load off of the humans.

A lot of this has been done already but a complete end to end should be explored.

1. Register for announcements. = Automatic information updates that everyone who cares gets.
2. Calendar that is updated so no one has an excuse for not knowing critical dates are approaching.
3. Then on the release date: sign in by browser form online and pay by credit card! Who hasn't had to do this for every other product or service these days? I'm sorry but when you can easily buy a movie ticket online the time is already long past.
4. Once you've paid, you know you are in as the online registration software - ex. Practiscore - already knows when all spots are filled.

No more unknowns. No more constant emails to the MD. Let the griping pertain to actual match issues, not registration.

No blaming Canada Post or blaming your bank. No having to keep cheques handy or trying to read a competitor's poor handwriting.

Also consider a lottery system. It can all be done.

No need to build anything from the ground up as these event services already exists and can be modified. Practiscore is the obvious one. And there are other generic ones like EventBrite that also can be learned.
 
Online registrations can work, as can online prepayment. If there is adequate desire on behalf of the membership, these can be looked at nationally for the next nationals along with a slot solution that proportionally represents all members of IPSC Canada.

Please express your interest to your Section coordinators so they can bring it to the NEC.
 
System might not be 100% perfect, but close. The IPSC National organizers do their best as volunteers while still balancing family and jobs.

Manny
 
I feel it is time for a slot allocation system similar to how World Shoot slots are allocated.

Slots undistributed by the section reverts back to the host section to do with as they please.

My $0.02

Another idea... maybe IPSC Canada recognizes teams on alternating years... 2017 Open/Production Teams recognized, 2018 Standard/Classic/Revo teams recognized...
 
That won't necessarily work. Look at what teams are sent. Typically all sections send an open team, most send only 2-3 teams. Only Ont. Quebec and Alberta send four teams. I could see it it if every province sent 4 teams every year but that's not how it works out.
 
I'd be o.k. with the Nats being invite only, by order of national standings and working way down the list as shooters accept/decline going.
It is the Nats and the best of the best having at it, makes sense.
 
So, should the pre-match be used to make more spots available for people who didn't make it into the main match?
My feeling is that the pre-match is used to allow the stages to be de-bugged by match staff...and usually it is free for the match staff.
 
Say a match added 30 spots to the pre match....at $250 per spot.....I think that is what....$7500 added to the coffers....nice haul for one day...no extra match staff, or logistics....maybe they should charge for parking as well, just like World Shoots....might as well make money off the backs of the regular folks.
 
I know a guy out here who's registration was in almost immediately, and still the match was full. Something smells fishy. If it's that popular, perhaps it should be expanded, as mentioned previously.
 
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