A Look Back at My 2021 Season

 

   I heard the whispers loud and clear. I heard the people who wanted to see me do well, and I also heard those of you who wished I would fall on my face. I can't begin to explain how much both camps helped me. I used the support of those who rallied behind me, and I used the doubters as motivation. Now, here is the story of my 2021 archery season. 

                            Making the Decision

  I sat at my desk one morning punching keys while working and looked at the top of my desk. I saw a variety of archery and writing awards on the top of the desk, and I also saw the three books I have written. 

  That's when I realized how lucky I am to have the ability to write a book. Furthermore, I know that very few people write books... and I had written three of them at the time. 

  Looking to the left of the books, I saw a few IBO World Championship belt buckles, National Triple Crown buckles, and state and regional buckles mixed in with a few ASA Pro-Am awards.

  That's when I picked up the phone and called my buddy Jeff Wagoner. The phone rang twice before he picked up. "I'm all in, buddy. I'm going to try my hand at Senior Pro this year," I exclaimed into the phone. 

  He quickly responded, "I didn't know if you would do it, but I want to try it too. Let's do it."

  With that five-minute conversation, I was all in. There was no turning around. I told my mother and father and a few close friends. I figured I would let the others find out as the word leaked out... and it didn't take long. 

                                Game On

  After the conversation, I knew I had to put everything I had into improving my shot, so I decided to sidestep shooting in any indoor winter leagues and focus all of my energy on that task. However, I set a goal to win the NFAA Indoor National, the NFAA Mid-Atlantic Sectional and the NFAA Indoor State Championship. I figured if I could pull that feat off, I would know I could overcome some steep obstacles and deal with some pressure along the way, as there is no pressure like the pressure of shooting in indoor tournaments. 

 At the end of the spring, I had accomplished those three goals that I set as a group goal, and I knew my mental game was on par with my shooting. 

                          Heading into 3D Season

  When I headed outside from indoor shooting, I went to Connecticut to spend the day with my buddy Sean Roberts. He volunteered to help me with my bows to figure out what bow I was going to shoot outdoors. After a lot of thinking, I decided I should shoot the same bow I have shot indoors for the last three years, so I decided to use the PSE Supra Focus. While I had never shot it outdoors, I figured the bow had always given me a chance to win indoors, and I had shot many good scores with it, never shooting a clunker. I would use my Evoke 35 as a backup bow. I had shot that bow in about five national events, never finishing below seventh place with it. The first round I ever shot with the Supra Focus a few days after getting it was a 450 and I used SuperDrive 23s. Since that would be my setup for outdoors, I felt really confident. The first few rounds were spot on.

 

               The First 3D Tournament of the Year

  After getting my ass handed to me at the first shoot of the year, an ASA regional tournament, I knew I needed to make some changes. 

  I made the changes and headed into the first leg of the IBO Northeast Triple Crown in Massachusetts. This shoot has gained the notoriety of being one of the toughest in our region, and it lived up to the hype. 

  I absolutely destroyed the course and knew I was ready. I would go on to have a few more performances like that one before packing my bags and heading to West Virginia for my debut in the Senior Pro class. I knew I was ready, and I knew I could win. I called Mike Price before leaving, and we talked about a problem I was having in my shot. We talked in simple terms and Mike told me to listen to what I had shot told him. Stepping back and looking at it, I knew exactly what he was getting at. He helped me to incorporate a new step into my shot process, and that step would pay huge dividends the rest of the year. I already had the answer I was looking for, but Mike confirmed it for me and told me to work on the relaxation of my release hand as a step in my shot. 

         First Leg of the IBO National Triple Crown

  After getting to West Virginia, my 20 practice targets were just like my shooting at home. I shot well and felt ready for the next day. 

  When I got to my first target, I learned I would be shooting with Richard Owens and Glenn Meadows. They had split people up in alphabetical order. Although I expected to be in a group of four, I didn't mind shooting in a group of three. 

  I smoked my first target, a 47-yard antelope, and was on my way. 

  At the end of the day, I found myself sitting in fifth place, and I heard all of the whispers. I heard people predicting my crash and burn the next day because they didn't know me. However, I knew I would put on a better show the next day. I trust my abilities when it's time to perform. 

 As I got to my stake the second day, I was greeted by some of the best professional archers to have ever walked on this planet: Allen Conner, Rodger Willett and Tim Gillingham. 

  I knew I was going to have to stick to my game plan and shoot good shots. As I treaded water through the first 10 targets, I remained afloat. Going into the last 10 of the tournament, I knew it was time to bear down.

 I allowed my concentration to go to another level, which brought me into the zone, and I finished the day with seven 11s on my last nine targets. I would go into the shoot-off sitting in third place, and that's how I would finish. I felt good about my performance, but I also knew that I had shot far too many 8s. Although I led the Senior Pro division with the most 11s for the 40 targets, I was disappointed that I let a victory slip away by taking all the 8s due to poorly executed shots. I had phenomenal numbers for the tournament and that is what allowed me to finish where I finished. 

                  Second Leg and Kentucky ASA

  Unfortunately, I came down with a severe head/chest cold after the first leg, and it took its toll for the next month. It zapped me of my energy and really reared its ugly head in Kentucky at the ASA. I coughed and battled a severe headache and runny nose the entire weekend. I had no strength, which made it almost impossible to shoot good shots. Being so weak led to me shooting four fives. All of the fives were due to weak shots. My body just didn't have the gas in the tank to get to the finish line. I still finished in the top half of the class, even though I don't think I could've performed any worse. 

  I headed to Franklin, Pa., for the 2nd Leg of the IBO Triple Crown the next weekend, and the cold was still lingering. I couldn't throw the weakness I was feeling throughout my body, and my ribs were sore from all of the coughing. I battled my way through the first round and found myself sitting in fifth place again at the end of the first day. While my performance wasn't that good, I was still able to put up a halfway decent score for the conditions of the course and my health issues. 

  The next day didn't get off to a good start, but I never gave in. I tried my hardest to cross the finish line in front of the peloton, but I didn't succeed. I shot three 8s in my last 10 targets and missed the shoot-off by four points, finishing in ninth place. 

  Evaluating my performance on the way home, I realized that the bow wasn't performing as I wanted it to. That's when I realized I had a few issues that needed to be fixed. I also needed to change the strings and cables, and I hate changing stuff. I'm always of the mind, "if it's not broke, don't fix it." Unfortunately, the cables had run their course. 

