Ft. Benning ASA: Is it Over?

 

  Two weeks prior to the second stop on the 2025 ASA Pro-Am, I had no intention to attend. Therefore, I didn't prepare for the event and never fired an arrow outside. Rather, the set-up I used in Foley the previous month was leaning against the wall collecting dust. 

  Then after a few text exchanges, against my better judgment, I decided to pack my bags once again and head south. Sometimes it's easier to go into something when you're facing the realism behind it. On this occasion, reality spoke to me, and I wasn't a fan of what it had to say. 

  It said, "What the hell are you thinking?"

  Taking a dive into the dark, cloudy chasms of my memory, I approached it knowing I still hold the ability to grind and give myself a shot, even when it seems all the odds are stacked against me. Believing in yourself is half the battle in this game called archery, and I don't have any problems with self-confidence. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and I've always admired people who have self-confidence. I try to stick close to those people and avoid the arrogance that sometimes spews from others in the arena. 

                                                                    Travel Day

  The weather hasn't been the best in northern New York since the last ASA, so I've been plugging along indoors. I've spent the majority of my time working on shooting a handheld release again. In doing so, I took Jacob's advice to use low poundage again. Everything I've achieved in the archery world, whether it's indoor shooting, outdoor target archery or 3D archery, has been accomplished while using low poundage bows... no more than 55 pounds. However, the bow I brought with me, my Dominator Duo 38 with SE2 cams, was set at 63 pounds. Knowing this, I had to use a caliper release I've used since 2019. 

  We got off to an early start and found ourselves headed out of Atlanta airport shortly after noon. We figured we would stop at the shoot and get a little practice in before calling it a day. After shooting about 10 targets, I decided I would change my game plan for this ASA. Instead of shooting all uppers, I was going to shoot lowers due to the fact most of my arrows were hitting low. Instead of giving it much thought, I figured I wasn't used to the poundage, which contributed to the low arrows. Jacob, on the other hand, couldn't miss. I think he shot 10 12s of the 12 targets we shot and barely missed the other two. However, when we were done, a crack on his limb seemed to have gotten a little bit larger. Without a spare bow or being able to replace limbs, he wrapped the limb with electrical tape to keep the area where it had begun to splinter from getting worse. 

                                                                       Practice Day

  We took full advantage of the practice day. Suddenly, I was glad I had decided to attend the tournament. The bright sun and warm temperatures were a pleasant break from what we've been experiencing at home. It felt good to shoot in a t-shirt and enjoy the beautiful day. We were both ready for Day 1.

  After grabbing a bite to eat and heading back to the AirBnb, we clicked the TV on and watched "Wicked Tuna," the reality show about tuna fishing. It was entertaining and left us with a lot of questions. We even did some Googling to figure out some facts that had us guessing. 

                                                                          Day 1

  When I got to my stake the first day, I learned I would be shooting with Kerry Klund, Richard Teasley, Richard Owens and Johnny Pearlheath. However, when things got closer to starting, there was a mix-up with groups and there were five people in a few different groups. This required people to leave certain groups, my group being one of them. I volunteered to go to another group and found myself sharing a stake with Tony Tazza, Loren Lohr and Kevin Koch. I never could've asked for a better group. There's no better feeling than shooting with guys whom you can call friends in which there's mutual respect and admiration shared between everyone in the group. That always makes for a great day on the range, whether the results at the end of the day are good or bad. While there was nothing wrong with the original group, I definitely enjoyed where I ended up. 

  I got off to a good start. Although my hold wasn't the best on the first target of the day, it was good enough to stay in the 10-ring and barely miss the 12. By the time I got to my fifth target, I was feeling really good. The bow was holding steady and my shots were breaking cleanly. Everything felt on course for a good day. Although we were battling a little bit of sun, we were able to block most of it with Tony's umbrella. My pin would occasionally wash out, but I could see the end of it well enough to still have a solid aiming reference. 

  After five targets, I found myself on the leaderboard at +2 and knew I was headed toward a good day. Everything felt too good to be interrupted. When I got to the sixth target, I made a decent, but not great, shot at an impala (if I recall correctly). When the bow fired, I heard a distinct tinging noise and asked if anyone else heard it. Nobody heard it. The concerning part was that the arrow was on the outside of the 8-line looking in. While I had gotten an 8, it was barely an 8. I knew the shot was good enough that it shouldn't have landed where it did. Not totally trusting myself, I shrugged it off and moved to the next target.

  Staring at the leopard at the end of the lane, I knew I would play it safe and shoot for the center because I could clearly see a clover where I could hold my pin. I also knew 50 would do the trick. When I drew the bow and anchored, the pin locked on the top of the clover and the shot fired... effortlessly. In the split second that it fired, I said, "Yup," knowing I had just smoked the center of the 10-ring. Then, I never heard the arrow hit the target. Instead, it never touched a piece of foam and skidded to a stop on the back side of the leopard between the legs. 

  Knowing I had made a perfect shot, I told the guys I was going to the breakdown bale to check my marks. After getting it cleared with the range official, I scurried to the bag and quickly realized I had lost about four yards on my tape. I quickly moved my indicator and got back to the stake without missing a target. Not knowing what caused the issue, I progressed through the round and let it slip from my mind.

  I continued making good shots, but there were a handful of targets that I felt I should have pierced the 12-ring, two of which I called the upper and hit below it with the right number. When we finished the round, I was highly disappointed and found myself within reach of the leaderboard but well behind. I ended the day with a 190 after missing the target and getting an 8 on the one before the miss. I knew I could make up the ground, but I would need a really good day. Actually, everyone in the group shot well, but Kevin and I both missed the leopard. Tony and Loren were sitting in good shape going into Day 2. 

Near the end of the round, Tony pierced Kevin's arrow for a Robinhood. It was pretty cool that it stuck instead of ricocheting into never-never land. 

  After finishing the round, we grabbed a bite to eat and went back to our place. In the evening when we figured most people were gone, we headed back to the range to change the blade on my rest. The blade had cracked then settled into place for the rest of the round. The blade caused me to lose yardage on the sight, ultimately contributing to the low 8 and miss before I figured out something was wrong. While it probably wasn't perfect the rest of the day, it held up without breaking or causing any other mayhem like it did on the leopard. If there was a silver lining to the cloud, that was it. As soon as I shot the bow with the new blade on the rest, I gained back all of the yardage I had lost. It only took a few minutes to sight the bow in and call it a day. Jacob was sitting at +16. He had a pretty good day and was more than ready to press the gas pedal to the floor the next day. 

