Club based rules

[mattk83]

Hi

Just trying to help a club visitor who is having trouble with his local club and their implementation of rules that stop him from being able to win the club championship. So hear we go , at my club your 2 best shoots from each range over the year count towards a grand total , the person with the highest grand total wins the category they compete in. His club adopts the same principle of your 2 best shoots at each range however there is a minimum attendance of 80% of all available shoots. For example if he was to only shoot 2 times for each range and score 120.20 for each shoot he would not be able to win his category as he did not attend 80% of the club shoots , this means that an individual with low scores but high attendance wins over high scores and low attendance.

This type of rules seem very unfair to me and detrimental to our sport, I would like to know if a NRAA affiliated club can make up and implement rules like this.

Matt

[DannyS]

Hi Matt, from what I have seen, most clubs make up their own rules re club champions. Ours used to be a members best 10 scores for the year but if you shot f class on a TR day your score didn't count and if you shot TR on a F class day that score didn't count either. We then got it changed to the best 10 scores per year regardless of distance. It still ended up with only a few members having sufficient scores due to multi classes etc. We have now reduced it to 8 best scores. The mentality of some of the members in the past was that the club champion should be someone that shoots predominately at the club not necessarily the best shot who goes away a lot shooting PMs etc. Sounds like your mates club still has that same line of thinking.

Cheers
Danny

[mattk83]

it just sound to me like very poor management from the club. I don't understand why you would make a club shooter make the decision of do I shoot at my club all the time to be able to win a club level or do I put in the effort to go away to OPM to represent my club. Further more with the issues or sport is having with regards to decreasing numbers I don't see how this type of cronyism can be beneficial to any club. This year our club will have 39 potential shoots telling a member that they have to attend 31 times regardless of score just to qualify? where is the logic in that ?

[Barry Davies]

Then you get the clubs that put Club Championships on days of prize meetings. Good way to exclude those who attend prize meetings.I guess their club charter does not include the words " to promote the sport of target shooting "

[johnk]

I would like to know if a NRAA affiliated club can make up and implement rules like this.

If any SSR rule other than those specifing equipment, range safety & similar conditions applies (and I'm not convinced that they dobecause of the type of event that they provide specific conditions for), then it's this one:

2.2.1 The rules of the Part 2.2 shall control all competitions provided always that a promoting body may lay down special conditions not inconsistent with these Rules in order to meet local requirements. Where a promoting body is required to obtain approval for its program, such special conditions shall be subject to approval also.

One element to consider is that in many cases, club champions are expected to shoot for their club at a higher level championship. I know of many cases over the years where these champions were AWOL attending interstate events. In fact, one of my clubs once tried to define their champion as the one with the highest score in the club championship who was available to attend the DRA championship, but the DRA quashed that.

[mike H]

If winning a club championship is important in your shooting life,it may be time to move to another club.Really it isn't worth bothering with,go and win a Queen's prize or two.

[aaronraad]

You will find that club and representative players are recognized separately at club level among other sports. Often though, representation is based on selection by the club (or an overseeing body) at a representative event, not just an individual's club membership affiliation at an open event.

Border, Wessels, Ritchie, Hayden, Law & Khawaja didn't (and currently don't) collect any or all the batting awards every season they played for Valley District Cricket Club. They still had to meet the club requirements of 500 runs, 20 wickets and 4 or 5 out of 11 matches to qualify for the awards.

Player participation/motivation is usually based on a mix of inner personal goals and external rewards; regardless of their skill and achievement level. Players that are in the majority motivated by external rewards, will naturally migrate to clubs and associations that are more likely to publicly recognize their achievements, where circumstances allow.

80% attendance sounds a bit steep for Club Championship, but if 90% of the membership qualify that's a different story. If only 20% of the membership qualify under the attendance requirement, the award should probably be renamed or at least reviewed?

[AlanF]

We have a system at Rosedale where no-one is excluded, but you only have two opportunities in the calendar to score points at each of the 4 championship stages. If you don't make it to at least one of the shoots for a stage, then you effectively eliminate yourself from contention. I haven't heard complaints about this system.

Decisions about these sorts of matters are left to clubs, and most club office-bearers are elected democratically, so if you're unhappy, apply some pressure at your next AGM e.g. vote against or stand against those who have policies which exclude members from competitions.

[plumbs7]

it just sound to me like very poor management from the club. I don't understand why you would make a club shooter make the decision of do I shoot at my club all the time to be able to win a club level or do I put in the effort to go away to OPM to represent my club. Further more with the issues or sport is having with regards to decreasing numbers I don't see how this type of cronyism can be beneficial to any club. This year our club will have 39 potential shoots telling a member that they have to attend 31 times regardless of score just to qualify? where is the logic in that ?

Hands down go to opm's ! This is where the rubber meets the road ! You'll learn 100 fold going to Queens and opm's , different ranges and the best shots in the area to compete against ! I think one can get stuck in a rut just shooting club comps anyway! My opinion only!

[bsouthernau]

My opinion only!

Oh no it's not. You'll find that's a lot of peoples' opinion.

[Send-it]

might be worth asking the club directly,.......to see their point of view.
who knows,......it might have been created with good intentions.
just saying.