           Third Leg of the IBO National Triple Crown

 I struggled like crazy preparing for the last leg. I just couldn't get a bow to shoot like I wanted it to. Finally, I decided on using my backup bow, the Evoke 35. I had had a lot of success with it in the past, but it gave me a different feel after shooting the deflexed riser on the Supra Focus for so long. So it took me a little bit to get used to the bow. 

  I knew I would be in the second peer group for the National Triple Crown. I was going into it in fifth place. I knew I could get onto the podium with a good performance, so I approached it like any other tournament. I figured slow and steady wins the race. 

  Once again, after the first day, I found myself sitting in the top 5 at fourth place. 

  The next day, I kept my focus on my shot and continued making good shots until the end. When all was said and done, I learned that I was going into the shoot-off in fourth place, just a few points out of second. I ended up finishing on the podium in third place and fourth overall for the National Triple Crown, just two points out of third. 

             

The IBO World Championship

  Although I tried getting the Supra Focus back to where I wanted it, I just couldn't get it to feel like I had it in West Virginia, so I rolled into the World Championship with the Evoke 35 again. 

  My first day went well. I battled some demons along the way, but I ended in the top five once again. I knew I would have to shoot better the second day. I just didn't feel great about my performance. 

   I kept steady the second day, but I paid the price with a couple of sub-par shots and one misjudged yardage. I barely missed a handful of 11s at less than 1/2 inch, too. However, when Bowjunkie Media announced I had made the cut, I was feeling pretty good. Unfortunately, the high turned into a low, when I learned that two shooters came in well after most others, and I got bumped by one point, and there were no ties to get me in. I finished in sixth place. 

                          My Thoughts on the Year

  I'm glad I took the chance to enter the Senior Pro class this year, as my thoughts about how I would do became realties. I enjoyed shooting with many of the guys I had shot with in MBO and SPM back in the day, and I also enjoyed making friends with many new people. It was a great experience. 

  Amazingly, the competition level reminded me of the local shoots I used to go to in the mid to late '90s when there were about 10-15 guys who could win. You knew if you could hang with those guys, you had a chance to win. Winning those local shoots back in the day helped me with my venture this year. I felt like I was shooting against Tracy Stevenson, Jeff Jenkins, Jake Putnam, Dave Montero, Brett DuFour, Travis Boyd, Chris Fletcher, Jeff Alderman, Al Arpin, and the many others who always made things interesting every Sunday. All of those people made me better. 

  I never doubted that I would be successful. If I had any doubts, I wouldn't have jumped into the class. However, many others had their doubts. Some people kept their thoughts to themselves, while others voiced their opinions to a select few. I thank all of you -- the doubters and the supporters -- because I used all of you for motivation. 

  When I evaluate my year, I have to say that I'm pretty pleased. In the IBO events, I never finished out of the top nine, and I was in the top three twice and finished sixth at the world. If I could do that again next year, I'd be ecstatic. 

  I'm going to work hard on my shot in the off-season to get my shot timing a little more consistent. I'm not sure if I will increase holding weight or just take a different approach with my shot. I'll feel it out as I go. I'm going to keep preparing so I can be ready when opportunity knocks.

  I've considered going to the first few ASAs next year to see how it goes. If it goes well, I may shoot a few more of them. ASA is a tough game to play if I'm not playing it regularly, but I know I always held me own at those tournaments back in the day. 

 I also just want to thank everyone who joined me on my journey this year. I appreciate all of my friends, new and old alike. I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

"When you are driven by passion and powered by purpose greater than yourself, this will help you overcome any obstacle and any challenge, and help you achieve the seemingly impossible." -- Chris Bertish

 

Annual Royalston Team Money Shoot

   The last few weeks since getting back from the IBO World Championship have been unlike most of the time I've spent behind the bow for the last four months. Although I shot a few rounds in preparation for the Maine Senior Games, I really didn't put much into it. Since I decided to shoot the same bow at the team shoot this weekend as I shot at the Maine Senior Games, I didn't know what to expect. The bow shot great at the team shoot last year, which was the last time I had shot it. I expected it would be the same this year. With all of the rain we've had recently, I wasn't able to get much practice in on marked yardage. I was fairly certain my marks were good, so I headed to the shoot on Saturday morning and felt confident about it. 

  When we got to the stop sign next to the club, we saw George Connors and Todd Sargent cruise by us and pull into the driveway in front of us. It's always nice to see people who share the same passion heading to the same place. It made me smile to see them drive by us, as they also had about a three hour trip to get there. 

  Friday night didn't leave me much time to sleep. I went to my camp after work on Friday and marched all through the woods to do some scouting, By the time I got home, got packed, took a shower and settled down, it was midnight. Dad and I left for the shoot at about 4:30 a.m. and I had a restless night of sleep and probably only got two hours of actual sleep. 

                           The Practice Butt

  As usual, most people were warming up when we pulled into the annual shoot. It's always great to end our year at this shoot that Shawn Couture puts on. It's a great way to say goodbye to that year's 3D season and head into hunting season. The shoot is always relaxing and fun. 

  I decided to shoot a few arrows at the 40 yard bale and was satisfied to see all of my arrows land in one of the tiny dots. Luckily, the arrows were stacked in the one I was aiming at. As we waited for the woods to get a little lighter, we shot some more arrows. Jacob was stacking arrows at 60 yards like most people stack them during 10-yard practice drills. I continued shooting groups at 30 and 40 and felt good about my shot. 

                          The First Half

  As we marched across the field toward Target 16, we could see that there were some groups backed up at the beginning. The humidity was oppressive and our clothes were instantly drenched. I never sweat much, but I could feel sweat running down my spine and legs. It was an uncomfortable feeling. 

  Jacob and I have never started well at this shoot and wanted to see what we could do to put that behind us. When we got out of the gate with a solid 14 on a mid-range antelope, we felt good about our chances. 

  The walk to the second target was long, and the humidity beat on me. It felt like someone was holding a blanket over my head in a sauna. I could feel the sweat pouring off my back and soaking my shirt and pants. My shirt began clinging to my skin as if I had just been caught in a heavy downpour. 

  Looking at my insulin pump, I saw that my blood glucose level was causing some of the issues. It was already at 50 and heading down, which blurs my vision, gives me the shakes and causes dizziness. I began dumping Gatorade down my throat to offset the low blood sugar. I knew it would take at least 15 minutes to have an effect, and I didn't want my blood to rebound and go through the roof. It's a fine line I have to walk during many tournaments: one that nobody can truly understand unless he or she is a Type 1 diabetic. 