                                                                            Day 2

  The picture above sums up our trip for the weekend, especially Day 2. I'm not sure what happened on Day 2, and I'm not going to spend any time on it. I started off well and stayed that way for about nine targets. Then, things went off the tracks and I never recovered. Looking back on it, I have no idea what happened. I'm not sure if what the eye doctor had warned me about came to the forefront, or if I just didn't do well. My shooting didn't feel too terribly much different than it did on Day 1, other than a slightly unsteadier hold. 

  The only difference between Day 1 and Day 2 was the lighting. Day 1 was a bright, sunny day, but Day 2 was overcast. When the doctor told me I would need similar lighting conditions from start to finish to achieve my potential, maybe he was correct. Did the lighting conditions result in the sub-par performance on Day 2? I could say it did, but I'm taking ownership of it because I'm better than what turned out on the scorecard. I'm going to walk away from the weekend realizing I need to fix a few things, and I'm hoping that by returning to lower poundage setups that I'll return to competitive form. I've been lackluster on the trail the last two years, and I will try everything possible to return to where I know I've been and still want to be. I'm ready for the next challenge. There have been times in the last year in which I felt like I had no hope, but then again I've been climbing Everest in the process. I'll be the first to tell you that it's tough to climb the highest mountain in the world and survive while your mind is consumed with the stresses that come along with family, health, work and well-being. When exterior thoughts are roaming the wastelands inside your mind, you may not think they affect your performance, but I'm beginning to think that maybe they have a bigger impact than I can imagine. It just doesn't feel like that's the case, but when coach Mike Price says it's impossible to be anywhere near your best when you don't have 100% focus, I don't think I can debate with him about it anymore. 

  Jacob's Day 2 was heartbreaking. He had a chance to make a statement after the extracurricular happenings in Foley, but that cracked limb decided to rear its ugly head. When the devil is sitting on your shoulder and messing with your equipment, there's not much one can do to defend against it. Jacob did everything he could to bite, claw and hold on until the finish but came up just shy of where he needed to be. In the end, he succumbed to a dose of strictly bad luck and bad timing. 

  Watching the fight he put up while not being able to do what he's capable of doing was inspiring, and a lot can be gained from witnessing it. He never gave up, even though he knew he didn't have things working at 100%. Instead, he came up with a game plan to somehow not go backward. Once he got to +22, he did everything he could to get the few extra points he would need to get to the dance, but everything hit the wall on the final target of the tournament. 

  That's when we walked off the range together and realized that both of us got slapped square in the face with bad luck. If you shoot long enough, a few bad things are bound to happen from time to time. All you have to do is ask Glenn Meadows. He might have the worst streak of any of my peers in the last few years. If it can happen, it will happen to Glenn. I had a long streak of that in my career, but I'm hoping what happened last weekend was just a little dose of it that will not return.  

                                                                     Final Thoughts

  While I wasn't hoping for much at this tournament, I didn't figure the result would be nearly as bad as it ended up. I won't tell you I wasn't highly disappointed, especially after making pretty good shots and good decisions. I guess it just goes to show you that sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield. No matter how hard we try or how badly we try to prevent bad things from happening, there is nobody who is immune to unfortunate incidents. At those times, the only thing that matters is how you respond. You can pack it in and disappear or you can never give up. I choose to never give up. 

  In recent times, I've wondered if  the Old Man has finally caught up to me as far as my archery career goes. I've questioned my ability to compete at the highest level. Although I still believe I can compete and be a regular in the top 10, the scoreboard has not reflected that. I've had multiple top 10s the last few years and a few IBO shootdown appearances, but things haven't been like they were about three years ago when everything seemed effortless to shoot good scores. There have been shoulder and back problems combined with the recent eye issues, and the daily stresses of life have been overwhelming. I'd like to be able to look into a crystal ball to tell if those things truly make a difference. I should probably listen to Coach when he says they make way more of a difference than I can fathom. I really don't know where I'm at right now. A good, long, hard look in the mirror has me thinking thoughts I haven't thought in a long time, and I do know that Father Time is undefeated. He defeats some people before others, but he eventually catches all of us. 

  With that being said, I still firmly believe I have moments of brilliance that are still waiting to return. Between Foley and Benning, I had multiple people in my groups compliment me on my shooting, and they are people whom I highly respect. They are well-respected archers who have accomplished things others can only dream about. They are winners. I've always believed that nothing is better than when you have the respect of your peers, and I know I have that. 

  Although I currently feel like there's a cloud floating above me that doesn't want to go away, I also know I have the power to change it. If I could jump outside of my body and look back toward myself, this would sum up exactly how I feel right now, I'll leave you with  this and this is also for the ones who might be snickering while thinking I'm done: 

                                                                       

  

  

                                                                        

Teams: The Past, Present and Future

1991 -- I had found 3D archery a few years earlier, but when I heard about this thing called indoor archery, I decided I wanted to give that a try too. After reading an ad in the local paper, I found myself timidly walking into Hudson Falls Fish & Game Club for the first night of league night in 1991.

  After opening the door, I was engulfed by cigarette smoke and a dungeon-like view of a small room that had a window in it that looked onto an indoor range of sorts. It was dark, and the first thing I noticed was an older man (I would later find out that Dick Maynard was his name) with a red and white Martin bow that had a long stabilizer and a movable sight attached to it. Men were laughing, smoking and complaining about arrows they had just shot. I stayed in the back of the room and took it all in, totally out of place... and out of my comfort zone. 

  After that night, I became a regular at Hudson Falls Fish and Game Club and learned about the history of archers who had come before me as well as the ones who were currently shooting. Before long, I was addicted to the game. 

