Last fall when Dad told me the 2021 National Senior Games had been moved to 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., due to COVID-19 and asked if I would be interested in going, I really had no interest. As most of you know, target archery has not been too enjoyable for me after returning to archery after having reconstructive shoulder surgery in 2011. I used to really enjoy it when I did it much better than I currently do it. However, it’s extremely difficult now to shoot consecutive good shots for any long period of time. While I can hold my own, it takes everything I have to do so. That’s the reason why my primary focus has turned to 3D over the last decade.
After stepping away and showing no interest in going to the Senior Games, I had a look-in-the-mirror moment and realized it was something I should do – and must do. How many children ever have had the opportunity to compete in the National Senior Games with a parent? I’m sure there haven’t been too many over the years.
I used the next few weeks to shoot at the 900-round target to see if I felt confident enough shooting at it to go to the Games and not make a fool out of myself. After a few go-arounds in practice, I didn’t shoot below an 890 in any of the scoring rounds I shot. I knew that would play, so I signed up. However, the ugly, nagging beast lurking behind the curtain poked its head out and winked at me. It made me aware of its presence, and I felt it: would I be able to shoot two 900 rounds over two consecutive days and have anything left in my shoulders when I got to the second day? Even after sending a lot of arrows downrange, I felt confident I could get through two rounds, so I signed up. I had qualified in a few different locations, so the qualification wasn’t an issue.
Preparing for the Event
As everyone knows, this spring hasn’t been the best time to prepare for any type of archery event. The wind has been extreme all spring, and when the wind hasn’t blown, it has been raining. It simply didn’t allow me the proper amount of time behind the bow to get it to be what I would call a forgiving setup. I also dealt with a lot of pain in my shoulders because I shot way too many arrows on consecutive days to ensure I would be able to shoot the two rounds at the Senior Games.
So last week, I packed my bags, jumped on a plane with my dad and headed to Florida. Unfortunately, we were scheduled to travel with my mom, as she and Dad always to go to the Games together, but Mom couldn’t go due to the battle she’s been fighting. She wasn’t strong enough to make the trip, and she is our biggest supporter. We both knew it would be difficult without her because she always likes to go, and she is our everything. My mom doesn't get nearly enough credit for my success, but I can assure you that I get much of who I am from her, and I appreciate her support.
Practice Day
I wanted to make sure I didn’t shoot too many shots on practice day because I knew I would need my arms and shoulders strong for the tournament. Dad and I shot for a while, and things didn’t play out like I had planned. While I didn’t shoot terrible, I definitely didn’t light it up. However, I changed releases from my HBC Flex to my trusty TruBall Execute. I shot one last group from 60 yards and shot 5xs and a 10. With that, I decided I would shoot that release the following day.
Day 1
We were welcomed on Day 1 with bright sunlight and scorching heat. I knew it would be a long day out in the sun. Although the heat doesn’t ever bother me, I’m not a fan of shooting arrows in a wide-open field all day in it. I’d rather be walking through the woods shooting at 3D targets. It’s just more my style, and I’ve come to like that game much more than shooting a lot of arrows at a target in a field where there’s no escape from the sun.
When we were called to the shooting line for our first of two practice ends, I executed a perfect shot and looked through the spotting scope to see the arrow squarely in the X. I was off to a good start. The next shot hit in the red at 9’oclock and I followed that one up with two more that were almost touching it, and they were perfect shots. Knowing something wasn’t right, I quickly found the culprit. The screw that holds the scope onto the sight had loosened up. I tightened it and shot my final arrow. The arrow landed next to the first one, which had landed in the x, and I felt good about it. However, my confidence was shaken because I wasn’t certain that the malfunction could’ve made the other four arrows hit that far to the left. In the next practice end, all my doubts were set aside when all my arrows found their way into the 10-ring. I was ready for the official scoring to begin.
The first scoring end started, and I knew I was going to have a good day. Every shot broke cleanly, and I missed one, scoring a 59. I navigated through the next 24 arrows at 60 and ended up moving on to 50 at 6 down, but that’s when I ran into trouble at 50. I had to battle a few rising glucose issues throughout the 50 round, and the break we had to take between 50 and 60 somewhat distracted me. I ended up dropping the same number of points at 50, and I very rarely drop more than two at 50 under ideal conditions.
