Good evening, Team,
We’re thrilled by the response to our summer survey. The insights you’ve shared are invaluable as we continually strive to enhance your experience at APSC. We’re grateful for the time you took to provide thoughtful, candid feedback. Your responses not only highlight what we’re doing well but also shine a light on areas where we can improve
Before diving into the details, we want to celebrate an exceptional achievement: our club received an average recommendation score of 9.6 out of 10. This is not just a number; it’s a resounding vote of confidence in what we’re building together at APSC. 78% of you gave us a perfect 10, with another 15% scoring us at 8 or 9. These scores reflect the positive sentiment that permeated your responses, even when offering constructive criticism. It’s clear that while we have room for improvement, we’re on the right track in maintaining a club that you’re proud to be a part of and eager to recommend to fellow shooters.
What’s Working Well
You’ve made it clear that the heart of APSC’s appeal lies in our match quality. Many praised the challenging stages that push your skill… Comments like “Y’all are by far my favorite club in the Austin area” and “phenomenal match” were common, highlighting the quality of our course designs. You appreciate the variety and complexity we offer, with one member noting that our stages are “on par or more than what you see at a national level.” This feedback reinforces our commitment to providing a top-tier shooting experience that keeps you coming back and growing as shooters.
Community
Beyond the targets and timers, it’s evident that APSC is more than just a place to shoot—it’s a community. New members frequently mentioned feeling welcome and supported, while long-time members expressed appreciation for the friendships they’ve formed. The dedication of our volunteers and staff didn’t go unnoticed, with many of you taking the time to thank them specifically. This strong sense of community, built on a foundation of experienced members and welcoming newcomers, is one of our greatest strengths.
Areas for Improvement
Texas summers are no joke; many of you expressed concerns about managing the heat during matches. There were three main themes in your feedback:
- Stage length: A significant number of you (33%) expressed a preference for shorter stages during hot weather.
- Hydration: Multiple members suggested providing water or cold drinks at stages to help combat the heat.
- Match timing: Several suggestions revolved around adjusting start times or overall match duration to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
You also provided valuable feedback on the nuts and bolts of how our matches run:
- Squad sizes and stage backups: Some members reported issues with large squads or frequent backups at stages.
- Scoring process: There were requests to standardize the scoring process to ensure accuracy and allow shooters to follow along more easily.
- Start times and match duration: Several suggestions focused on starting earlier or adjusting match length, particularly during hot weather.
How We Get Better
We hear you on the need for hydration and will seek to have two coolers on the range with water during the hot months. We all must remember that our preparedness is on each of us. That means staying hydrated and keeping skin out of the sun if exposure gets to you. By way of garments, I cannot recommend Outdoor Research’s Astroman line enough. Freefly apparel also has excellent long-sleeve options.
Match timing: We can’t start the matches any earlier. Our club volunteers come from as far as San Antonio, believe it or not. Asking them to arrive earlier would be unfair. That said, the more people that regularly show up to assist our stage directors, the faster we can get going, and if that creates a pattern over time, we can push the hammer down time down.
Scoring process and stage backups: As it heats up, each of us holds an equal responsibility to help things run smoothly. That means resetting activators, taping targets, and helping score or run the timer. We just minted 24 new central Texas area range officers, which will surely help with this, but know that unless you just shot and are stuffing your mags, the upcoming shooter, on deck or in the hole, you should be out helping your squad reset. As to the scoring process, this seems fitting for a video, so we will produce one to send around.
Stage length: we see this as an opportunity to mix in some IPSC style stage ratios into the mix. This will bring some variety to the feel of the matches while also producing a new challenge for y’all.
Facilities improvements at Austin Rifle Club
For those new to the club or otherwise unaware of how the relationship between APSC and ARC works, APSC is privileged to use the action bays at ARC. A portion of your match fee every match goes to ARC for its continued operations. That said, we heard your feedback and will pass it along to the board at ARC.
- Parking: Several members mentioned the need for more parking space.
- Bay surfaces: Concerns were raised about slippery conditions in the bays, with some members reporting falls.
- Issues with leaving the range: This is unfortunately out of our control. The board at ARC has stipulated the controls they want around people’s ability to leave the range.
Maintaining Challenge While Addressing Improvements
Your feedback presents us with an interesting challenge: how do we maintain the high level of difficulty and complexity in our stages—which many of you love—while also addressing concerns about heat, match duration, and shooter comfort?
It’s clear that the challenging nature of our stages is a key part of what makes APSC special. Comments like “Give me interesting, challenging stages” were common, even from those who also expressed concerns about heat or match length. At the same time, we heard loud and clear that shooter comfort and safety, particularly during extreme weather, is a top priority.
We also recognize the diversity of opinions within our membership. While 33% of you preferred shorter stages during hot weather, 37% preferred maintaining the current stage length regardless of weather, and another 20% don’t mind what the weather is doing. This diversity of views reminds us that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and any changes we make will need to balance different preferences within our community.
As we move forward, our challenge will be to find options that preserve what makes APSC matches great while also addressing the valid concerns raised in your feedback. We’re committed to tackling this head-on.
Your thoughtful feedback has given us a clear picture of where we stand and where we can go. Thank you once again for your invaluable input—it’s your engagement and passion that drive us to improve and grow as a club continually.
— The APSC Team