  After waiting a few minutes, it was finally my turn to shoot at a little Rinhart bear on a stump. It was about 35 yards away from the stake. When I drew the bow, I couldn't hold steady or see any clear definition on the target to know I was aiming in the right spot.  I used a 3X scope all year with a big peep, but I had a small peep and a 5X scope for this tournament so I could see the 70 yard targets more clearly. The black bear in the dark hole, combined with my low blood sugar, made it almost impossible to see. When my shot broke, I had no idea what to expect. Jacob told me it was in the 10-ring at 6 o'clock........ wshewww, escaped that one. Jacob followed me and had the same issues seeing it. He couldn't see the pink dot that well because of the lighting and ended up hitting just to the right of the 14. Although it was a close target, we felt fortunate to walk away from it without dropping any points. Sometimes in these shoots, the targets that seem like they should be the easiest end up being the hardest. 

  The next target, an old delta pig with a 10-ring about the size of a tuna can, presented some anxiety. It was a bomb and there was no doubt that some teams would definitely be losing points on this one. I can't remember the exact distance, but I know it was in that 60-yard range. 

  As the sweat continued pouring down my back, I could feel my heart beating in my temples. It was an uncomfortable feeling... the pitfalls of dealing with a lifelong illness while doing one of the things I love the most: shooting my bow. 

  When I drew the bow, the pin settled nicely and I felt good about the sight picture. When the shot finally broke, I knew I had it. The pin was rock solid and the shot was flawless -- 11. When we walked away from that target with a +1 for it, we felt good about it and talked about it. 

 That target started a roll for us and we both clicked on all cylinders. I felt like we were unstoppable. In all of the years we have shot, we never really clicked simultaneously. We've always had ebbs and flows and we have gone back and forth.

  The next target was a long, uphill spike buck in that 50-yard range if I remember correctly. I always forget marked yardage numbers because I never have to work to get the number, so I just kind of forget them. I just shoot my bow after I click the rangefinder. It was a tough shot, being that it was uphill and long. Once again, my pin sat like a rock until the release broke free from the loop. I knew I had it... 11. Jacob missed the 14 just a hair to the right. He was getting dialed, and I knew it was just a matter of time before he started pounding them. His bow was so steady during his aiming process that it looked like it was hanging on a bow rack.

  As we approached the next target, a mountain lion, set straight uphill in that 60-yard range, I felt good about my chances. I had shot my mountain lion earlier in the week at about 64 yards and centered it after misdialing my sight  by 10 yards and sending an arrow into the dirt on my first attempt. 

  When I came to full draw, I felt really good about my aim. The pin locked onto a small piece of foam on the right side of the 11 and the shot fired... 11. A few seconds later, Jacob followed me up with an inside out 14, and we were finally on a roll. 

  I believe the next target was a large McKenzie, and Jacob and I joked about the one he hit in the plastic leg at the ASA Pro-Am in Kentucky this year on the first day. It was about in the same range, mid to high 40s and uphill. Fortunately, this one didn't have the plastic legs. 

  When my pin hit the center on this one, it wanted to sit in the 11-ring, and sit it did. When the shot broke, it felt like someone had taken a pair of scissors and cut the string while I was at full draw. The arrow instantly appeared inside out in the 11-ring. Once again, Jacob followed with an inside out 14. 

  Moving to the mini backyard coyote, we both laughed. It looked about the size of a chipmunk. I had a great aiming spot, and the arrow hit directly behind the pin... 11. When my arrow hit it, the insert pushed through the back, so I had to pull the arrow out so Jacob could see the 14-ring. The force of my arrow hitting the target had made the 14 disappear into the core like a whackamole getting pounded by the plastic hammer at the carnival. Well, Jacob whack-a-moled that 14, too. Inside, I knew we had never had a showing like this, and I also knew we had been on point this year. We were finally going to both perform at the top of our ability spectrum... both of us... and it felt incredible. 

  I'm not sure, but I think the next target was a razorback boar, one of my favorite targets, and I knew I would get it.  After 11ing it, Jacob followed with another 14. Neither one of us could miss. Unfortunately, my blood was still sitting at 50 and not climbing. With the heat and humidity, I just couldn't get it to come up. I knew I would be encountering problems if I couldn't fix it. That's when I ate a blueberry Nutrigrain bar and prayed it wouldn't make my blood go through the roof in the next hour. 

  That's when we got to the dreaded power line shot. You never know what's coming when you get there every year, but you know it's not going to be good. That's when we saw a rising boar in front of a huge boulder, and it was at about 65-67 yards if I remember correctly. 

  I had a terrible time trying to find a spot to aim. I just couldn't see it well, and being unfamiliar with the target, I felt uncomfortable. When my shot finally broke, I felt good about it. It was a good shot. When the arrow struck, we didn't know if it caught the 10 at 6 o'clock. It was either touching the line or breathing on it. It was so close we just couldn't be sure, so Jacob decided to try to shoot a safe 10, especially at that distance. The 14 was pretty hard to see. He picked me up and smoked the 11. 

  Going to the next target, my shakes were back and my head was pretty fuzzy. I was having a really hard time seeing, but I plowed through it. I didn't want to pound more Gatorade because I had just eaten the blueberry bar. When I aimed at the Delta brown bear, I felt good about it and the shot felt good. Unfortunately, it hit low and out of the 10-ring. I couldn't figure out how it could've hit there, but I also knew I didn't feel well, no matter how well I was trying to hide it. My strength was fading quickly. Jacob picked me up with a 10. I couldn't wait to get off the course so we could take a little break. 

  I stayed in the 10 ring the rest of the way, but most of my arrows were hitting at 6 o'clock in the 10-ring. I continued shooting a perfect line, but the low arrows were beginning to worry me. 

  I added a few yards to the elk and felt confident I smoked it when the shot broke. The arrow also struck low in the 10-ring, and it was a perfect shot. Jacob went on a tear during my low 10 streak. Luckily, we didn't need any 11s with him pounding every 14. Here's the 14 on the elk he shot at 70 yards. Amazingly, when he shot the arrow, he asked if he got the top of it. When we told him he had gotten the top of it, he told us that's where the pin was when the shot fired.........yes, at 70 yards and sure enough, the arrow was sitting right at the top of a quarter-sized dot. It was one of those WTF.... for real type of moments. When you're shooting with a world-class shooter who is on his game, there is nothing that can compare. It should be every archers' dream to witness what George, Wade and I witnessed on Saturday. It was nothing short of phenomenal.  Over my time behind a bow, I've shot with some of the greatest the game has ever known, and I have never seen another person shoot a bow like Jacob shot his bow on this day.

