Ok first in the overall view I am still a new shooter, 3 ½ years air rifle and 2 years smallbore. But any was last year,2005, was my first USA National match and I was sacred to death going into it and beat my self up when I saw my scores compared to the other shooters. And the fact my coach at the time and mentor now, Josh Kelley, and his farther were there watching me. But in the end I came out on top of the world w/ a new ambition, and drive, to learn, and willingness to give up my social life (what little I had) to shoot all the time.
But over the last year my team and I have lost three coaches, one to military and two just left us. Now we have a sporter coach trying to coach our persion line, which he has the basics but there’s only so much he can help with.
This year after nationals it feels like I have just lost all that drive I had before. Now I just feel lost. I’m coming into my senior year in high school and I have no clue what to do. I still LOVE shooting w/ every bone in my body, but unlike before where I wanted to be at the rang EVERYDAY, and read and learn any and everything I could to help my game, I just lack the drive I guess
Does any one have anything to say that might help? I will take any advice I can get. I’m willing and open to learn I just need the guidance.
~Amelia
Mental Mayham
Moderators: pilkguns, m1963, David Levene, Spencer, Richard H
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RifleNicky
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:16 pm
- Location: Jax.Fl.
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Guest
i would say that you should take your time. few can genuinely maintain a high level of enthusiasm for prolonged periods. its alright to stop once in a while. im sure we all went through that maniac stage. i even remember dreaming about myself shooting in the range lol.
i cant tell what level you are at but the same remains for every shooter train up the fundamentals. you can never spend too much time on it. spend time thinking about the way you shoot. the stance, rythmn, shot sequence etc and do thought experiments on how changes might affect the way you shoot. lots of thinking helped me establish my stance and triggering. not sure how well this works for rifle because i am a pistol shooter but have fun anyway and dont be too concerned about scores. i wish that you may have many more years of shooting at the range.
i cant tell what level you are at but the same remains for every shooter train up the fundamentals. you can never spend too much time on it. spend time thinking about the way you shoot. the stance, rythmn, shot sequence etc and do thought experiments on how changes might affect the way you shoot. lots of thinking helped me establish my stance and triggering. not sure how well this works for rifle because i am a pistol shooter but have fun anyway and dont be too concerned about scores. i wish that you may have many more years of shooting at the range.
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Guest
JUST GETTING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL!!
Hey - take your time, take a breath and let your mind heal itself. You have the rest of a very very long life to come back get your motivation back. Fortunately, shooting isnt like gymnastics - you can compete at world class levels well after your teen years.
You may just be suffering from a little burn out and as someone already suggested, it's difficult to maintain the drive that you seemed to have esp without some positive feedback from coaches or competitions.
I've seen some people get re-motivated by getting into coaching. I'll bet if you look hard enough, you can find a program where you could teach new shooters what you have learned. You'll be amazed at the feeling you'll get from watching them progress. Teaching others is a great way to stoke up your own enthusiasm.
Hey - take your time, take a breath and let your mind heal itself. You have the rest of a very very long life to come back get your motivation back. Fortunately, shooting isnt like gymnastics - you can compete at world class levels well after your teen years.
You may just be suffering from a little burn out and as someone already suggested, it's difficult to maintain the drive that you seemed to have esp without some positive feedback from coaches or competitions.
I've seen some people get re-motivated by getting into coaching. I'll bet if you look hard enough, you can find a program where you could teach new shooters what you have learned. You'll be amazed at the feeling you'll get from watching them progress. Teaching others is a great way to stoke up your own enthusiasm.
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RifleNicky
- Posts: 15
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- Location: Jax.Fl.
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thats the thing i am part of a 4-H Jr. shooting sports program, and i Love helpin my team mates and coaching them, and usualy it helps them. i've been able to help.but after and while of helpin others i feel like im just waisting MY training time.Anonymous wrote:I've seen some people get re-motivated by getting into coaching. I'll bet if you look hard enough, you can find a program where you could teach new shooters what you have learned. You'll be amazed at the feeling you'll get from watching them progress. Teaching others is a great way to stoke up your own enthusiasm.
thanks for the feed back
You can only really coach or shoot effectively you cannot do both, especially not at the same time. That said if you and your fellow team shooters understand the fundamentals reasonably well then you can create some paired coaching exercises. You shoot in pairs and one shoots whilst the other observes, say for 10 shots. You then switch over and at the end swap feedback. Once technical problems are identified (constructively) you can work on drills to improve those aspects. Say for example you observe your partner not following through with his shots. You tell him that and then he can concentrate on doing so thereafter. You have to remember that in this kinds of drills score isn't what matters, it's about training good technique.RifleNicky wrote: thats the thing i am part of a 4-H Jr. shooting sports program, and i Love helpin my team mates and coaching them, and usualy it helps them. i've been able to help.but after and while of helpin others i feel like im just waisting MY training time.
thanks for the feed back
Rob.
