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Troy McMeanus, The Ragin' Cajun, Unleashed
by Kim Williams
(Interview originally appeared in Sep/Oct 2003 Issue of Front Sight Magazine)
To the members of the infamous Lee family he is known as brother "Smel Lee." To some he's referred to as the "Ragin' Cajun." To me, personally, he'll always be thought of as "McMeanus." He's got a lot of nicknames, some of them probably not appropriate to reprint here. But no matter what you call him, Troy McManus is an enduring fixture in USPSA. A former area director, a current NROI instructor and Range Master, and a great supporter of the sport, Troy has made great things happen, both behind the scenes and deep in the front trenches. The father of three teenagers, ages 12, 15, and 18, Troy and his wife reside in Prairieville, La. He's employed by ExxonMobil Chemical in Baton Rouge. Though he cuts an imposing figure when out on the range, he's really a good guy at heart. I've personally worked matches with him and found him to be personable and friendly to everyone at competitions, from competitors to his staff alike. Likewise, I've witnessed firsthand his knowledge and love of the sport through his dedication to conducting and working first-rate matches. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Troy to ask him some questions about his experiences with USPSA.
Tell me about your experience as a shooter.
I joined USPSA in 1990, but I had been shooting "combat" matches locally since about '87 or so.
What hooked you on the sport, how did you get started way back when?
I liked the action and speed, even though I didn't do well when I first started. Luckily, there were some friendly people who helped and encouraged me. I also liked the camaraderie and sense of brotherhood I found amongst shooters in this sport.
What about your experiences as staff, working matches?
I got my RO certification in 1991 and my CRO certification in 1993. Al Acton was the instructor for both courses. I produced the 1997 USPSA 3-Gun Nationals as my RM project, and received my RM certification at the 1997 Limited Nationals in Fredericksburg, Va. I began teaching in 2000, and became a certified RMI that same year. I've produced three USPSA 3-Gun National Championships, and three Area Championships, as well as serving as an RO, CRO, or RM at Areas 2, 3, 5 and the USPSA Nationals since 1993. I was also an RM at the Smith & Wesson Millennium Match and at the 2000 and 2001 3-Gun Nationals.
So you've worked a lot of matches, both behind the scenes and right out there on the range. Do you have a favorite match?
My favorite match as an RO was the 1993 Nationals, where I worked as a nationals RO for the first time. I learned a lot from really good, experienced range officers. That's where I first felt like I was a part of a larger "family" of shooters and range officers, and knew that I wanted to do more within the organization.
My favorite match to shoot was last year's Area 4 Championship where I shot with my other extended family, the Lees.
And your least favorite?
Even though I won a gun there, I'd have to say the 1992 Area 4 Championship in Glen Rose, Texas. There was a huge "us vs. them" attitude at that match and it really took the enjoyment out of it for me.
Do you get the sense that there's still a problem with that "Us vs. Them" mentality you mentioned between ROs and competitors?
I don't think that mentality is as bad now as it was several years ago, but it can still be found at times.
Do you think there's anything that can be done to fix that?
I think NROI has taken great strides in eliminating this way of thinking through our seminars and by setting good examples at Nationals and other large matches. Since many new shooters are taking RO seminars, they are able to see matches as a whole, rather than just as either a competitor or a range officer. Education is the key to solving this problem, in my opinion.
Based on your experiences as range staff, what other problems do you think ROs face most often?
Many ROs suffer from old habits learned at their local club, coupled with a lack of knowledge of the rules and sometimes just inexperience. This sometimes translates into bad calls and/or poor attitude on the RO's part. In my opinion, every new USPSA member should attend a level one seminar within their first year, even if they don't ever want to become an "official" range officer. The seminar concentrates on the rules, which are important to know if you want to play the game safely and correctly. Range officers who haven't kept up with the new rules or feel like they need a refresher should also attend. Experience can be gained by volunteering to work matches, not only at a local level, but perhaps at the Section or Area Championship. There's nothing like working a larger match with some more experienced range officers to improve both skills and confidence in new ROs. Volunteering to work Nationals is also a great learning tool.
What can we do to encourage more classes, more staff involvement, and RO retention?
I'd suggest putting on some NROI-sponsored "mega seminars" where we make all the arrangements and advertise the seminar on a national basis. Modernizing our presentation -- both content and technique will also help improve the quality of our classes.
What about the organization as a whole, what problems do you see that we face most prevalently?
Loss of members due to disinterest or dissatisfaction with the organization. I think we've made some steps recently to correct what some members think of as apathy within the board and USPSA administration, but there's still some work to do. Another problem we face is how to get reliable feedback from the membership, so that USPSA can try to address member concerns in a more timely fashion. Attracting and keeping new members is also a challenge, but I think we're heading in the right direction there.
What do you think we can do, as an organization, to encourage growth?