  After the elk, I missed the mule deer by setting my sight incorrectly. It was one of my best shots of the day, and I knew it was going in the 11 if my low streak didn't continue. Highly disappointed, because Jacob could't miss a 14, we had to settle for a 10 on the target because of a huge mental error I made. My mental capacity was as weak as my body. I just didn't win the battle I was fighting. We walked off the first half at +39. We had both finally put a round together that equaled our abilities, and it felt awesome. We both knew we were within reach of our +80 goal. 

  

  I went to the practice bags to figure out my sudden low issues. I was hitting low, so Jacob and I moved my pointer about two yards. It made me uncomfortable, but I knew something had to be done. I was shooting too well to suddenly be hitting low. However, I still couldn't get my blood to come up. Heading onto the second half, my blood was still in the high 40s... keep in mind that you can go into a coma at 30. I've had diabetes so long, I really don't recognize the symptoms anymore. 

   

                                 Second Half

    After walking across the field to the first target, I wasn't too happy when I saw a Catalina goat in the woods. I knew I wouldn't be able to see it with the sighting combination I had on my bow. George led it off and smoked an 11. When I drew my bow, my prediction came true. I couldn't see any part of the target. I tried everything I could but nothing worked. Finally, I took my scope out and tried shooting with just a pin. That didn't work either. I still couldn't see it and shot an 8. Jacob picked me up and shot a 10. 

  

  Moving to the next target, a large deer, I felt confident and shot an 11 on the long, uphill shot. Jacob followed with an inside out 11. 

  

 I really struggled through the rest of the targets on the left side of the road. Most of the shots were uphill, and my blood problems had finally settled in and taken effect. I became weak and my mind was somewhat hazy. I became irritable and moody. I felt like I had been transported back in time to my early 20s when my blood sugar levels had the same effects before I eventually became numb to them. I'm not sure why those mood swings came out again, but they did. I'm not proud of it, but they come from a disease I had no choice over acquiring. The irritability lasted until we got to the turn and started heading back down the other side of the road. I got a second wind and started putting the arrows where they needed to be again. I apologize to anyone whom I may have been rude to during that stretch. It's something that cannot be controlled while dealing with low blood, so please don't take it personally. I also thought I was having a hard time shooting my bow on the uphill shots but realized it was just due to what I was facing. I had pounded all of the long uphill shots on the first half, so it definitely wasn't a draw length issue like I thought it might have been while shooting the second half. 

  When we got to the field and the last three targets, I felt good when I looked at the standing bear, leopard and wolf. I figured we would finish it off in style. 

  Although my rangefinder read about 3 yards more than everyone else's on the standing bear, I still trusted mine, even though it didn't agree with the card on the stake. I set the sight, drew the bow, settled in, and made an absolute perfect shot. I expected Jacob to tell me I had smoked the 11-ring. When he gave me that one-off look, I was somewhat stunned. Then, looking at the arrow dead high above the 10 ring, I knew the rangefinder hadn't done its job. I've never had an issue with it, but I had multiple strange numbers with it during the shoot. I'm not sure if the humidity led to it or if the unit has finally run its course. After all, it is just shy of 30 years old. Maybe it's finally time to upgrade. The way Jacob was shooting, I knew he would've gotten the bear. The pink dot looked huge on that particular target, and it presented a great aiming spot. I felt like I let him down way too often at this shoot, but that would be the last time I felt that way for the day. I wish I could've continued through the entire shoot like I had been shooting through the first 10 targets.

  After we 14d the leopard, we got to the final target and wanted to end it in style. When I drew on the wolf, my pin settled nicely, and I executed the best shot I made all day. The arrow landed inside out on the 11, and I felt really good about the end, especially considering the internal battle I had to face for 3/4 of the day. Jacob followed my lead and drilled the 14.........allowing us to finish at 77 up.....a 377. What a day!! We broke our all-time high of 72 up. 

                      My Short Take on the Day

  I could never truly tell anyone what it was like to witness what I witnessed on Saturday. Luckily, I'm able to shoot with a world-class archer almost every weekend or during the week. It gives me motivation to get better, even at my young age of 52. I love watching Jacob shoot, and I admire his drive and determination. Success is hard-earned, even though you think he doesn't practice like you. He practices harder than you will ever know. He earns everything he achieves. Work harder. No one will ever outwork him, so you need to just work the hardest you can. Use him as an example.

  What Jacob did throughout the day made it seem like I was watching a fantasy cartoon. It seemed as if he was a new cartoon character who could do nothing wrong. He made two shots he didn't like and both of those shots still led to an arrow in the 14 ring. He was like the Roadrunner and the rest of the field became the Wiley coyote. It was inspiring, stunning and flat-out amazing to watch. Wade, George and I rooted him on every time he pulled his bow back. We encouraged him to keep pounding, and he obliged, even when George was telling the story of when he was 5 '6' and layed a guy out who was 6 '3'. Imagine that, George Connors was 5 '6' when he graduated from high school. Jacob had to let down during that story. It's the little things that make a great day and that target was a memory maker because of George's story and Jacob letting down to say he wanted to hear how the story ended. 

  I received a lot of congratulatory messages, and I'm always thankful for them. I"m also not sure what people think about us as teammates. I know in the past I heard a lot of stuff about the two of us being partners and a lot of people trashed me. I laughed because I enjoy being the underdog. I just hope after watching what transpired this year on the national level, that many of these people are now able to see that I can perform at an elite level against the best the sport has to offer and hold my own. Putting me in that arena and watching Jacob do what he always does should make it easy to understand why we work well as a team. We support each other and back each other up when we need to. Last year, Jacob had some bow issues, so I did my best to make up for the difficulties we encountered. I shot 20 11s last year out of the 30 targets. This year, we encountered health issues with me, and Jacob had my back. It seems that over the years, both of us are able to hold the fort down while the other gets back on track. Jacob always offers his support and assures me that we will be okay; we just need to stay the course. I've shot with all sorts of people in team events over the years, and I've never had a partner who I feel as mentally in tune with as Jacob. He and I have a very similar mental approach, and I firmly believe that's what allows us to put up some huge numbers at times. Being mentally strong is almost more important than being a good shooter. An average shooter who is mentally stronger will succeed more than a great shooter who is mentally weak. We both work at this part of our game a lot. 

