Although I considered not writing this entry, I finally decided I owed it to myself and to my followers to put it out there. As many of you know, this past year is what I would call a train wreck. Train wrecks cannot be predicted, and when I began the indoor season in mid-December last year, I felt confident. I got out of the gate with a 598 on a 600 Vegas round at the winter warm-up in Hudson Falls and felt good about it because I set the bow up the same week as the shoot. I also decided I would go back to shooting a handheld release. When that day was over, I considered it a victory on many levels and couldn't wait to see where it would go.
My only goal throughout the indoor season was to get used to shooting a handheld release again. Going into February, I felt good about the results with it, as I shot in two Lancaster warm-up tournaments and shot 40-45 Xs in both of them. However, the things I experienced in my hand and wrist while shooting a handheld release created some concern for me going into the ASA in Foley. That's when I chose to go back to a wrist-strap release to see if things felt any better.
I went to Hall's Arrow in Connecticut to give it a whirl. I wasn't surprised with the results when I shot 45 out of 60 inner 10s. My shot was good, and I felt good on both ends while executing every shot. It strengthened my confidence, and I headed to Foley with a release attached to my wrist.
The first day didn't go as planned, and I found myself at the bottom of the pack. I fought my way out of the bottom and shot one of the higher scores on Day 2, but it wasn't nearly enough to make a difference. I headed home with my tail tucked between my legs, but I was satisfied with the results on Day 2. I could build off from that.
That first shoot was the last one of the year in which I would shoot with a quiet mind, and I've always found a quiet mind has led to my best performances. My world was turned upside down in March, and I took a mental beating in every aspect of my life. I guess I had gotten into a routine and never realized how much I value routine in my daily life. Since March, things have been different, and I'm still fumbling around trying to figure things out. While doing these things, I lost focus on archery.
I probably put more into practicing this year than I ever have put into it, but I wasn't practicing with a purpose. It was more like I was just shooting piles of arrows for therapy, and no matter how much I did it, I couldn't find what I needed to clear my mind and allow it to be rested, calm, and at peace when I laid my head on the pillow every night. The outside noise took hold and never let go. This directly affected my performances, as I would have one great day and one horrendous day, never putting two good days together. Unfortunately, I ended the year without a shoot-down appearance, the first time since 2020. I gave it my best shot, finding myself in 6th place a few times, the first guy out of the shoot-down round. I'm not ashamed to admit I didn't realize the things that were necessary to help me succeed, as I found myself in a few places I would never wish upon anyone.
With a closer look at the year, I did have some high moments that made me realize I still have what it takes when all cylinders are clicking at the same time. In all my years of shooting, even in local shoots, I've never cleaned an unmarked course by shooting all 10s, with exception of some national and regional IBOs in which there were 10-target courses. I was finally able to do that at the IBO NH State Championship and topped it off with 18 elevens. It was a day I will store away and come back to when I need some confidence that I have what it takes to be perfect when I need to be. Although it didn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things, it still felt good and made my 4 1/2 hour drive to the event worth it.
It took until the annual team shoot in Massachusetts for me to realize something that might have happened this year to prevent me from having some of those great days I've had in the past at national events. Going into the team shoot, I made a conscious effort to not shoot any bad shots. In doing so, I let down a number of times, just like I always did when I shot the best 3D scores of my life. I believe this year I may have focused on making a good shot and nothing else. I don't believe I actually aimed all that well. At the team shoot, almost every arrow hit behind the pin, even at 70 yards. Although I shot a few 8s, the arrows hit directly behind the pin. My 55-year-old eyes just didn't have the pin in the exact place it needed to be. I made pretty good shots throughout the year, but I didn't focus hard enough on picking the exact place I wanted to hit and doing everything possible to make sure I would hit it.
I could never stop writing this without offering my genuine thanks to Kevin Koch. I met Kevin a few years ago when he was in my group at the ASA Classic. I was battling an extremely low blood sugar level when we started that day, and I paid the price by blanking the first target of the day. This year, I was lucky enough to shoot with Kevin a few times and share conversations at the events. Well, at the London ASA, the round was stressful for everyone in our group the second day when we were all battling to get into the shoot-down round. Somewhere along the lines, the cards got a little mixed up and the bonus ring column didn't match on both cards. At the end of the round, I was disappointed because I made a few mistakes and found myself on the outside looking in. I quickly looked at the score and signed the card without looking at the bonus rings column. That column would break a tie for 8th place, the last place to get paid. Well, when I looked at the scores online, I saw I was at the bottom of the 8th place ties due to the number of bonus rings, but the number didn't match what I had actually shot. After writing my article that week and telling people to learn from my mistakes and make sure to look at the card before signing it, Kevin stepped up and paid my entry fees for the last two ASA events because it was his mistake. We both made a mistake, and I could own my neglect in not doing what I should've done. Kevin never had to do what he did. He went on to win that event, and he won two of the ASAs for the year. He's definitely one of the good guys on the tour. You don't meet many people like him. Thanks, Kevin, for being a genuine, wonderful human being. There needs to be more people like you. I'm thankful for your friendship.
We spent a lot of time with Tom Thygesen this year too. Tyler had a lot of things going on in his life this year, and Tom spent more time than normal with us. Tom makes me laugh. He offers people help through experience, and he always tries to pick you up when you're feeling down. One thing that makes me laugh when I think about Tom is that you never have to wonder what he's thinking. He's kinda like me in that regard. That's probably why I value that quality. He doesn't have a filter, and sometimes people can take his comments to be harsh or out of line. Thanks, Tom, for making me laugh and always lending your support. I truly appreciate it. This one's for you:
I don't have much else to offer on the year, other than I'm going to do my best to remember the great times with friends and family and hope this isn't my last year traveling to national events. I've landed a few part-time gigs to get by right now, but once I land my next full-time job, I'm not sure if I will have the time to do the things I love to do, and that's all a part of life. Everyone encounters change, and sometimes the changes affect our lives in both positive and negative ways that are beyond our control. If that becomes the case, I can walk away from it and tell all of you that I'm satisfied with my archery career. I've been lucky enough to accomplish many things that a lot of people dream about, and I've succeeded at the national level at the highest level as a professional archer. I could never ask for more than that. While I didn't reach all of my goals, I gave it my best shot, and I can and will walk away with a clear conscience if my new path in life requires that to be done. I'll go back to walking into remote streams and ponds and take up trout fishing again, and I'll find other things to do with my free time around home. Archery has given me things I never would've gotten in my life otherwise, but they say everything happens for a reason, and I'll go forward with that in my mind. I'm sure I'll end up where I'm supposed to be when everything is all said and done.
