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CURRENT UPDATES FOR THE RAIDER NATIONALS WEEKEND - MOLENA, GEORGIA
#1 - 1 MAY 2023: 2023 RAIDER NATIONALS MATERIALS POSTED - SCHOOLS BEING ACCEPTED
The 2023 Raider Nationals Weekend is set. Dates and other information is posted on the official website. The SOP and scoresheets are coming on the 15th of May. The website will accept team entries beginning at 3pm EST on May 15th.
#2 - 15 MAY 2023: SOP IS POSTED!
While the SOP is posted, many items are still in the works. SOP Updates and cleared and ready for 2023. Score sheets go up next, hopefully before the site begins taking teams at 3pm today.
#3 - 15 MAY 2023: Scoresheets are all POSTED!
In a single multi-page PDF file, all scoresheets in use for the All-Service Weekend are now posted.
#4 - 08 SEPTEMBER 2023: Female teams Rosters Expanded/Obstacles
As many of you know, there is another Raider competition that SNI is involved with two weeks prior to the All-Service Championship. They have made a few "non-standard" decisions on rules, team sizes, and obstacles in play for various teams. So First, SNI has decided to strongly support the Female teams and allow their team roster to match the Male and Mixed teams. Therefore they will be allowed to maintain up to 14 female cadets on the team despite having slightly smaller competing cadets numbers (please review the SOP for competing cadet numbers in the Male, Female and Mixed Divisions). The SOP is clear on what obstacles, rucks, liters, and other matters each division and level will and will not do. ALSO, as a word of advice, please read the SOP carefully and do not confuse it with any other competition SOP you may be attending. Look at the obstacles in play for your team type, and which are not executed. Do NOT think because one meet does something, another Raider meet must do the same - they often do NOT!
#5 - 8 NOVEMBER 2023: Camping Assignments & Competition Schedules finalized!
Those schools requesting camping - assignments have been finalized and posted on your mySchool website. Schedules as well. PLEASE call if you have any questions!
#6 - 9 NOVEMBER 2023: ZOOM INSTRUCTOR MEETING is set
The ZOOM INSTRUCTOR MEETING has been set for Friday, November 10th at 3pm Eastern Time. This message came to you in an email in the last few days. If you did NOT receive it, email us back and we will resend to you. We hope to see all of you there to cover some last minute details and be able to answer any questions you may have. I URGE every instructor to re-read the SOP ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE RAIDER NATIONALS! Lastly, I have received more than one phone call and email from people seeming shocked and surprised we do Rope Bridges without sticks, that the Challenge Level has no separate Female Division, etc. etc. etc. This even =t my be DIFFERENT than any other meet you attend - please READ and PREPARE your team. Also, nobody wants to make this INSTRUCTOR MEETING filled with questions that are right from the event SOP or the Mountaineering Manual, but small changes, local conditions and other items will have a few minor changes and other important items identified and stressed. Some of the bigger ones I will write below in the (hopefully) final SOP Update for people who do NOT get to the meeting.
#7 - 9 NOVEMBER 2023: MAIN COMPETITION TOPICS to be covered at ZOOM MEETING
The ZOOM INSTRUCTOR MEETING will be filled with important things to remember, as well as times and dates to reinforce for camp opening & closing times, registration times, competition start and awards ceremonies, etc. A few competition items we will be adjusting and I wanted to list them herein just in case someone misses the meeting so they are not surprised at the event.
GENERAL COMPETITION: YOUR TEAMS ARE SCHEDULED TOGETHER HERE FOR SAFETY - KEEP YOUR SCHOOL MEDICAL BAG WITH YOUR TEAM AND YOU KEEP AND EYE ON YOUR TEAM!
-Our general philosophy is the judges are there as your advocate! They will likely help you by telling you when moving things, carrying things etc to keep you in compliance rather than simply give you a penalty. Listen to the judges!
-Your team MAY run apart for all events EXCEPT the 4K run. This promotes strategy and using team members for their best abilities and covering their shortcomings. HOWEVER, consider this! You may only use ONE Tunnel during Gauntlet as a team. If you get SO FAR AHEAD that your team cannot see you any longer, you may accidentally use two different tunnels for one team and that would cause a penalty to be assessed - so stay within sight to ensure that does not occur.
-Ankle encasing BOOTS are required on every event at the All-Service Raider Nationals. No exceptions. Please do not ask for one.