  As the shooters in our club began getting better, some of us started traveling to Massachusetts every weekend to shoot, and we found ourselves in different ranged throughout New England and New York. Every weekend, we would pile into vehicles to test our skills against others. Dave Russell, Jim Burns, Karl Weber, Jim Packard, Brett and Lisa Dufour, Wade Chandler, Jeff Wagoner, Aron Stevenson, Gary Wood, Dad, and I battled it out in our own range to improve our skills in other places... We were from Hudson Falls, and we were proud about that. 

  Then, the biggest Vegas tournament in the Northeast, Guan Ho Ha, came up with a team event in which the top five scores from each club were added up to determine a winner. Everyone knew it would be impossible to beat West Albany. After all, they had pros in that club, including Despart, Badgely, Vozzy, and Williams among a handful of others who could pound. Every club except West Albany knew they were playing for second place. When the scores were tallied after the tournament that first year of the team event, West Albany did as expected and crushed everyone. 

  Nobody expected anything different the following year, but everything changed when Karl Weber came out of the gate and laid down a 449, missing his last arrow of the round. Karl set the pace for the rest of the Hudson Falls archers, and when the dust settled, Hudson Falls had won the unwinnable travel trophy. The little train that couldn't get over the hill spit and sputtered to the top. The trophy would return to Hudson Falls Fish and Game Club... a shocking surprise to everyone in attendance. 

  After that year, a few individuals started recruiting people to shoot for their team, even though they never shot out of the clubs they joined under. It was to be expected... some people just don't like losing so they do everything they can to win, even if it stretches the unwritten rules. 

  The years began fading into the rear-view mirror quickly, and before long the original intent of the team event was all but gone. Eventually, things turned around and got back to what was meant to be. Hudson Falls picked up where it left off and continued its success on a regular basis, which led us to this weekend. 

                                                 Hudson Falls Fish and Game & NYFAB

  Under new leadership this year, NYFAB, New York's NFAA organization, changed things and created a virtual league. The league was designed to raise some money, give members more shooting opportunities, and also give NYFAB clubs a chance to go head to head in a World Archery type team format after the first day of shooting at the State Championship. The new leadership has listened to its members in an attempt to remain transparent and give the shooters a more enjoyable overall experience. In doing so, they hit numbers this past weekend that surpassed numbers of the past, including an abundance of kids, youth and young adult shooters while also bringing in new adult shooters. 

  The virtual league was designed to allow shooters to participate in their leagues at their home clubs, and their top five scores from their leagues would be entered as their official scores. Then, the clubs had the responsibility of organizing their teams and getting the shooters with the top three scores to attend the State Championship, where participating clubs would lay it all on the line to determine a winner. 

  When the information came out, I tried recruiting members of our club to join the NYFAB virtual league because I know we have shooters who can compete with anyone out there. Being proud of my club's past, I wanted everyone to give it a whirl in hopes of carrying on that tradition that the original Hudson Falls team started 25 years ago. 

  As the archery co-director of our club, I tallied up the scores and submitted them at the due date. Then, I informed Rick Steves, Jason Clark and Logan Stevenson that they would be representing our club at the state shoot, where each shooter would shoot one arrow per end, and their would be three ends to determine a winner by overall score. I felt confident with these guys on the team. All of them can perform when they need to, and they've all put Hudson Falls on the map at different times during their archery careers. 

  As the league was progressing, Rick had a bad shoulder injury that brought doubts along with it. We all hoped his shoulder would spring back quickly, which it did. However, he did battle a lot of pain throughout the winter. 

  Jason started off slow in the early winter this year but found his way when he went to Lancaster, made the elimination matches and came home to find himself back in familiar territory.  As we closed in on the state championship, I knew he and Rick were hitting their stride and would represent us to the best of their abilities. 

  Logan would round out our team. When I look at Logan, I see his father. In some ways, it's a gut-punch dose of reality. I started bringing Aron (Logan's dad) shooting when he was 12 years old. Aron would carve his own bows and arrows out of trees in his backyard. Although he could shoot releases, Aron always preferred shooting barebow, and to this day he's one of the best barebow shooters I've ever seen... a natural... just like his son. He would go on to become the runner-up in the barebow class at the IBO World, and days were different then... there were 5,000 shooters at the event and barebow was a large class. Eventually, he would start shooting a release, as the barebow compound class began to fade away.

 

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  Time has wrinkled my skin, weathered my face, brought numerous surgeries to my body, but it has never taken away my love of archery. It has also allowed me to see Aron's love of the game transferred to his son. Although Aron is only about 10 years younger than me, I still see the 12-year-old kid who used to hop in the backseat and talk about archery nonstop from the time we left until the time we got home. At times, I thought my head was going to explode, but I loved the kid like he was my annoying little brother. Aron led many of our Hudson Falls teams over the years, one time showing up at a tournament without a release or any arrows. Of course, I always have spare stuff, so I let him borrow it. He sighted the bow in with the six practice arrows and walked away with a 449... a pure natural.

  Well Logan plodded along this winter but never got too far off track. He had a few highs as well as hitting a few bumps in the road, but nothing more than a pothole. He stayed strong and steady throughout, making Jason and Rick wish they could shoot without any of the aches and pains that aging brings with it. His youthfulness reminded all of us this winter that we are aging.

  When everyone headed to the State Championship, I felt confident about our chances with these guys representing the club. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to stand in the ring and go toe to toe for us, and I hope these three guys inspire others in our club to get better and want to become part of that team next year. 

                                                                            Show Time

  As we stood around waiting for the event to start, we chatted back and forth to come up with any type of plan that might benefit the team. After asking each of them which target they preferred shooting, we figured out a shooting order and decided Rick would shoot first, Jason would shoot second and Logan would shoot last. 

  The guys got out of the gate well when they scored a 32 out of 33, barely missing the third 11. They set the tone, and all three of them made good shots. Going into the second end, I figured we would be all set. However, that little, tiny X can sometimes be extremely difficult to hit. Once again, all three shooters made great shots, but only one of them caught an X. The other two arrows were solidly in the 10-ring but barely missed the X. It quickly went from cruising along on cruise control to becoming a nail-biter. After the last end of scoring, the team found itself in a three-way tie. The outcome would be determined by a closest-to-center arrow. Each team member would shoot, but the closest arrow to the center would be the winner. 

