Why do many of us choose to compete during our leisure time activities? We could choose to sit on the couch and watch others compete on our device of choice – but we don’t!
Weekend after weekend, we are out on the field doing our thing, measuring our performance against our peers and our own personal bests in formal competition. We are probably also squeezing in a practice session whenever time allows us. We read voraciously about our sport, soaking in whatever we can. Many of us take lessons. All of this comes at a cost – both financial and the “opportunity cost” of chasing after our chosen sport rather than doing other things! What drives us to do this? Part of it is because we simply enjoy the experience – getting outdoors, enjoying time with friends and family, having a few laughs… but there is more – we are genetically programmed to want to achieve. We are achievement machines! It is part of our make-up that helps to promote our species’ very survival. We are driven to want to get better at everything we do – even with our hobbies and recreational activities. So, when we do accomplish our goals, it is worth celebrating!
And celebrate we should! Just a few short weeks ago (April 27, 2024) two shooters from our loosely organized group of friends sometimes called the “A-team” achieved the pinnacle of clay shooting by becoming the first of our illustrious bunch to “punch up” into Master Class. This is no small feat requiring substantial time, commitment and persistence to achieve! The fact that both shooters accomplished this on the same day at Kidd’s Place during the Easter Blast Fun Shoot made it even more special! I am not going to hide the fact that there was talk of side bets being taken as to which shooter would make it to “Master” first! Given that both shooters made it within a few hours of each other, I think we should call it a draw!
So, without further delay, let me introduce both shooters! They should be familiar names and faces as their mugs have graced previous posts here on the blog! Meet the latest master class shooters Dave Coffman and Al Wagner:
We had a chance to catch up during lunch at a recent shoot. Al started the conversation by volunteering that he had been working on his mental skills. That comment got my undivided attention! I asked him which skills he had been focused on. He shared with us that he had really been addressing how to totally relax his entire body prior to calling for the target. He credited that with being able to shoot more from the subconscious as opposed to trying to consciously control shots when he was “tight”. He thought that was the difference-maker in being able to up his game and get those final punches!
Dave had previously shared his recipe for success with us in a post that can be found HERE. If you missed that one, it is worth the read! We can all learn from their experiences!
So, lets all join in on the celebration of Dave and Al’s achievements. Way to go guys! Also remember to take a few moments to celebrate your own accomplishments. Our survival as a species demands it!