-You cannot bring anything with you to any event to assist you in completing an obstacle or the tasks at hand. Also, only standard raider equipment is allowed. Any non-standard gear (like links with pullies) will be penalized.
-Our GOAL is to have much of the Raider team pictures printed later Sunday for the Masters Level teams and many of the Challenge teams still around TO GIVE TO YOU WITH YOUR SCORESHEETS! Those not printed will be printed and mailed to your team.
-If you decide to not attend the Awards Ceremony and you do not designate a school to receive your trophy, your placement will stand but the trophy will not be mailed. ATTENDING THE AWARDS CEREMONY IS AS IMPORTANT AS EACH OF THE EVENTS LISTED. ONLY A TRUE EMERGENCY SHOULD PRECLUDE A TEAM FROM BEING A PART OF THE FINAL AWARDS CEREMONY FOR YOUR COMPETITION
-We ENCOURAGE coaches to time your teams. While your times are always a few seconds faster than our judges, it is a great double-check to ensure your team gets the time they deserve.
-Do NOT FALSE START. Dumbest penalty to get in the Raider universe!
EVENTS:
1) Rope Bridge: With two experts doing Rope Bridge, we know things will stay on TIME. Therefore, we will maintain only ONE Rope Bridge site for ALL teams to make things smooth for entry/exit. We will use the "MALE" site for those who have been here nefore. The Mixed/Female site will not be used in 2023. From the SOP, "Teams can use any/all team members to splay the rope for the judge but must execute this backlay / back coil expeditiously just before their start." You will have one minute to get your rope on the ground by the near side tree. That is the expeditious we will expect. At one minute, the judge will say, "drop the rope". Failure to drop at that point will be a DQ. We have had teams in the past believe they are going to take 10 minutes to "lay out" a perfect figure 8, etc. THIS IS NOT BACKCOILING OR BACK LAYING A ROPE! Put the rope on top of itself and let's GO! The picture in Figure 7-10 of TC 3-97.61 (Military Mountaineering) shows a locking loop or "byte" on the figure eight slip knot used in the transport tightening system, but the narrative doesn't specify that it is required. FOR THIS COMPETITION, THE LOCKING LOOP ("byte") WILL BE A REQUIRED PART OF THE FIGURE EIGHT SLIP KNOT. Those schools who fail to maintain the Figure Eight Slip Knot WITH locking loop are in danger of a DQ.
2) Gauntlet: DO NOT GRAB the metal wires holding the suspended tire. This is a penalty. Everything you are carrying goes through the suspended tire. Everything goes over the walls (EXCEPT THE CRATE) Remember, only the MASTERS LEVEL MALE teams will execute the 11' wall. We will have a judge to ensure Female and Mixed teams go past this obstacle. We will make every effort to use BOTH SETS of culverts this year in course design for those that have asked but no promises! The next team will NOT BE RELEASED onto the course until the team on the course clears the 8' wall! Interference on obstacles is a foreign word here!
3) 4k Team Mountain Run: We are going up the mountain just as in past years. Teams are reminded this is a TEAM RUN. Run in column to allow teams to pass.
4) Physical Team Test: The water cans and ammo cans will be upright when you receive them. Make sure you set them down GENTLY and with enough CARE to ensure they are upright as you run away. I WILL NOT ENTERTAIN ANY PROTESTS FROM ANY TEAM FOR "THROWING" or "DROPPING" ammo or water cans. Make sure they remain upright and you will most likely never see that penalty! Female teams will execute all obstacles the Male and Mixed teams do, just with less people. BOTH tunnels near the start can be used by your one team because you are the only team on the course.
5) Cross Country Rescue (Masters Day Only): Rather than a low-crawl, the final piece of the CCR course has been modified to maintain three logs configured in an OVER - UNDER - OVER set-up. The underside of the "under" logs will be 24" from the ground. The center "over" log will be 48" from the ground. There will be TWO "sides" to use and each will be roughly 9' wide unobstructed. Another change for clarity, Female teams will only carry TWO RUCKS on the course versus the FOUR RUCKS all others will carry due to their smaller competing team numbers. Also please remember the liter is picked up by the teams by a cadet or cadets AFTER they go over the wall. All gear will come to the mud pit run but will be placed beside it while te team executes the mud pit, then team members will come back, get the gear, and take off for home.
