Ontario Black Badge Courses
- Thread starter Hammin
- Start date
It does not solve anything, it just put things under the carpet. I should remind you that IPSC is NOT a handgun-only sport.
Of course the other thing to consider is that IPSC Ontario has 1000 members (pistol shooters), probably well over a hundred pistol matches and a lengthy back log of people wanting the BB which we aren't able to get all of them through the basic BB course with the number of instructors and courses dates we have. In contrast there are what, a half dozen, rifle and shotgun matches for a dozen active competitors? Do we take instructors and dates away from the back log of pistol shooters to make room for a handful of people who want to shoot rifle and shotgun only?
Maybe not but it is a predominantly handgun sport, as I show in the post above.
The only thing you shown is that we have an artificially created situation when people can't participate in long gun matches without owning a handgun first. And your point about number of matches and participants doesn't prove anything, as if you are afraid that long gun competitors will take away your slots at handgun matches.
From what I am seeing, Shotgun matches are getting increased interest. My last shotgun match was fully booked in one evening with well more than dozen competitors. Several clubs are hosting matches and we could have more...
From what I am seeing, Shotgun matches are getting increased interest. My last shotgun match was fully booked in one evening with well more than dozen competitors. Several clubs are hosting matches and we could have more...
I'm guessing you don't even bother to read what I wrote
We haven't artificially created anything. This is the way the sport has evolved. 3 gun shooting in Canada largely died off (and it was never really all that common) when the magazine restrictions came into play. It has all but been dead for 20 years. Even in the US the current 3 gun and multigun didn't really take off until after the sunset of the AWB. I made no point whatsoever about slots at matches. I did make the point that our current instructors are already overstreched with BB courses and passing up people on a wait list (that you created) in order for a very small number of rifle/shotgun only shooters does not make any sense. Now if, as Hugh pointed out, you wish to become an instructor and take that on, then more power to you.
Ok, you had a shotgun match that only had 12 shooters and ran on one evening. How many do you pull in for a full day level I shotgun match?
The thing is that you don't know how many people are interested in shotgun and most are probably scared to find out. From what I can tell we could double the number handgun competitors with a little effort. If we all follow this logic, we should just sit and wait while our sport is dying. If we won't do anything it won't take long time...
You now brought an excellent point about not having enough instructors. Would be interesting to know what is being done to address that issue, even for handgun only disciplines. But I don't believe that should be an excuse to not get long gun only people evolved.
Regarding that waiting list, at least now we can see how many people actually interested in black badge... and it wasn't really my idea. BB Coordinator had asked for it.
No idea who Hugh is or why anyone would bother listen to him, but that kind of response one would have expected from black badge coordinator. Besides I never refused to help.
We'll find out in August at Ontario Provincials.
Do we have stats on average competitor age?
I know EUXX was just giving a counter argument but there is validity in his statement.
Any organization that sits back and becomes complacent with its current performance runs the risk of falling behind as times change.
Got to be forward thinking
I know EUXX was just giving a counter argument but there is validity in his statement.
Any organization that sits back and becomes complacent with its current performance runs the risk of falling behind as times change.
Got to be forward thinking
It wasn't me who declared death of long gun IPSC in Canada.
I'm all for seeing it come back, I happen to enjoy 3 gun shooting, but at times it seems more like taking a resuscitator to a funeral home.
I just don't see currently making a big fuss about a specialty BB course for something that is a very small part of our sport (currently) when we can barely handle what we have.
Maybe the better approach would have been to start a poll here or find out how much interest there actually is so that you have something to go to the board/membership with before creating mutltiple thread on multiple forums about the lack of courses for non BB holders who want to shoot long gun only.
I just don't see currently making a big fuss about a specialty BB course for something that is a very small part of our sport (currently) when we can barely handle what we have.
Maybe the better approach would have been to start a poll here or find out how much interest there actually is so that you have something to go to the board/membership with before creating mutltiple thread on multiple forums about the lack of courses for non BB holders who want to shoot long gun only.
Not that the discussion isn't interesting but I think we've veered off topic here.
There are dozens of people waiting for the existing Black Badge course. Courses happen but most of them never hit the Calendar and thus totally bypass the wait lists, so a lot of people are frustrated. You would be too if you sign up on a waiting list and six months later the club you were on the waiting list for held a course and you didn't get an email or a phone call. I can sympathize with them.
That being said, clubs are of course free to hold courses as often or as infrequently as they please and fill them however they choose, and I'm not arguing that should change. The courses don't run themselves and it's up to the organizers to spend their resources how they wish. There is a definite backlog that the Ontario section should perhaps talk about addressing somehow though.
There are dozens of people waiting for the existing Black Badge course. Courses happen but most of them never hit the Calendar and thus totally bypass the wait lists, so a lot of people are frustrated. You would be too if you sign up on a waiting list and six months later the club you were on the waiting list for held a course and you didn't get an email or a phone call. I can sympathize with them.
That being said, clubs are of course free to hold courses as often or as infrequently as they please and fill them however they choose, and I'm not arguing that should change. The courses don't run themselves and it's up to the organizers to spend their resources how they wish. There is a definite backlog that the Ontario section should perhaps talk about addressing somehow though.
- Location
- Halifax - NS
Been there. We now require full payment before enrolment is considered and no shows forfeit the fee. That worked for us.
If it hadn't - my next plan was to require full payment plus $150 no show deposit that the student would get back at the course.
Gotta protect those volunteer instructors.