  I'll be giving my annual wrap-up sometime in the next few weeks. I hope you enjoyed this recap of the team money shoot. Feel free to sound off on your thoughts about your own day. 

  

  

IBO World Championship

 

                                                                              Practice Day

  When I headed onto the practice range, I realized it was going to be one of those days in which the pin wasn't going to sit down. Instead, I would have to rely on my shot execution to get through the round. Right from the get-go, I had all I could do to settle the pin down. Although the pin never cooperated, I still got off the course at +3 and felt good about it, knowing I would run into the same situation over the course of the next two days. There are always times when your aim won't look like it normally does. Those are the times you much rely on your shot and just trust it to put the arrow in the middle. 

  Going into the second set of 10 targets, I continued focusing on my shot. By the time I got near the end of the range, I realized I hadn't shot one arrow outside of the 10-ring. When I looked at a 38-yard lynx, I felt confident I would stroke that target, as my aim had finally improved a little bit from earlier in the day. I held good and made a great shot. Unfortunately, the shot landed a little bit under the 10-ring. When Jacob looked at my sight, he informed me that I didn't shoot it for 38. Instead, my sight was set on 36 yards. It was the second or third time Jacob had caught me doing the same thing in the last few weeks, every time causing me to shoot 8s that were over or under the 10-ring. I think I finally need to cave in and bring reading glasses with me to set my sight. After packing my bow back into the case, I knew I was ready for the first day of the IBO World Championship. I couldn't wait to get it started at 11:30 the next morning. 

Triple Crown Awards Ceremony

  After my practice session, we headed to the awards ceremony. Although it was highly disappointing to know I had missed an opportunity to secure a podium spot for the overall Triple Crown, I was happy to be part of a team that won the National Triple Crown. The two points that kept me from a podium spot in the individual category will give me motivation to make better shots next year, as I lost the majority of my points due to poorly executed shots at inopportune times throughout the Triple Crown. It's always difficult to accept a loss when you are directly responsible for beating yourself. I need to improve that part of my game, and the fourth place finish overall is proof of that. 

  Back in the spring, John Vozzy contacted me and asked if I was interested in being on his team. I gladly accepted and said I would do what I could to participate. Before long, I learned that he was going to sponsor a team called VozzyGen and my teammates would be John Vozzy, Glenn Meadows and Tim Gillingham. 

  We all fought hard throughout the Triple Crown and battled our ups and downs as we all experienced them. In the end, we had a stellar third leg in Nelsonville, Ohio, and secured the win. We won the shoot and found ourselves as National Triple Crown team champions. I'd like to think John for asking me to be on his team, and I'm thankful I had really good teammates in John, Glenn and Tim. Thanks guys and congratulations on our finish. I'm glad I could be a part of a team you guys had belonged to for the last few years. Glenn wasn't at the ceremony, so we only got pictures with me, Tim and John. 

Day 1

  I felt good when I fired my last few shots at the target butt and headed toward the sign-in tent to begin my day. Upon arriving, I expected to be able to unwind and relax for about 30 minutes before being sent onto the range. Unfortunately, the men at the tent said we could head to the range if we were all present. That's when I got up and headed toward the first target with the guys. Allen Connor, Art Brown and Jeff Hopkins would be my shooting partners for the day. I knew I would have a good time because I had shot with Art and Allen earlier in the year a few times, and they are good guys to be around. They are positive throughout the round and encourage one another. That always makes it easier to shoot. I hadn't shot with Jeff before this shoot, but walking to the target, I felt like he and I would get along. 

  After drawing cards, I learned that I would be the third shooter on the first target. It was a coyote that wasn't too far away, and I felt good about starting on it. When I drew my bow, the blue fiber disappeared. Then, I couldn't even see the fiber or the shank of the pin. I had to let down and start over. Before drawing again, I tried to figure out a plan of attack. When I hit full draw the second time, I couldn't see anything except an empty housing. It looked like there was nothing in the housing except a coyote. I decided to pull and see where it landed. When the arrow struck the target, it was low and left. It landed between the 10 and 8. 

  Extremely disappointed, I marched toward the second target. When I got to the crest of the hill, I could see a grazing doe that was at the bottom of a steep bank. It was intimidating to look at, and I knew I was going to have to make a good guess at the yardage and top it off with a better shot. Already down two points, I knew I could't afford to dig a four-point hole in two shots. 

  Following Jeff, I got to listen to his arrow in flight. That helped me to justify the number I had decided on. When I hit full draw, the pin went to the middle, drifted a hair right, and the shot fired. The arrow appeared just below the 11 and tad right. I was relieved, but looking out into the field, I could see that I was going to be leading off a nasty uphill wolf at the next target. 

  With Art and Allen still left to shoot, I sat in my stool and mentally prepared for the wolf I would be shooting in a few minutes.  I visualized myself coming to anchor and getting a solid aim before pulling. I could see myself relaxing as the shot fired, and I saw it appear in the middle. 

  A few minutes later, I was on the stake, and I got ready to draw as a little wind gust cut through the grass. My mind centered on what I had just seen a few minutes earlier, and within seconds, my arrow appeared directly next to the 11. We actually thought it was an 11 until we got to the target and learned it was just a 10. It would be the second of my many near misses on the 11s for the weekend. 

  As we moved toward Target 4, I saw a big 10 looking at me from he woods. I knew it was going to be hard to see, but I would be last, so there would be arrows to guide me. When I drew the bow, my pin settled nicely, and I broke my third perfect shot in a row. I was finally finding a groove and beginning to relax. My aim was improving on every shot, too. My nerves began finding a home in other competitors, as I let the devil jump onto theme as we passed a few different groups. He tried his hardest to get me to join him on the first few targets, but I let him ride until putting him to bed at the Big 10.

  I found a few more 11s on the next few targets. Then, I came upon a lynx. It was in the 35-36-yard range and wasn't intimidating to look at, but I also know any lynx target is hard to 10. When my arrow struck the 11, I knew I was on a roll... four in a row, and my shots were breaking smoothly. 