Why did you lose your ambition? That is an important question. The solution will be different based on the answer.
It is true that a person can't maintain a high level of enthusiasm for long periods of time, but we can for a very long time. There will always be ups and downs, but it is quite conceivable, and common, to maintain a drive and enthusiasm for years. Top athletes do it all the time.
We humans don't like change. Everyone has a different level of tolerance, but the turmoil on your team sounds like it might be part of the problem. You probably don’t have much control over the way the team is managed. You will have to accept the situation for what it is and maintain your own focus. If it doesn’t work are there any other teams in the area? It is worth asking the question.
To get the most from a coach there must be a good relationship, which is not developed instantly. The coach must know how to instruct the athlete and the athlete must learn to trust the coach. Constantly changing coaches makes it difficult to excel.
I may be reading too much into your post, but it sounds to me that you want to improve but don't have a coach to help you. It sounds as if you are still in touch with your former coach, now mentor. Can you work with him/her more closely? Even if it is over the phone, it can be helpful. Maybe you need to get a personal coach. As you are still a teen, this should be pursued with your parents help and cooperation.
Good luck,
Steve Turner
It is true that a person can't maintain a high level of enthusiasm for long periods of time, but we can for a very long time. There will always be ups and downs, but it is quite conceivable, and common, to maintain a drive and enthusiasm for years. Top athletes do it all the time.
We humans don't like change. Everyone has a different level of tolerance, but the turmoil on your team sounds like it might be part of the problem. You probably don’t have much control over the way the team is managed. You will have to accept the situation for what it is and maintain your own focus. If it doesn’t work are there any other teams in the area? It is worth asking the question.
To get the most from a coach there must be a good relationship, which is not developed instantly. The coach must know how to instruct the athlete and the athlete must learn to trust the coach. Constantly changing coaches makes it difficult to excel.
I may be reading too much into your post, but it sounds to me that you want to improve but don't have a coach to help you. It sounds as if you are still in touch with your former coach, now mentor. Can you work with him/her more closely? Even if it is over the phone, it can be helpful. Maybe you need to get a personal coach. As you are still a teen, this should be pursued with your parents help and cooperation.
Good luck,
Steve Turner
RifleNicky wrote "over the last year my team and I have lost three coaches, one to military and two just left us. Now we have a sporter coach trying to coach our persion line, which he has the basics but there’s only so much he can help with.
This year after nationals it feels like I have just lost all that drive I had before. Now I just feel lost. "
It sounds as if you are expecting the coach to be acting as an instructor, but as a HS senior you should be getting to the point that a coach not someone to tell you what to dobut is more of a person to bounce ideas off of.
You should be to the point of beginning to self-coach, with only direction from a coach or mentor. Perhaps you can use your relationship with your original coach to review YOUR goals, training plan, and ideas to solve problems you cannot solve yourself.
This forum is also a good place to come for ideas on training to solve specific problems, but you need to be able to identify the problem (perhaps using a matrix of hold, trigger, mental set, and follow thru for each shot, writing down a plus or minus depending on how thngs went).
As to your Nationals experience, you need to only compare your scores with your own averages and personal bests at this time. Don't worry about anyone else's results. Football coach Chuck Noll says" Pressure is something you feel only if you don't know what you are doing". Remind yourself when feeling "pressure" that you do know what you are doing, or you wouldn't have achieved the level you ar ate.
Take a break to, then get back to shooting with specific training goals (not scores) in mind, and you will find the inprovement you seek.
Good luck.
This year after nationals it feels like I have just lost all that drive I had before. Now I just feel lost. "
It sounds as if you are expecting the coach to be acting as an instructor, but as a HS senior you should be getting to the point that a coach not someone to tell you what to dobut is more of a person to bounce ideas off of.