  Rick led off with a great shot, but the arrow landed just to the right of the X. Sometimes great shots don't land in the middle of the middle. Although it was good enough for a 10, it wasn't going to put a check in the team's pocket... It would now be left up to Jason.

  After the other two teams shot their arrows, Jason stepped to the line, drew his bow, anchored and held. As his hold became a tad longer than normal, I glanced over top of my binoculars to get a look at him. When I did that, the shot fired. After a quick look through the glasses, I saw that Jason's arrow was solidly in the 10, barely missing the X. We were now down to one arrow. 

  Before Logan stepped to the line, my mind raced back to Aron walking into the arena that day over 20 years ago and asking me, "Hey, do you have a release or any arrows I can borrow? I left mine in Plattsburgh." 

  I smiled at him, reached in my pocket and pulled out a release. "Here ya go, buddy. Just give it back to me when you're done. There are arrows over there in my quiver." 

  A few hours later I got to tell Dave Badgely that I got to feel what he got to feel when Despart borrowed Dave's bow, arrows and release and beat him after Dave had already shot. Dave, I know it's not good we can remember these things, but it's all a part of the game, and we both have these awesome memories to look back on. Not many out there can say they got beat by their own equipment in someone else's hands. 

  Suddenly, I was jarred back to the present when the whistle blew and Logan drew his bow. I knew his first two shots took a few seconds longer than normal, and I knew that was why he didn't shoot Xs. However, when he hit the back well, I saw everything in slow motion. The hold only lasted a second and the shot was effortless. The arrow was on its way. Would Logan save Hudson Falls' day, or would we all shake hands, laugh about it and walk off the floor?

  Although the flight of the arrow probably took less than a second, it seemed as if I could see every revolution of the arrow as it made its way toward the yellow. My mind raced, and I tried willing the arrow into the middle. Then, I heard the crowd cheer and Logan erupted, "That's why I love this f***ing game." (Sorry Mom, that's what he really said) Pumping his fist into the air and fist bumping Jason and Rick, we all stood back and saw the arrow sitting inside-out in the X-ring. There might be a tie, but there wasn't going to be another arrow any closer to the center. 

  We all held our breath while the last shooter, whom I believe was Easton Rupp took aim and tried to top it. After the shot broke, and the arrow struck the target, the team from Hudson Falls celebrated. They had carried on a long-standing tradition that Karl Weber's first 45 arrows of the Guan Ho Ha tournament started all those years ago. Rick, Jason and Logan would now live forever in the history of the many Hudson Falls Archery teams, and they would walk away with a $720 check for the club's archery department. 

                                     Thank You to Hudson Falls Fish and Game and NYFAB

   I'd like to thank the Hudson Falls Fish and Game and all of its members over the years for driving each other to succeed and compete at higher levels than some may have ever expected. No matter whether you're young or old, if you have participated in the club's activities, you have had a part in it. Our range is dedicated to Linda and Ed Dufour and Dick and Rita Sage. Without these people, none of us would've found our way into competitive archery, and I'm thankful for all of them every day and the relationship I had with each one of them while they were alive. They all gave me inspiration in different ways, and I can only hope that Rick, Jason and Logan give some of our young and old members alike some inspiration to give it everything you have, even when you feel like you're down and out. These guys stuck together and carried out a plan. I'd also like to thank Jason for committing to the virtual league and helping Logan get signed up. Without your help with this, Jason, the team would've had a much tougher time completing the job. Rick, I'd like to thank you for choosing our Vegas league this year instead of the 5-spot league. I know the drive isn't easy after work when you have to go to work the next morning, and I appreciate your dedication and commitment to making this happen. It doesn't go unnoticed. Logan, I'd like to say thanks for saving our ass. We all appreciate you and the incredible shot you made. I appreciate the fact that you're just like your father, and sometimes I want to kill you, but at the same time, I still feel like your father is my little brother and I feel like you're my little kid, so when I yell at you, you can feel free to ignore me like you ignore your mom and dad.Heck, your father never listened to me either. Keep doing what you do and do it your way because we all know the Stevenson way has its own road not many others can follow. 

  I'd like to thank NYFAB and the new leadership for its efforts in growing the organization and coming up with new ideas to improve the experience and motivate shooters to become better and be a part of a team. It hasn't gone unnoticed, and Hudson Falls Fish and Game Club is thankful for your place in our world, even if we are a bunch of cow-tipping rednecks from the eastern New York who allow all our Vermonters to shoot with us every week. 

  I'd also like to thank Chuck Weeden, my co-director who does all of the behind-the-scenes work for the tournaments we run in the winter. Between the two of us we are trying to give you a good archery experience at our club. Chuck and I hope that these tournaments helped all of you guys be prepared for your experience at the State Championship. We try to give you things to improve your skills and help you when you find yourselves in a big moment. It sure looked like it helped Rick, Jason and Logan. Congratulations, guys. I'm proud of all three of you. Great job!

A Look Back in Time: Don Howard

 

     It's funny how life brings us down different paths, and we sometimes forget the steps that bring us to where we end up. Although I can relate to it, I can also say that I remember clearly the ones who always went above and beyond to acknowledge me, offer good conversation, and even throw in some solid advice that would help me on my journey. 

  A few weeks ago, there was a meeting at Guan Ho Ha to sort out the dates for different clubs for the Capitaland Bowhunters 3D schedule, and I had to attend to represent Hudson Falls Fish and Game. When I got to the club, I walked inside and saw the meeting had already started. While taking a seat and glancing through the window behind my seat and looking at the shooters practicing on the indoor range, I quickly recognized one guy but didn't take any time to determine if I knew the others. 

  After our meeting ended, I began talking with representatives from the other clubs and began answering some questions about holding an IBO qualifier. As I was talking, I saw an older man come up the stairs from the range and approach me. Although I knew him, I was unable to place him. Then he started talking to me. 

  Instantly, I knew it was Don Howard, who is a year younger than my father. He reached out and pulled me in, giving me a hug. He began asking me how I had been doing and if I was still shooting as much as I used to. It had been years since I had last seen him, and he was almost unrecognizable to me. 