When we moved to 40, I got back on track and executed all good shots. One shot bobbed when it broke and hit a hair low, barely missing the line. I ended the day at 887, which was the highest score of any archer on the first day. I wasn’t overly satisfied with the day because I knew I hadn’t shot to my potential, but I also accepted it for what it was: it was a better day than anyone else on the range had been able to put together. Although it was below my average, I accepted it and moved on.
Day 2
I didn’t sleep well the night after the first round. My legs, arms, neck, and face got badly burnt. Dad and I went to Walmart to buy some stuff to put on our burns. Unfortunately, Dad is taking Doxycycline for his Lyme disease, and you’re not supposed to be in the sun while taking it. Since we couldn’t control the sunlight, he had to be out in it all day, and it took its toll going into Day 2. I can relate to a medical condition doing its damage and not allowing a person to be able to shoot to his best ability. I’ve experienced it way too many times over the years, and I’ll be the first to tell you that you have no idea how it really feels until you experience it. I can recall seeing three targets at the same time and shooting the one in the middle, just hoping that was the actual target. Dealing with medical issues is tough enough, but it’s even worse when you’re shooting in a two-day event, and the condition lets you have it on one of those days, preventing you from ever knowing how you would have truly finished without having to deal with the complications.
When we got to the site, we settled in and waited for the round to begin. I felt confident and knew my chances of topping the previous day’s score would be good. I had it rolling the day before, and I knew I could improve upon that.
Finally, the first practice end began, and I felt good. The bow held relatively well, and my shots broke cleanly. When I looked through the spotting scope, I couldn’t believe the arrows weren’t landing in the 10-ring. Although they weren’t in the 10-ring, they were close to it.
After the second end of practice, I knew I was going to have one of those days where I had to shoot the best shots I could shoot and hope for the best. When I had completed shooting all 12 arrows for the two practice ends, it became obvious to me that I wasn’t holding as well, but I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t feel overly tired, but the bow had a steady jitter while I was aiming it. It even bounced around a bit. I surely wasn’t used to the sight picture, but I also didn’t think it was too terribly bad. I knew I could survive
I shot five good shots in the first scoring end. Walking to the target, I was irritated that I only hit two 10s. I should’ve had five of them with one barely out the bottom due to a weaker shot than the rest. That set the tone for the day. I continued making good shots and watching them hit all around the 10-ring. By the time I was done at 60 yards, I had dropped more points than I had probably dropped in any full practice game at home.
I put my head down and just tried to get through the round and stay above water. The damage had been done, and there’s basically no way to recover from any big damage during that round if you’re shooting against an archer who scores well on it. The round gets progressively easier, making it much easier to stay clean as you progress through it.
After we cleared 60 and moved to 50, I began figuring out some of the issues I was having. I was pulling and pushing too hard. While it’s okay to push and pull with even tension on both ends, I was giving it too much. This caused the shaky sight picture because I was creating too much tension with my push/pull instead of just maintaining the pressure and letting it build slightly on both ends instead of trying my hardest to do it quickly. You would think an archer who has shot for many years would’ve figured out the problem earlier in the round and made the adjustment to fix it. I guess, it just took me too long on this day, and I paid the price for it.
The wind picked up a little bit on the last game, and I stayed strong throughout it. The wind got me on two shots, as I couldn’t control the gusts that sent the arrows off course. I can deal with that during any archery event. Shooting in steady wind and shooting in gusty wind are two entirely different things. I’d rather shoot in a steady wind.
When the round ended, I was not a happy camper. I was irritated with myself and still haven’t let it go. Throughout any archery rounds, we all have things that eat at us, and this shoot will eat at me for a long time for a variety of reasons. I’ll come to terms with it in the next few days, but right now I’ll let it seep into my memory and improve upon the things that I confronted.
My Heroes
I’ve been at this game a long time, and I have come across many people who have influenced my archery career. Since I have spent most of my time shooting in New England, most of my dearest archery friends are from New England. There are so many guys I met when I was young, and I respected all of them and tried gaining things from each one of them. There are way too many of them to name, but a few of them who instantly come to mind are Bob Rowe, Roger Thibault and Steph Hamner. I learned a lot from them, and they became good friends. We shared may dinner tables and conversations over the years, and I ‘ll be forever thankful for that. They made me better.