  As we meandered through the rest of the first 10, I stayed steady and had three more near misses on the 11. Coming off the first 10 at 103, I couldn't believe how easily it could've been 107. The near misses combined with the 8 I shot on the coyote because I couldn't see the pin could have easily catapulted me to the top. I know everyone needs some breaks here and there to win, and the breaks weren't falling in my direction. I just continued battling. 

  Target 11 was a long, uphill brown bear. I'm still not sure why it made me nervous. I knew the number looking at it, as I had shot my brown bear at the house all week in about the same range. The devil quickly jumped out of the bushes and planted himself in the outside of my ear. He kept whispering for me to go with him, and I teetered on the fence. Finally, my shot broke while the pin was dancing. My arrow found it's way into the bottom of the 10-ring. 

   I sat down on my stool and knew I had to do something to center myself. I began meditating and tried to get my heart rate down. I knew I had a battle ahead of me. My conscious mind was already headed toward the finish line, and I know that's a dangerous path to follow. The little red man desperately tried getting me to walk the line. I inhaled and exhaled as the others shot, and I tried to free myself from his hold.

  Turning the corner, I saw a bedded buck. The target was severely angled, which was a big surprise. I've never seen a target angled like that at a national event. I almost wondered if we were looking down the correct lane. After assessing the situation, I felt confident with my number, but couldn't convince myself the target was as close as it turned out being. Knowing I was incorrect with my guess, I set the sight three yards hot. It's a mistake I've made here and there over the years, and I know I'm doing it incorrectly when I do it. My mind doesn't get back in the way and allows me to do it. Well, I shot directly out the top of the 10-ring for an 8. 

  After pulling our arrows, we walked to the next stake a few yards away. It was a boar, and it resembled one that I had shot at the house before leaving for the tournament. The yardage stuck out to me, and I felt like I was shooting marked yardage. However, when I drew the bow and settled in, the little red-faced man ran into my ear canal and got inside my head. He began jabbing my brain and bouncing up and down. Finally, he jolted me so hard I loosed the arrow, and it was on its way. I couldn't stop it and had no idea where it was going to land. Luckily, I heard Art tell me I had caught the 8 line low and to the right. It was one of the worst shots I made the entire year, and the nerve demon was solely responsible. I let him get inside my head and win the battle. 

  After pulling the arrows, I felt lucky to walk away with an 8... really lucky. I had escaped. Then, I saw a strutting turkey at the next station. I knew I could not afford to drop six points in a three-target stretch. I needed this one badly. On the first draw, I overaimed at it and almost let the little fella jump on me again. I let down and brushed him aside before drawing again. Then, I proceeded to shoot a 10. I had escaped again. 

  I battled my way through the rest of the course, misguiding an antelope and hitting it out the top. I also shot low 8 on the last target of the round, a bedded stone sheep. I had the right number but made a weak shot. I felt good about the day but knew I gave away six points on bad shots. I still found myself sitting in fifth place after Day 1. Here's the interview after the round. 

https://www.facebook.com/Bowjunkymedia/videos/344854284034982

Day 2

  At the practice bags before my round started, my shots were effortless and the arrows grouped great. I felt confident that I would have a good day. My shot felt great. Upon arriving at the tent, I saw that the rest of the guys were just getting there too. We would be sent out as soon as we gave the guys at the tent our cards. Although we were supposed to start at 9:30, we headed toward Target 1 at 9:00. I was happy to know that we would be off the range early. 

  When we got to the first target, the shadows were tricky. I knew it was going to be tough to aim, as I always have some aiming issues with poor lighting conditions. My shot felt good on the first two targets, and I expected both arrows to land in the 11-ring. Unfortunately, they both hit at 9 o'clock in the 10-ring. Tens are your friend, so I was satisfied with the result. 

  Looking at Target 3, a javelina, I knew I needed to 11 it. It was a little under 30 yards, and it's one of those targets that you lose points to the field if you don't 11 it. I led it off and smoked it... then went on a roll, getting the next four 11s. After the fourth one in a row, I was beginning to feel the zone coming into my surroundings. I felt like I couldn't miss. Then, I allowed something to distract me and shot an 8. I was irritated with myself and knew I had just given up two points to the field. 

  As we moved along, I continued executing good shots and felt good about how they felt. However, the arrows were landing all over around the 11 but not finding their way into it. Then, we came upon a boar and it was in the 30-yard range. I knew I would have to blast through some arrows to secure an 11, as all three of my shooting partners already had arrows in it when it was my turn to shoot. I decided to aim right at them and take what I got. When the release fired and I heard arrows clanking, I felt confident when Art said, "You got it at 3 o'clock. When we got closer to the target, we saw that my arrow had ricocheted a hair to the right and was going to be one of those arrows everyone had to look at. After getting a flashlight out and looking at it closely, we determined that it was on the outside looking in. It was no more than a fingernail width from touching the line. I just didn't get lucky. Looking back on it, I probably should've tried aiming to the left of the arrows and sneaking it in on that side. I did what I thought was best. Getting off the first 10 targets with a 103, like the previous day, put me sitting at 1 up with 10 to go. Here's a picture from an open pro group on the same target. 

 

 A few targets later, I saw a wolverine staring back at me. I knew it was between 40 and 45 yards because I had looked at mine at that distance many times in the two previous weeks. Although the little red-faced guy had remained hidden all day, he instantly jumped into my ear and started jabbing me with his pitchfork. Then he began racing through my mind. When the pin settled on the wolverine, he did everything he could to make sure the pin danced wildly across the kill zone. Then, he smacked me in the knees, made my back become weak, and the arrow was on its way. I knew it wasn't good, and the arrow landed in the 8-ring. It was low and right of the 10-ring and I had the right number. 

  Taking my 8, I sulked toward the next target, a blemished stone sheep. The blemish presented a decent aiming spot. I'm still not sure why I hit the 8-line low, but that's where the arrow found itself after I shot it. I do know it wasn't one of my best shots, but it wasn't too terribly bad either. Now, I knew I was probably done. I would have to 11 out to stay afloat. Coming down the stretch, I shot an arrow no more than an inch above the 11 on a fallow deer and one even closer than that on the alligator. I ended the day with an 11 on a brown bear and signed in with a 201 for the day. I knew I was going to be on the bubble and figured I would probably be the first guy out. 

The Waiting Game

  I've always enjoyed the years when there was no wait to find out if I made it to the final day. However, on this day, I knew the wait would be grueling. After an hour or two, a bunch of people began texting me and messaging me with congratulatory remarks. They told me they had read on Bowjunkie that I had made the shootoff. I was relieved and excited. I knew I hadn't been at my best, and I was still able to get in. 