Advertising helps get new members -- good attitudes on the range help keep them. Friendly, but professional range officers can do a lot to help encourage and keep new members.
Obviously you've devoted a great deal of your free time and energy to working and conducting matches. What motivates you to do what you do for the sport?
I like giving something back to a sport I enjoy, and I like being involved. I became an instructor because I felt that if I could share some of my experience, it might help improve the quality of range officers, and I enjoy sharing my experiences and observations.
What's your favorite part of being "behind the scenes?"
As someone once said, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Ah yes, the wisdom of "The A Team." Let's talk a bit about your role as an instructor. You've been teaching pretty hot and heavy since earning your credentials. Do you notice any trends in terms of shooters who sign up for courses?
The biggest trend I've noticed is that a lot of the people who are taking the level one classes are really new to the sport. I think that's a good thing, since you should learn the rules before you get too involved in the game. I've noticed that some of the seminar students who have been shooting for a while are misinformed about the rules.
As an instructor traveling from club to club-teaching classes, you're seeing things from a viewpoint that most members aren't privy to. What concerns do you have now that you might not have had before becoming an instructor?
My main concern is that a lot of shooters are terribly misinformed about what the rulebook actually says. The cause for this seems to be "old hands" at the local club giving out information that's either out of date or wrong, or because of local practices that don't jibe with the rulebook. Bad habits are really hard to break, so it's important that NROI reach and teach as many people as possible. As I said earlier I think all new USPSA members should take the level one seminar in their first year of membership, just to get some basic knowledge of the rules before they learn the wrong things.
If you could speak to every new range officer after gaining certification, what advice would you offer?
Don't be afraid to take the timer and run shooters. Always ask questions or get help if you need to. Use the rule book- that's why we give them away. There is nothing wrong with looking something up if you aren't sure about it. Have fun while you are working -- a few laughs never hurt anyone -- as long as it's not at someone else's expense.
What about new shooters, any advice for them?
Go slow at first -- accuracy first, speed second. Concentrate on safe gun handling. Take a level one seminar at your earliest opportunity. Read the rulebook. Have fun.
I've taken to calling you McMeanus, but for the most part I think of you as tough, but fair. Would you say that's accurate?
I'd say that's pretty accurate. Applying the rules fairly to everyone is important because if we don't do that then we compromise the integrity of the sport. Sometimes this comes across as being "mean," but it's actually just treating everyone equally. Nobody likes to earn a penalty or get disqualified, but the rules are the rules, whether we like them or not. As range officers, we are all responsible for upholding the rules, as written. There isn't room for "good ol' boy" attitudes. A range officer shouldn't ignore the rules because making the right call will upset a competitor. On the other hand, it doesn't mean that range officers are right all the time, and we should be able to recognize and learn from our mistakes.
Officials have to deal with a lot of stress out on the range, and this sometimes translates into a detachment from the shooters. Do you think perhaps shooters get the wrong impression, or confuse the line between an official being "mean" and just being "tough but fair?"
Yes, I think that happens quite often. Competition can get quite intense and emotions run high. The first thing to remember is that almost all range officers started in the sport because they love to shoot, not because they have an urge to learn and enforce the rules. Our sport is a volunteer sport-- always has been, always will be-- so somebody has to be the "bad guy" from time to time. This means that range officers who must enforce the rules fairly and equally at all times must have a certain amount of detachment from the competitors. Sometimes this translates as being mean, but most of the time I think the competitors realize that the range officer is just doing his job. The most important thing a range officer can do, in my opinion, is to strive for balance between their "official" and "shooter" personas and translate that into their attitude on the range.
Okay, breaking from the serious stuff now, what does being part of the "Lee Family" mean to you?
The Lee Family is extremely important to me because the people in it are some of the finest people I've ever been associated with. We started the family several years ago, when we found that most of us were working and shooting the same matches. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to them. Without their help I could not have produced the many matches I've done. Not only that, but without them on the range, a lot of matches wouldn't have the same high-quality, professional range officers that people have come to expect; especially at the Area and National championship level. We also love to shoot together when we can, after all, that's why we got into this sport in the first place. Although the "sibling rivalry" can run quite high, it's all just for fun, and at the end of the day, we're still brothers and sisters. The Lee's are really a great bunch of people and I'm just proud to be part of the family.
Any interesting, amusing, and/or disturbing anecdotes you're willing to share?
I think those records are still sealed...
Okay then, fill in this blank: if I were a gun, I'd be a ___________________.
Benelli M1 Super 90
And there it be. The good, the bad, and the wild and crazy. If you should happen to be so lucky as to see Troy in all his kilted glory out at a match, or better yet, if you're offered a chance to take one of his seminars, be sure to go for it. It's well worth it. And be sure to shake his hand, give him a hearty pat on the back, and thank him for all his hard work and dedication.