6) Tire Flip (Challenge Day only):Several Raider events are now incorporating this and many do it different. We need to simplify this event for safety and simplicity of judging. Therefore we are making this change. Rather than a "triangle" configuration, the competition will simply be a "down and back" exercise. You will place your team members in column in five "pairs" and standing one behind the other behind a common starting line for both divisions. This line will be 10-YARDS away from the "tire flip start/finish line" for all divisions. The corresponding tire for your competition level will be "behind" this line. There will be a MALE TIRE (roughly 220lbs.), a Mixed Tire (roughly 130 lbs.) ONE or TWO TEAMS may be started together. On the command to start, your first pair of cadets will run forward together and immediately grasp and "flip" the tire forward together towards the "far line" located exactly 20-yards away. The tire may not roll or be lifted while "wobbling" therefore cadets may "tamp/knock down" a wobbling or rolling tire. ONLY WHEN the tire is STILL may the cadets again flip the tire. Over and over this will occur until the ENTIRE TIRE HAS COME TO REST ENTIRELY past the 20-YARD AWAY FAR LINE. At this point, those same cadets will move to the other side of the tire and flip the tire back again until the tire is 100% OVER the LINE and has come to a complete stop again. The NEXT SET of cadets runs forward and continues in the same manner. When the final pair of cadets move the tire "down and back", and the tire crosses the start/finish line fully AND COMES TO REST, the time will stop. Teams MAY if they wish to use Gloves for hand/finger protection and to keep their hands from getting filthy. This is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED! In flipping tires, NO CADET may be on the side of the tire that is not being LIFTED while other cadet is lifting the tire! A team doing this ONCE will receive a 1-minute penalty. If a judge sees a 2nd occurrence, they will be given a DQ and removed from the course immediately. Teams having a tire ROLL that gives them an advantage may be subjectively penalized a minimum of 1-minute. If a tire TOUCHES a cone identifying the start/finish or far line, it is a 30-second penalty per occurrence.
#8 - 10 NOVEMBER 2023: IMPORTANT MODS APPROVED during the INSTRUCTOR ZOOM MEETING
The ZOOM INSTRUCTOR MEETING was exceptional with great questions and great participation. Thank you all. A few things that were decided were as follows:
1) Raider team pictures will be printed the week of Thanksgiving after the event and mailed to your school before the end of the month priority mail.
2) Gauntlet & the Cross-Country Rescue for FEMALE TEAMS on SATURDAY for the Masters Level. Since they have only 8 cadets, we will require TWO LESS RUCKS for their use on both Gauntlet & CCR. Therefore,FEMALE TEAMS ONLY will use FOUR RUCKS (versus 6) at CCR and will use just TWO RUCKS (versus 4) at Gauntlet. Physical Team test will remain UNCHANGED for Female Teams.
3) Physical Team Test: NOBODY cares more about the placement of the 15 Water Cans and the 5 Ammo cans your team will run to grab than you do. I have felt the people resetting the course have NOT replaced everything in the box in the exact same way every time in past years. THEREFORE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TEAM BEFORE YOU FINISHES THEIR COURSE, your team may send up to TWO representative (can be other non-competing cadets, competing cadets, parents or other team helpers, etc.) to adjust the placements of the cans ANYWHERE INSIDE THE BOX AS THEY DESIRE. They must be "upright" at the start and upright and inside the box drawn on the ground when returned by your teams.
4) The original message above said the previous low-crawl was made into an "OVER - UNDER - OVER" set-up. This is INCORRECT. It will be an UNDER - OVER - UNDER. The underside of the "under" logs will be 24" from the ground. The center "over" log will be 48" from the ground. There will be TWO "sides" to use and each will be roughly 9' wide unobstructed.
NOVEMBER 10, 2023 = NO FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE POSTED to the 2023 events!
ANY FURTHER CHANGES OF NOTE WILL BE CALLED/EMAILED directly to schools
OR COVERED during the on-line Commander's Call.
REMINDER TO ALL TEAMS! THE COMPETITION SCHEDULE IS POSTED 7-10 DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT,
THEREFORE YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO SCHEDULE YOUR MEALS AROUND YOUR COMPETITION TIMES!
SNI STANDS READY TO ASSIST YOU IN PLANNING YOUR FOOD FUNCTIONS WITH THE CAMP!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL RAIDER TEAMS!
Team Sports Network
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