    Well, a few hours after the posting, I learned that a few other shooters had passed me, and I was now sitting on the outside looking in. I had missed the cut by one point, and all I could think of was the arrow that glanced out of the boar and landed a fingernail width out of the 11. I wanted to lay blame on the glance out, but stepping back and looking at it, I knew I had to own the five bad shots I made over the weekend when I had the right numbers. Those five poorly executed shots cost me 10 points. I will work on that this winter and make sure I'm shooting as few bad shots as possible. I will make sure I don't let the devil sing in my ear and steer me off course. I ended up finishing in sixth place. Although I'm disappointed, sixth place in any professional class is still a great place to be, so I'm walking away from it with my head held high, especially knowing that I had far from my best day, and I was still in the hunt when I had finished. It is comforting to know that I can have a so-so weekend and still finish near the top. 

My Final Thoughts

  I had a phenomenal group to shoot with. We had a great time on both days, and all of our personalities seemed to gel. We had good conversations, and we all gave each other good arrows to shoot at. We also all congratulated each other and rooted for each other throughout both days. It's always good to know your competitors are cheering you on. 

  When I was done, I instantly knew I had beaten myself. I never mind losing to my competitors, but when I beat myself, I have a hard time accepting it. I know I need to work harder to make sure my mind stays 100% focused on the task at hand until I get to the finish line. I let the demons show

themselves two times over the two days, and I paid the price my joining their shenanigans, losing a total of eight points in the process. I've kept them at arm's length most of the year, but I let them convince me to look toward the end without going through the target by target process to just allow myself to get their before thinking about anything. It only takes a few seconds or a few targets in which we become outcome oriented, and everything we have done to that point can quickly wash away. I will not allow that to happen again in the future. I held back from doing that all year. I'm still not sure why the devil beat me this time in convincing me to think about irrelevant things he wanted me to think about. I know I'm not weak-minded, so I will not give it anymore thought. It's just one of those things that even the best of them deal with occasionally. 

  Everything happens for a reason, and I believe I missed the cut by a point, so I could cheer on Jacob and my father. I would rather see either one of them on the podium than me. I thought I had finally seen Jacob conquer the 4th-place finish when he stroked a long javelina on the last shot of the tournament. Unfortunately, after a lot of looking, the arrow was scored a 10, putting him in 4th place. 

  As I watched my dad shoot in the top peer group, I was excited, even when his day unfolded in a way that I didn't like. Nine months ago, he couldn't even draw a 30-pound bow, yet I was watching him now. He shot the highest score in his class the first day and went into the shootoff in third place. I couldn't have been more proud or happy for him. I also thought it was great that Digger Cogar was with me watching his dad. Our dads were in the same group. It was a lot of fun to hang out. We both would've been happy to be in the shootoff, but we also enjoyed doing what we were doing. Sometimes things are bigger than ourselves and something or someone makes sure we are able to experience those things. I'm thankful for that. The year I came in sixth place in PSR will go down as one of the best years ever because I was able to witness my father's journey back to the archery range, and it was nothing short of incredible. 

  There are too many people from my region to list, but I want all of you to know how proud of you I am for making it into the shootoff. I wish I could have joined all of you, but you guys having success is just as good for me. I enjoy that as much as you do, so congratulations to all of you. 

  Also, I can feel the disappointment that many of you who missed the cut by one point. I've done that more times than you can imagine over the last 30 years. This year almost brought a tear to my eye like it did in 1998. It was the same type of feeling, and I don't ever want to feel it again. Unless you've felt it, it's hard to explain. Although I've missed many times, those two years stand out more than any others. 

  I'm participating in the Maine Senior Games this year. I haven't shot that target in two or three years, and I'm scrambling to get the bow set up to my liking. One of these days I will set something up well in advance and use it for that type of shooting. I just don't put much into it, so I can never expect much on the result end. I think it's a game that requires finding a good setup that works for your style of aiming and shooting. 

  Next week, I will be attending the annual team shoot that Shawn Couture puts on. That's always fun and enjoyable. It's relaxing and feels great to end my season each year. After those events, I will do a yearly wrap-up. I hope you all stay tuned and enjoy the rest of the summer. 

                             

                                                               

                                                                         

  

                       

NE ASA Championship Series Classic

  Throughout the week, I continued working on my Supra Focus in hopes of getting it shooting like it shot earlier in the year. Although I'm getting closer, the bow is still not performing to the level of my liking. I just can't seem to get it back to where it was before I had to make some necessary changes with it. I'll keep plugging away at it, but for now, it looks like I will be shooting the Evoke at the IBO World Championship in three weeks. 

  Wade, Jacob, Dad and I headed to Baypath in Massachusetts on Saturday to shoot in the tournament. Although I primarily focus on IBO and Rinehart targets, I welcome the opportunity to try different things and hone my yardage- judging skills. I knew Baypath would set a course that resembled some of the toughest IBO shoots I've ever attended. 

  My warmups before the tournament were good. I did most of my shooting at 40 yards and never shot an arrow out of the dot. However, I drank a bottle of diet Mt. Dew when I left my house, and I had a case of shakes. My pin was darting all over the bullseye and the erratic aiming followed me onto the course. 

  Jacob and I got paired up with Travis Williams and Scott Norton, so I knew we would have a good time. Scott is always a calming influence, and I enjoy shooting next to him. He has helped me a few times while shooting our NFAA Indoor State Championship. He's calm, cool and collected while shooting arrows. Travis is always loose and relaxed, and he makes it easy to enjoy the day. Jacob and I knew we would have a good time when we headed out. 

                                                                                       First Half

  Unlike the two previous ASA tournaments I attended in New England, I decided I would change my strategy for this one. Going into it, I knew my Evoke 35 aims extremely well, so I decided I would be a hero or zero and shoot at the 12s. In the first two events, I shot at a few of them, but I stayed away from the gambling aspect for the vast majority of the shoot. I paid the price by shooting one 12 in the first event and only a few in the second one. You can't get them if you don't shoot at them. 

  The first target we shot was a long, uphill deer. I broke a good shot and walked away feeling good about the 10 on my scorecard. With the way the bow held and the way I executed my shot, I felt a good day coming. Moving to the second target, I knew it was going to be a tough shot. It was an uphill lynx that was set at a little bit of an angle. The lynx has a nice black spot on it that allows a comfortable place to aim. When my pin hit the target, I couldn't get it to settle down and struggled mightily to shoot a good shot. In the end, the arrow struck just outside the 10 to the right, and I assumed it was because of the slight angle on the target. I accepted it and moved along. 