  Don was extremely thin, and he was having a hard time speaking. Cancer had beaten him up badly the last few years, but he was holding his own and battling. The conversation went in many directions, but it focused on archery. We shared some incredible memories and talked about the things we had learned from some of our devastating losses. He told me that he could still execute good shots but holding the bow was extremely difficult now, then he asked me if I could still hold the bow as steady as I used to be able to hold it. I had to remind him that I had also moved up in years and the holding part had become a little more difficult than it used to be. That gave us both a good laugh. When Joe Stockbridge joined the conversation, Don made sure to tell him a few things about me, including the steadiness of my bow when I used to shoot. I laughed a little and wished I could still do the same thing. However, Father Time is undefeated and none of us escape the things that come with aging, especially in archery. Father Time can never take the memories I have of Don Howard, though. When I saw him that night, I was thankful for all the support he offered over the years and to see that nothing had changed. He set an example for me to follow, and I learned how important it is to root for others, especially shooters who come from the same area. I've always wanted people to know that  I'm proud to be from an area where a lot of great archers have lived and still live. When you root for others and cheer for their success, it can only help you. One of my favorite quotes follows. It's too bad more people don't think this way. Envy has a way of clouding a lot of people's judgment. 

“You should always be rooting for the people you know. Not only because you may need their support tomorrow, but also because it feels good to celebrate something. Celebration can rescue your day—even if it is someone else's victory. Envy will ruin your day—even if you're actually winning.”

 I always liked talking to Don because I could always gain something from his stories, and this night was no different. He was always the first person to give others credit, too. Although his resume is impressive, he always talked about the accomplishments of others and how impressed he was by watching them. 

  Although Don and I didn't attend many of the same tournaments, because he was primarily a target archer and I was primarily a 3D shooter, whenever he saw me he went out of his way to see how I was doing. I always appreciated it, and I didn't find it surprising that he wanted to catch up on everything in my archery world when I saw him at Guan Ho Ha. 

  As time passed and the conversation wound toward the end, he began telling me how impressed he was when watching Jacob shoot and to cherish the experience of seeing it up close. Then, he told me he remembered Jacob as a kid and said Jacob's dad gave him a hunting blind or something of that sort one time, and he was really thankful for the kindness he received. He said Jacob's dad, John, didn't have to do anything like that for him, but since he did, he would forever be a fan of John's and his family. He said he still loves rooting for Jacob and John now. 

  After getting in the truck and heading home, the flurries pelted the windshield. Instantly, I found myself sitting in my truck and driving home from the annual Guan Ho Ha Vegas Tournament in the mid-1990s, one of the biggest indoor tournaments in New York at the time. I had just met a man named Donny Howard, and he had flooded me with compliments about my execution and hold. He went on to tell me he had watched my target and how I shot. From that day forward, he has always gone out of his way to root for me and build my confidence if I struggled through a bad day. I've always been thankful I met him that day at Guan Ho Ha almost 30 years ago. 

  Thank you, Donny, for always having my back and cheering for me. I appreciate every bit of it, and it was a pleasure to share a few stories with you a few weeks ago. You've always been the guy who accomplished so much with a bow, but I believe you were often overlooked. I never missed any of it, and I'm glad I learned a few things from you. I'm also glad I made some type of small impression on you over the years. The respect gained from your peers, whether they're older, younger or the same age, is something that can never be taken away. I appreciate you and your place in archery around Albany, N.Y. Thank you

The 2025 Lancaster Archery Classic Champion

 

  Although I had no intentions of going to the Lancaster Archery Classic, I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to attend as a spectator and offer all of my friends some support. In doing so, I would also try to network in an attempt to find work.

  While I would like to talk about my experience as a spectator for the first time in 30 years, that will have to wait until the next blog entry. If you have to ask why, then you obviously didn't see the show that Jacob Slusarz put on at the event. Having traveled to many events with him over the years and seeing many of his previous victories, I was there to see this one too, so I figured I would share a little about it from my perspective. 

                                                         Who is Jacob Slusarz?

  So who is this phenom who stormed into the Lancaster Classic and walked away with the 2025 title of Open Pro Champion? Anyone who has been attending national tournaments, whether they're ASA, IBO or NFAA tournaments has probably noticed he's in the hunt at every venue. He never stands out among a crowd and seems to always blend into the backdrop. He prefers to be around his close-knit group of friends and family and loves entertaining them just by being himself. 

  After getting settled into the venue, he had a job to do on Thursday afternoon, the first day of the tournament, and it had nothing to do with preparing for his round on Friday. Jacob volunteered to act as an arrow agent for another shooter. Since many people reading this have no idea what an arrow agent is, I'll explain it so you can get a glimpse at what makes Jacob so much more than one of the best professional archers on the planet. 

  Handicapped archers sometimes require arrow agents to score and retrieve their arrows every end. This keeps the lines running on time and doesn't create issues with getting wheelchairs back and forth every time arrows must be scored. Chris Hall, Jacob's friend and fellow GAS Bowstrings staff member, requires an arrow agent due to his inability to walk. Jacob could've easily turned Chris down and told him he had other things to do, but he took it upon himself to lend a hand and make Chris' life a lot easier. Around the 15th end, Jacob said to me, "This is starting to get pretty boring," and we laughed about it, all while Jacob continued busting on Chris. 

  When the round finally ended, Jacob told me Chris shot really well except for a few ends. Besides those ends, Jacob said he shot way better than the score, once again, supporting his friends and finding the positives of the day. These are the things that nobody sees when looking at professional archer Jacob Slusarz, but his friends see it at every event. In the picture below, I'm visiting with Chris while Jacob is scoring and retrieving arrows. Unfortunately, nobody got a photo of Jacob in action. 

                                                                    Friday

     I arrived at the venue early on Friday morning because I had friends shooting on every line, and I wanted to be there to support them. It wasn't very long before Jacob showed up to see how many of his friends from back home were doing. After offering his support, he headed to the practice range to get ready for his round.  

  When the middle line started on Friday, I'm sure nobody in the crowd imagined Jacob would be the one to shoot a 660. With Jacob in the middle of the floor and Jeff Wagoner (Wags) about 20 bales down from him, I tried to keep an eye on both of them. As the round progressed and got to the halfway point, Jeff and Jacob were both doing well, and Jacob hadn't dropped an X. However, unconcerned about his own round, he continuously asked about Wags and how he was doing. 

