Hats off to Match Directors

I "ran" the 22RF F-Class match at Starkville Gun Club this past Thursday. I always thought there was alot that goes into it, but I had no idea! It's not like work, but it's work. Does that make sense? I had some great help from Suberjc. If it wasn't for him I would not have been able to shoot. I also had alot of help from SGMJody. He put a box together for our matches, postals and on-sites. That took care of most of the supplies. I still had alot on my mind. I realized halfway to Starkville that I didn't get any hearing PPE. Luckily, I had one last pair of plugs in my range bag. I did really well my first couple of relays, but I was beginning to lose focus on my last relay and my score showed it.

Anyway, I want to thank all of you out there that take up the Match Director position for any match, anywhere! There is alot that goes on that may go unnoticed by those that haven't attempted to run a match. They will never go unnoticed by me again!

Yeah being Match Director and trying to keep your mind on your shooting sucks a$$

ask X-Ring....I dunno how He manages down at Bogue...but He's always up there with the lead dogs...

You know the old saying "If you aint the lead dog...the view never changes"..

From being MD of a few programs years ago, now you understand why I get pissed at incomplete score cards and such.............


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Sounds like there oughta be Primary and Backup MD's...

They work their a$$es off so we can shoot...no doubt about it

Maybe we need a MD shoot

I did plan ahead and asked Suber to RO for the relay I was shooting. He helped me out big time. My shooting buddy, SGMJody, was unable to make it. He normally RO's the other relay for our postals.

A little story of my early days as MD of IPSC (Combat Pistol) at Magnolia. This was 1982 and 1983. At that time, Magnolia had no place to store match equipment onsite.

A day as IPSC Match Director......

Get up EARLY and drive from NE Jackson to W Jackson where my Dad lived. He had a Chevy pickup and a place to store the IPSC equipment. I loaded all the equipment by myself and drove to Magnolia. Shooters would help setup and teardown, but I ran all the shooters through each stage using a stopwatch (pre timer years), and someone would run me. Then at most matches I would calculate the scores with a calculator (pre PC years). After the match and the truck was loaded, a few of us would drive to Byram (nothing but a wide spot in the road at that time.... ). There was a place where we would pull off and park and walk across the road to buy some beer. We would sit there enjoying our beers and talk about the day's match and what we could do next time. Then... it was time for me to drive back to Dad's place and unload by myself, and spend some quality time with him (and maybe a few more beers). Then the "long" drive home.

At that time I was younger, stronger, and more STUPID......

But I enjoyed EVERY MINUTE of it.


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I appreciate you all for what you do. Mostly, though, I appreciate being a "peon" for a change.

i know my hats are off to yall!!

It is hard work, but very rewarding. I'm almost always the first one there and usually the last one to leave (with the exception of SGF). I can't wait to make it to McComb and do a match there so I can focus on just competing and nothing else.

It's rewarding in the end the way I see it. "Fun Work" if that makes sense is what I like to call it. My main goal running a match is for everybody to have fun and do some shooting whether it's good or bad just so they had a good time and everybody is SAFE. I have found that MOST people in the shooting sports are good people and like to enjoy the time spent on the range and sharing knowledge, advice, or help to anybody wanting to listen. Key is Safety First and everything else is fun stuff.

Just want to say a word about John H., the USPSA match director for Magnolia.

He runs the local match as well as the MS Classic which sells out at 200 shooters.

John never takes credit for anything, ever. Instead, he gives it all to the workers that show up ready to go. He knows a kind word goes a long way and his leadership is only as strong as the people who help him.

Also, you never hear "I" used by him, it's always "We...." Maybe that's why he's so successful.

Magnolia and the shooters are blessed to have him.

SubGunFan wrote:A little story of my early days as MD of IPSC (Combat Pistol) at Magnolia. This was 1982 and 1983. At that time, Magnolia had no place to store match equipment onsite.

A day as IPSC Match Director......

Get up EARLY and drive from NE Jackson to W Jackson where my Dad lived. He had a Chevy pickup and a place to store the IPSC equipment. I loaded all the equipment by myself and drove to Magnolia. Shooters would help setup and teardown, but I ran all the shooters through each stage using a stopwatch (pre timer years), and someone would run me. Then at most matches I would calculate the scores with a calculator (pre PC years). After the match and the truck was loaded, a few of us would drive to Byram (nothing but a wide spot in the road at that time.... ). There was a place where we would pull off and park and walk across the road to buy some beer. We would sit there enjoying our beers and talk about the day's match and what we could do next time. Then... it was time for me to drive back to Dad's place and unload by myself, and spend some quality time with him (and maybe a few more beers). Then the "long" drive home.

At that time I was younger, stronger, and more STUPID......

But I enjoyed EVERY MINUTE of it.


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You were doing this when I started in 1989....scores by hand in the old stat shack!!!

Beer was good too!

I'm new at USPSA also, having only seen my first match in December and shooting since, but I've been around long enough and done enough in other endeavors to say " WOW" -John does a great job. I was very impressee with how the MS Classic was organized and run and plan on helping out next year. I don't know all the behind the scens planning but know there was alot, and alot of effort by alot of people, but like was said before, John takes no credit but gives it to all the other volunteers. Well, Thanks John H. - you deserve some credit

Cliff Cargill wrote:Just want to say a word about John H., the USPSA match director for Magnolia.

He runs the local match as well as the MS Classic which sells out at 200 shooters.

John never takes credit for anything, ever. Instead, he gives it all to the workers that show up ready to go. He knows a kind word goes a long way and his leadership is only as strong as the people who help him.

Also, you never hear "I" used by him, it's always "We...." Maybe that's why he's so successful.

Magnolia and the shooters are blessed to have him.

Well said, Cliff. I couldn't agree more.