You should be to the point of beginning to self-coach, with only direction from a coach or mentor. Perhaps you can use your relationship with your original coach to review YOUR goals, training plan, and ideas to solve problems you cannot solve yourself.
This forum is also a good place to come for ideas on training to solve specific problems, but you need to be able to identify the problem (perhaps using a matrix of hold, trigger, mental set, and follow thru for each shot, writing down a plus or minus depending on how thngs went).
As to your Nationals experience, you need to only compare your scores with your own averages and personal bests at this time. Don't worry about anyone else's results. Football coach Chuck Noll says" Pressure is something you feel only if you don't know what you are doing". Remind yourself when feeling "pressure" that you do know what you are doing, or you wouldn't have achieved the level you ar ate.
Take a break to, then get back to shooting with specific training goals (not scores) in mind, and you will find the inprovement you seek.
Good luck.
From your post I sense that you are a young enthusiastic shooter .
Learn from my mistake..
I practiced 'the wrong way' for a long time before I started reading coaching books and looking for a coach.
Once one has acquired a bad shooting habit , and reinforced it by many hours, days and years of practice.. when the time comes to correct it , it will be almost impossible.. sliding back into old habits is a big problem .
I think you will need a coach to supervise your acquiring the 'basics' of good shooting... the acquisition of good shooting habits.... Once that is acheived , the only thing standing between you and the Championships is talent, effort and determination.
Learn from my mistake..
I practiced 'the wrong way' for a long time before I started reading coaching books and looking for a coach.
Once one has acquired a bad shooting habit , and reinforced it by many hours, days and years of practice.. when the time comes to correct it , it will be almost impossible.. sliding back into old habits is a big problem .
I think you will need a coach to supervise your acquiring the 'basics' of good shooting... the acquisition of good shooting habits.... Once that is acheived , the only thing standing between you and the Championships is talent, effort and determination.
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RifleNicky
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:16 pm
- Location: Jax.Fl.
- Contact:
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVICE!
i took a few weeks off got my schooling back in order and on task (ahead in a few classes)
i coached some of the sporters and my fellow teammates
i have been practicing again lateley (not as much as i used too)
but my scores have drasticley gone up (by atleast 5 points) and consistancey is Awsome!!!
soooo THANK YALLS!!!!!
i took a few weeks off got my schooling back in order and on task (ahead in a few classes)
i coached some of the sporters and my fellow teammates
i have been practicing again lateley (not as much as i used too)
but my scores have drasticley gone up (by atleast 5 points) and consistancey is Awsome!!!
soooo THANK YALLS!!!!!
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David Levene
- Posts: 5617
- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:49 pm
- Location: Ruislip, UK
Re: Illigal posting rules by the owner of this rag
How many times do you have to be told by Pilkguns that you are banned from this board.Guest-ahahha wrote:Seems that maybe I am being violated or at least my civil rights to freedom to express my self in any manner I desire. The right to free speech is still on the book is it not? Why have you and pilkguns violated my rights?
I seem to remember lying, bullying and plagiarism being amongst the reasons.
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David Levene
- Posts: 5617
- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:49 pm
- Location: Ruislip, UK
Re: What I like about you David.?
So that's just proved the lying part.Chet Skinner wrote:I saw the same things but didn't pay much atten in them as I knew they were false statements but that is the difference between us, I know the truth where you do not. Do you always go around repeating hear say and gossip....David?
I think the bullying part is obvious to anyone who has read this board through one of your visits.
As for the plagiarism, surely you have not forgotten your article in volume 2 issue 12 of the UIT Mailing List.
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Chet Skinner
Forgot...?
No I haven't but then again maybe you have forgoten the context it was written. There are so many variable in the laws you being in the UK lack any compliance abilities accordingly. What may be illigal there is not her and viceversa. So please stop your legal ranting unless you are a full licened attorney and able to practice in front of the Old Baily or Bar in this country.
Chet Skinner, Coach
Chet Skinner, Coach
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Guest
Re: Forgot...?
Whether in the UK, Ireland or the US, posting someone else's work in its entirity is plagiarism.Chet Skinner wrote:No I haven't but then again maybe you have forgoten the context it was written. There are so many variable in the laws you being in the UK lack any compliance abilities accordingly. What may be illigal there is not her and viceversa.