  Around the 15th end, word began spreading and the crowd started getting larger. Cameras began rolling in, and any type of normalcy was gone. It was almost as if the people running the cameras were told to be as distracting as possible to hinder perfection. Although it sounds like a conspiracy theory, I found the encroachment from all sides to be a little over the top.

  Knowing Jacob practices regularly while being surrounded by distractions, I laughed and knew they were probably bringing his killer mentality to the surface. In between ends, Jacob would come back to his friends who were standing behind his mom and wife and crack jokes like nothing unusual was happening. 

  Finally, in the 18th end, Jacob laughed and said, "I think there are going to be a lot of disappointed people if I miss one. He said he was feeling good and knowing he has always been a closer, I felt confident he was going to get to the finish line without any hiccups. 

  When he fired his last arrow of the round, the crowd cheered when the arrow struck the target, and he walked back to his circle of friends, and they all congratulated him. Then, saving the best for last, he was congratulated by his mom and his wife. His mom had been on edge since about the 10th end, and the stress was able to find a new home. The day was over... until the shoot-off for $20,000 later that evening. 

                                                              The $20,000 Shoot-off

  As expected, the three archers who shot 660s shot perfect rounds for the first two scoring ends. The final arrow would determine who would walk away with $20,000, as the closet arrow to center would declare a winner. Once again, all three archers shot their arrows into the X. Although Jacob's arrow was in the X, it wasn't close enough to the center to be the winner, so he ended up heading into the elimination matches in the number three seed. 

                                                                        Elimination Day

   Elimination Day is always a tough day, especially for the people who lose matches after shooting perfect scores and leaving it up to the result of one last arrow being closest to the center. Jacob has seen his tournament end in Lancaster in the past after shooting a 132 in a match, then hitting the X in the closest to center and still being sent home. This year, that was not the path he would travel. Instead, he continued his dominance in his first match and made quick work of his opponent. 

  His second match would not be as easy as the first one, as he finally dropped his first X of the tournament . However, his opponent dropped one on the next end and another in the last end. He would move on to his third match of the day, which would send him home or into the final eight. 

  His opponent would be Robert Householder, who has won a few events of his own along the way. When Householder dropped an X, it was up to the Closer to seal the deal and punch his ticket to the final. That's exactly what he did, shooting yet another perfect game. Looking at the scoreboard, the other two 660s were no longer standing, leaving Jacob in the pole position for the next day. He would only be shooting one more match to determine if he would go home the winner or the runner-up. 

                                                                  The Easton Kids Tournament

    After taking a short break, the guy with the 3D bow whom not many people picked to be at the top was walking around looking for kids from his friend circle. He didn't waste any time finding them and giving them the support they needed. In the process, he consoled Jeff Wagoner (Wags) for once again missing the cut by one point in the Masters Professional Division, and he found Rory LeFevre and Aiden Pfiitze to help them stay upbeat during their rounds... the things people don't know about or see Jacob doing. He's doing his part as a professional, and it rarely gets noticed because he has a way of blending into the crowd without bringing any attention to himself. He's not Superstar Pro Archer to his close friends, he's just Jacob Slusarz, a guy who loves to hunt and shoot his bow, and he's pretty damn funny too. That's also a side many others never get to see. 

Jacob gives Aiden some support

 

                                            Jacob gives Aiden and Wags a little pick-me-up

                                                                   The Grand Finale

  I sat quietly in the smaller of the two practice ranges near the volleyball courts as Jacob began practicing for his final match. Sitting in the chair watching one of the best in the world can be humbling and inspiring, but it can also make you question your own sanity. How can one person shoot nonstop and never miss? Is he really a machine and I'm in an alternate reality, or is it really possible for a guy to shoot a 35 inch axle to axle hunting bow with a 6 1/2 inch brace height at 73 lbs and never miss? I'm still not sure what to think, but to me he's just Jacob, and Jacob does his own thing and sings to his own tune. That's what makes him who he is. 

  After shooting a few arrows, he took a break and decided to head down to the area set up just outside of the stage where he would shoot his final match. As we marched down the hall, we chit-chatted a little and I got a good laugh when Jacob mentioned the next day, saying "I can be Superman today, but tomorrow I'll be on my hands in knees in a crawl space somewhere working." And that right there is the problem with professional archery. How can you be one of the best in the world, yet nobody except archers know. We both laughed and continued to the practice area. 

  Not having practiced shooting at 12s one time, he decided he better shoot at a few of them before his match because he thought he would probably have to shoot one to win. I'd say the practice went well. I'm not sure how many arrows he shot at the 12s in practice, but he only missed one, and I'd say that was probably because the white dot was gone due to other people hitting it previous to him shooting at it, so there wasn't much to aim at. 

  As the final eight started disappearing from the practice area to shoot against each other, we sat below bright lights, yet surrounded by darkness, while watching the match between Jacob Petite and Jimmy Lutz. When the match started, the man running the show in the practice range talked with Jacob and made reference to all of the cameras on him when he was about to shoot his 660 on Friday. Jacob told him it didn't bother him, but with as close as they were getting to him, he was hoping they wouldn't bump into him. Secretly, I wanted to tell the guy that if they were truly trying to distract him they would have had better luck by telling him hunting season was still open and he could skip the last few rounds to go shoot a big buck in the woods behind the venue. That's probably the only thing that would've worked. Jacob does not get distracted. He's The Closer, or as Rob LeLacheur calls him, The Gatekeeper. When it's time to finish the job, he finishes it and punches out.

  When the dust settled, Jacob learned he would be shooting against Jimmy Lutz in the final. He would be facing another guy who has had all sorts of success in different venues. It would be an all-out battle to see who could claim the title. 

  After walking to the stage and getting on the platform, he was ready, and it didn't take long for the match to start. His first arrow hit a tad left. Since he had favored the left side of the X throughout the weekend, I figured it probably didn't concern him. He made quick work of the next two arrows, stuffing them in the 11s. 

When he finally missed an X in the second end, it didn't seem to phase him. Knowing him as well as I know him, I also knew he had 100% confidence that wouldn't happen again. With two ends left, I got the arrows from the arrow runner and handed them to him, offering a quick comment or two but nothing of any relevance.