  After shooting a 10 on target 3, I went into a downward spiral, shooting 8s on my next four targets. Between a really shaky sight picture and yardage estimations that were a little off, I knew I had to somehow find a way to get back on track. At target 7, I was already 10 down, and my day had barely begun. With most targets being long distances, I knew I was going to have to bear down to find a way to stay somewhat level. My goal was to stay plus or minus four points of where I was when I drew my bow at target 8. The long yardages were going to make that a big ask, but I felt like I could buckle down and find a way to attain my goal. I ended up getting off the first half at 10 down, so I remained even after setting my goal. I felt really good about the turnaround. 

                                                                                   Second Half

  We stopped for a few minutes at the halfway point. As we headed to the first target of our second half, the heat seemed to ramp up a few degrees and the humidity followed. I began feeling sticky and tired. As a standing bear looked at me through a few trees down a lane, a number stuck out and I felt confident about it. When Jacob hit the target high, I couldn't back any numbers off my sight. Although the sound of his arrow in flight didn't seem like it took long to hit the target, I never readjusted and paid the price, as my arrow landed outside of the 10 ring, right next to Jacob's arrow. 

  I continued making good shots and felt good about that part of my game. When we got to a wolverine that was set up on a log, I felt good about my guess. When Scott shot at it, his arrow gave us a great marker. I drew, put my pin on Scott's nock and executed a great shot. When my nock appeared next to Scott's, I knew I had smoked the 12. I felt great about the shot and the outcome. Well, when I approached the target, I saw that my arrow had gone into the target right next to Scott's arrow and was almost touching his nock. However, Scott shot from a closer stake and shot up at the target. I had shot from a more level position. I never picked up on that and hit exactly where I wanted to aim. 

  As we meandered through the rest of the course, I just couldn't get anything going. I felt good about my shots and my yardages, but the results weren't adding up on my card. I ended up shooting 12s on my last two targets of the day and walked off the course at 16 down. Although I wasn't too happy with the score, I couldn't complain about it. It was a very difficult course, and it had a lot of terrain features and big yardage for an ASA. It also had a lot of hidden yardage, and I'm just not familiar with ASA targets. I felt good to get off the course without shooting a five. I'm basically a target judger so judging targets that I'm unfamiliar with is difficult. 

                                                                             Overall Thoughts

  I'm still searching for the best way for me to play the ASA game. It's just not the same as it was when I did it 20-25 years ago. I was a much younger person then and definition on targets was much easier to pick up. I felt like I did OK with it in London because there were shots in the yardage ranges where you could say you were going all in. However, there just weren't many of those yardages at this shoot. I should have been smarter in the beginning and just tried to stay in the 10 like I did as the tournament wore on. My shoulders were extremely sore this week, as I put in too much time trying to get the Focus back on track. It destroyed my shoulders. I wish I could still shoot countless arrows like I used to be able to. That was a lot of fun. Now, my body just can't handle it. I need to be smarter about how many arrows I shoot. I learned my lesson about drinking caffeine before shooting, too. I just can't do that and have a steady sight picture. I paid the price in the early going. I'm really not sure if I had bad numbers or if I missed everything because my sight picture was way too unsteady to hit behind the pin. I'll never truly know, but I won't do the caffeine thing again. I'm sure that didn't help. 

  I had a good time at the ASA events I was able to attend this year. My heart is with IBO, as that's where I cut my teeth. I've always considered ASA to be a lot of luck, and I'll always stand behind that. I might look at it differently if that's all I ever shot, but being from the Northeast, it's hard to believe that many people up here know exactly where they are holding the pin when they're executing, especially on the ranges we shot this year. Very few people, if any, can shoot quarter-sized groups beyond 30 yards, especially 40-50 yards. When you don't have a defined aiming spot, I'm guessing many arrows from many shooters randomly land in the 10-ring. If all you shoot is ASA, then I would be willing to change my stance on the luck thing, but only shooting three shoots a year with lower 12-ring scoring, I can't go with the skill thing. I believe you need to own targets and shoot them regularly to be efficiently accurate with ASA scoring. 

  I also learned that changing equipment and sight tapes is trying. I haven't shot through any two chronographs this year that read the same. It would be cool if just two of them had the same reading come up after the arrow flew between the bars. I shot through chronographs at the national events, at shops in my area, at friends' houses, at my house, and at these events, and no two ever gave me the same reading. I guess that's why they allow the variance. When I set a bow up, I like to shoot that setup for everything. Unfortunately, I set my bow up for IBO this year and getting arrows to fly for ASA was more than a challenge. If I do it next year, I may just set up two bows. I'm still undecided if I'll try to go to the first ASA Pro-Am of the year next year. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't seriously considering it. 

  If ASA continues in our area over the years, I'd like to see it gradually mold into the same format used in the South and at the Pro-Ams. I think shotgun starts are the best thing that can be done. They can be shotgunned on both days. It gets everyone there at the same time and done at the same time. It's just like shooting indoor tournaments. All volunteers know exactly what time they will start and finish. It just runs a lot smoother. It helps with the kitchen, vendors, scoring, splitting groups by class and peers, and creates a much better social atmosphere that allows people to shoot with different people. People can meet their peers and they can shoot with different people every time they go out. It truly raises the level of shooting when people shoot with their peers.

  I'd also like to see the shoots take the same format as Pro-Ams. I'd like to see all targets set down two sides of a road and with the targets a few yards apart, just like it's done at the Pro-Ams. Everything is on flat ground for the most part and it makes it much easier for older people, people with kids ,and people who have physical ailments that limit their ability to get around in the woods on footpaths. It also allows wheelchair users to attend the events. It creates a great social environment and allows competitors to all be within a few targets of each other where they can see each other. It drives the level of competition up, especially when consecutive groups know who's shooting what for scores. I just like that style of shooting. 

  At the same time, I'm thankful for the people who run the shoots in my region. Running any shoot is harder work than most people can comprehend. It takes a lot to dedicate yourself to something and give people what they're looking for. I've done my part in that, and I'm always glad to give back. If you enjoy archery and competing, maybe you should try giving back in this manner. It's all about working together and giving back. Good luck to all of you who are still competing this summer. Have fun and shoot straight. I wish all of you the best.