I’m not sure when I met Sam Coffin, but it was also in that era. I liked Sam from the day I met him, and we have remained friends since then. I always wanted to be consistent like Sam the Southpaw. He always shot well and stayed under the radar. He was one of those guys who was always in the mix, and nobody ever talked about him. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to be that guy whom everyone ignored, but then I would find my way to the top. Sam was a good guy to model myself after. He was quiet, determined and could shoot a bow. I wanted to approach things like Sam did.
I got to see Sam this weekend at the National Senior Games, and once again, Sam was in the hunt after a disastrous start. His peep decided it wanted to pop out after the last practice end the first day when someone knocked a bunch of bows over. He did the best he could to fix it, and in the end, he won a bronze medal. Kudos to Sam. He hasn’t changed since I met him, probably 25 years ago or more. Sam is also in the hunt for shooter of the year in the national ASA Pro-Ams. Let’s all route for him. He’s what all of you New Englanders should strive to be …. as a person… and as an archer.
Sam wasn’t the only New Englander to come home with some hardware. Dana Cyr and husband Randy also laid it down on the rest of the country. Dana won her second National Senior Games gold medal and Randy came home with a fourth-place finish. I’ve always loved competing in New England because of all of the shooters we have who make us strive to be like them and achieve the things they achieve. There’s something about these Maniacs, though. The Mainers always seem to go to the next level.
Then, there’s a trip I took to the National Archery Festival about 25 years ago. I was waiting at the tent in the field behind the Anheuser Busch factor to be assigned into a shooting group. I wasn’t looking forward to shooting in the fields, especially with a light rain and some wind already getting a good start on the day. I also knew I would have those dreaded ticks all over me when I got done with that course.
Finally, a guy from Reedy’s showed up and asked if he could shoot with us. I had never seen this old-timer, but Dad and I welcomed him into our group. That was the beginning of our friendship with Leon Sepuka. We have learned many things from each other over the years, and I have watched him and Dad fight some serious health issues.
I don’t talk to Leon often, but I do talk to him from time to time. He and Dad have been going to the Senior Games for quite a while, and Leon has battled. Well, he was battling again on Day 1 and found himself sitting in second at the end of the day. We talked about a few things at dinner, and he told me what he was going to do the next day. He stuck to his plan and won the gold medal in his division. I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier for a friend than I was for Leon. I felt my eyes get runny when I gave him a fist bump and a little celebratory hug for his accomplishment. Way to go, Leon. I’m proud of ya, buddy.
My Take on My First Trip to the National Senior Games
I won’t lie and tell you I didn’t prepare for this event. I was well prepared when I left home. I had also set a few goals. Although I very rarely set score goals, I knew I could break the national record if the weather cooperated. It’s always tough to break outdoor records due to wind. You usually need ideal conditions to give it a serious run. I also knew I could afford to shoot well below my average both days and still clobber the record.
After the first day of shooting, I was mentally prepared to drop the hammer. I knew I could bomb the second day and still break the record. I’m not sure if those thoughts permeated my brain or if something else happened. However, when my last arrow of the second day struck the 10-ring, I knew I had broken the long-standing record, which had been set in 2009 when that score broke the previous record set in 2001.
I accomplished my goal of breaking the record, and I broke it by three points. I felt good about that but also disappointed because of how things worked out the second day. I just couldn’t ever get in the flow. I’m not sure if that’s why the records aren’t as high as I figured they should be. Two days of a 900 round take their toll on the human body, especially bodies over 50 years old. I’m not going to blame anything on that because I think it was just that my aiming didn’t live up to par on the second day , and I shot as well as I aimed. Back to the record... I knew I had broken the record, but I also knew the guy in my group was ahead of me, so I would have to settle for the second highest score ever shot. They keep track of the top 10 scores ever shot, so my name will go in the record book in the second spot for now. I’m proud of that, and I can live with that. Ten years ago, I never would've imagined shooting one arrow, let alone 180 arrows over two days of competition. The road was long and hard to get there. I'm glad I stayed the course.
Now, I’ll be headed to Pipestem this week to try my hand at 3D. Hopefully, things continue going in the right direction. Good luck to any of my followers and friends who are headed to the event.
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