After they both skated through the third end with 33s, it would come down to the last three arrows to declare a winner. It's never fun when you're trailing because you have to rely on your opponent to make a mistake, but pressure also comes with it to finish the deal. 

Before Jacob began his last end, I gave him his arrows once again and told him to do what he does because I had a feeling something might happen. Then, I stepped away and saw that he had pushed the 12 button. He was going to put the pressure on with the first shot. It would either force Lutz into having to think about it for the next three arrows he had to shoot, or it would be game, set, match and Lutz was most likely going to be the winner. When I saw him push the button, I knew he was going to hit it. It reminded me of the day in the ASA shoot-off when he said, "I'm gonna end this right here and smoked a 14-ring." 

Seconds after pushing the button, his arrow was sitting nicely in the 12 ring, and he had momentarily taken the lead. Lutz responded with a pinwheel 11. Without any hesitation, Jacob drew his bow, made a perfect shot and stuffed the 11. Then, Lutz pushed the 12 button. Jacob looked down and listened. When the arrow struck the target, the room was silent. You could've heard a mosquito buzzing from 100 yards away; it was so quiet. Jacob slowly picked his head up and glanced at the screen. We looked at each other kind of dumbfounded, and Jacob said, "I just effen won." 

                                           The handshake after the win

With it still being quiet, it was odd. Finally, they announced he had won and stuck the microphone in his face. I stepped away and watched the quick interview. When he walked away after the interview, I gave him a hug and patted him on the back. An indoor win has been a long time coming, and in my opinion, he won the one that might me the hardest to win of all of them. I can't imagine what it was like in the 1700s when people were made to run through Indian gauntlets, but the Lancaster Archery Classic winner must run through a gauntlet of established worldwide champions to survive and end up on the top. The Closer did just that and closed the deal yet again. 

                                                        Some Final Passing Thoughts

  This was a unique tournament for me, especially since I wasn't shooting. It allowed me to relax more than normal, take in the surroundings, support all my friends, and see how it is from the other side of the line. I don't have any experience with that at all, so I learned a lot from it and will be writing about it in the near future. 

  I did get to watch Jacob's mom the entire weekend. Jacob's mom is like our entire group's mom. She watches out for all of us, and she always offers a kind word or some guidance when we need it. She also is able to make people laugh and makes the most out of some stressful situations. I've always had stomach issues due to stress, and I can't imagine how she does it without having ulcers. After the halfway point of the 660 round, she couldn't bear to watch and would peak to see if he got the X. It was fun to watch, but I could also feel for her because all parents want their children to be successful and happy. They live the highs and lows with their kids. Finally, when Jacob shot the last arrow, a ton of relief was let loose and I witnessed a moment that most people might miss. After walking through his friends and getting a bunch of fist bumps and handshakes, he walked to his mom, and she extended herself over the chair between them and hugged him. It was nice to watch, and I wished all the parents in the building could've seen it, and trust me there was one parent I had to deal with on Saturday afternoon at the Easton shoot that could've learned a lot from that moment. I'll touch on that in the next entry. 

Although that was an incredible moment to watch, the best thing I saw all weekend was after Jacob won the event, his mom was waiting for him in the walkway a little ways from where he fired his last arrow, and she embraced him. You could see the pride displayed, and I cherished the moment. It brought a quick tear to my eye that I made sure nobody noticed, and it also made me realize how quickly life really does pass. I can remember my mom hugging me like that on a few larger-than-life occasions when I was in my 20s, and now my mom is just shy of 80. It seems like yesterday when we were both young and the entire world was in front of us. I guess that's why you have to cherish every moment you can with your kids or your parents.

 Being in the box at this event was unlike anything I've experienced at ASA events with Jacob. In those shootdown rounds, we have time to crack jokes and pretend we are in the backyard. I've had my fair share of big moments in my archery career, and like anyone else, I get nervous. However, in all of the pressure situations I've ever been in for myself, I've never felt as many nerves as I did while standing behind Jacob. When I felt my knees shaking, I suddenly realized what his mom goes through at almost every event. I think it comes from having absolutely no control of the outcome and it's out of your hands. That's the only thing I can surmise. I was nervous for my buddy and wanted him to win no matter what, just like all of his other friends and fans throughout the archery world. 

There were a few moments from the weekend that made me smile, and I'll share one of them with you because it still makes me smile today. As we were watching Jacob Petite on the TV in the warm-up area, Jacob said, "He has an awesome shot. He just makes it look so easy, just like Dave Badgely always does." I sat there and smiled and agreed with him. Having spent a lot of time with Badgely on the range, I always thought his shot looked effortless and wished I could be like him. I also smiled because I'm sure the vast majority of people think his shot looks effortless too. I do know I enjoy watching him shoot a bow. 

On one last note, the highlight of the weekend was when our buddy Rob LeLacheur asked AI a question about Jacob the night before the final and this was the response. At least AI knew he was going to be the champion of the Lancaster Archery Classic, but I'm not sure many people knew Jacob was a professional strongman athlete.

  Congratulations, Jacob. I'm proud to call you a friend, and I appreciate your ability to stay grounded and remain humble. You will always just be Jacob to us, and we all value your witty humor, quick comebacks, and ability to tell everyone exactly what you feel without any filter. That's what makes you who you are and that's why we all support you and cheer for you. 

 

An Eye Opener for 2025

 

  Well, here we are in the beginning of 2025. The 2024 competitive archery season left me beside myself without a clue what was going on behind the bow. Although I thought I was making good decisions and getting through rounds making mostly good shots, the scores never seemed to match my shooting. I was drastically misjudging targets, and when I thought I made a good shot, I'd hit the target nowhere near the kill zone. Of course, I did make a few bad shots along the way, but those arrows landed where they should have landed. However, it's the ones throughout the year that I couldn't make sense of that were making me question my ability. When Jacob and I finished the season at the team shoot in late August, I learned that I still had the necessary skills to shoot good scores, as that day was almost flawless and we finished more than 80-up in 30 targets.

  As late October approached, I got ready for my annual diabetic eye exam, but I considered canceling it due to my insurance not covering it. Since diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, I knew I had to bite the bullet, pay the full price and have it done, knowing nothing had changed from the previous year.  

 Sitting in the chair listening to the doctor talk, it seemed surreal when he told me the things he had found behind the surface of my eyes. Instantly, my poor scores from the year began making more sense. A lot of things go through people's minds when they're being told news they don't want to hear, and I'm not an exception to that. His voice echoed off  the inside of my skull and hollowly faded into the nothingness in my brain. 

 

 When I asked him if I would be able to compete at the same level I was accustomed to competing, he looked at me and said, "I'm not saying it's impossible, but it will be incredibly difficult to do that due to the things that have happened to your eyes. You have more than one thing to battle, and that will create a variety of problems when it comes to shooting sports." He went to tell me that I would have more issues in different lighting conditions as compared to steady, constant conditions. 

So without going into any depth about the issues, I've lost half my vision in one eye. I've also lost all depth perception in one eye, and I have cataracts forming in both eyes, but they're not big enough to operate on yet. On top of that, I have retinal bleeding in one eye, and a pterygium in my other eye. 

After finding all of that out, it brought a sense of relief. I still have a hard time swallowing what happened last summer, and I will never quit trying no matter what has been said to me. I was once told I would never shoot a bow again after shoulder surgery, and I overcame that, so I'll give everything I have to try to regain some of my former skills behind the bow. 

                                                               Beginning of 2025 Season

  I shot in a warm-up tournament a week before Christmas using a bow I set up two nights before it and without any practice. Although I didn't think I'd make it to the end, I was able to shoot all 60 arrows. It wasn't a stellar round, as I shot seven or eight nines. Unfortunately, it was the same type of round I've become accustomed to the last few years after falling from a much better place. 

A few weeks later, I took part in the annual New Year's Day shoot at Hudson Falls Fish and Game. This is always a challenge for me and Chuck Weeden. It's difficult to try to run a shoot and also compete. However, we both do our best to get through the day. I decided to shoot on the early line to be available to help after the second line finished. 

At the end of my round, I was pleased to see that I had shot a 448 out of 450, and it seemed relatively effortless. I barely missed two 10s in the same place, low left at 7 o'clock. I did this with a bow that I had only shot for a total of three days, and the draw length was too long and it was set up at 85% let-off. I considered that a success. The elimination round was a train wreck, but it was due to organizing brackets, screwing up placement of people and tapping out to give someone else a spot I had missed along the way. Then, we reorganized everything, and I decided to shoot after already hanging all my stuff up for the day. I can dismiss the results because when I tapped out, I should've just stayed there. I totally lost the tiny bit of focus I had going into it. 

            

                                                                    This Past Weekend 

Although I'm not going to shoot at Lancaster, I decided to attend the Past Presidents Tournament at Ti Yogi Bowmen in Hyde Park, NY. I believe the first time I ever shot there was probably almost 30 years ago. I've gone there a few times over the years, and I've always enjoyed shooting in the club. It gives me a bit of a nostalgic feeling when I return there every few years. I've shot a few good rounds there, and I've shot a few clunkers too. 

  I went down there to experiment with a few things and see what I could learn. Recently, I put a huge dot on my lens, and it covers the entire yellow. Well, I probably shot one of my better rounds as far as execution goes, but the score was far worse than the execution. I believe I was probably hitting behind the dot, but the dot was so big I couldn't tell where it was located during my aim. All of the arrows basically hit in the same place... 6 o'clock in the 10-ring. Nearing the end of the round, I got ticked off because I wasn't making bad enough shots to have them hit where they were landing, so I told myself to pay attention to the dot. In the last three ends, I shot 8 out of 9 Xs and ended my day with that. Here's a look at the target. This is why I never pay attention to scores. Someone could shoot a horrible score at Lancaster, yet keep everything in the 10-ring. Did they shoot horribly? Or on a day like yesterday, I shot a crappy score but I feel the pattern and the shooting were good enough to score really well. It's a frustrating game, but I do it because I love shooting my bow. With all of that said, I shot a 443 with a low 20 X count. In the 51 arrows I shot at this target, I shot nine 9s. See if you can find them. Can I really be mad at myself about it? 

                                                                      Where to Now?

  I'm not sure where I'm headed as far as archery goes. Currently, I'm 100% focused on finding a job. I'm looking for something in the communications field since that is where most of my professional skills lie. I'd love to find something in the outdoors or archery industry, but I'm more than content to try my hand at anything. If anyone has any ideas or knows anyone in need of a person with great communications skills and background, please feel free to reach out. I'm also willing to change career paths if possible. I'd appreciate any leads I might receive.

Over the last year, I've listened to a lot of people who support me. Our friends always try to pick us up when we are down, and sometimes they say just the right things. Other times, they give great advice, but it's hard to explain things from your own perspective. All I can tell everyone who has given me a pep talk or two... or 10 in the last year, is that I appreciate all of you, and I'm thankful for your concern, guidance and support. However, if the time has finally come where I must walk away from competing at the highest level and going to a lot of national events -- and even the regional ones -- I'm 100% satisfied with my archery career. I always showed up and gave it my best effort, even when I had nothing to give. No matter how bad it got, I never stopped fighting until I shot the last arrow of the tournament. It never mattered whether I was first or last, I always tried treating people in the same manner when I saw them. I tried being humble after some great accomplishments, and I tried being polite and positive after crushing, demoralizing, and embarrassing performances. I'm not sure if I succeeded in any of that, but I tried my best. I was taught those lessons at 6 years old by my father, and I hope I displayed what I gained from them from that time until the present. As I've gotten older, I've taken a step back and realized I should've slowed down a little and enjoyed the big moments a little more when they were all happening. When the successful moments become more fleeting, it can bring a mixture of emotions to the forefront. 

As of right now, I'm going to try to go to Foley for the first ASA, and that will probably be the only national event I will be able to attend this year. I'm saying this because I'm planning on landing a new job in the coming days, weeks or months, and I wouldn't imagine too many employers would allow me to travel around the country to shoot my bow. 

 If I get to go to a big one or two, I'll give it my best, even with all of the health issues that make it much more difficult to shoot a bow than it should be. Good luck to all of my friends who are going to Lancaster. I hope everyone has a productive winter tournament season and brings it with them to the 3D ranges this spring and summer.