Great Plains Sectional

I participated in the Great Plains Sectional this year which was hosted at the Eastern Nebraska Gun Club. I also helped work it and set it up. Set up, tear down, ROing, and palming are all a lot of work and it wasn’t exactly comfortable out when we were there.

Despite the heat and the humidity the match was a ton of fun—as always the stages were well put together and interesting.

So, the real questions is, how did the match go? Actually—I really don’t think that I shot as well as I could have. I had a couple of stages that were just disastrous. Stage five, which was the bowling ball stage, I couldn’t seem to get anything right. I could remember which targets I was shooting, I couldn’t get the door open (it’s a PUSH door), I couldn’t reload, I missed one WHOLE target, and that hurts. Disaster. Throughout the day, I had a couple of misses that I should have made up and didn’t and a couple shots I made up that I just should have left.

Perhaps I should have just let it go. That’s really hard for me, leaving a shot that I KNOW isn’t there. I would say that right now, one of the things that I need to work on the most is my mental game. I have a tenancy to do one of the following things a) make a plan and forget it, b) make a plan and decide to change it part way through or c) not make much of a plan at all.

I am lucky enough that I don’t really get nervous for big matches. I just like to have fun shooting. I do get down on myself if I do badly—but I don’t feel nerves before a stage. If I have fun, and don’t get DQed, it’s been a good day. I am a little too hard on myself sometimes.

I did better in the match than I thought I did—I got first D-class shooter! It’s nice to go from the bottom up, my practice is paying off, I’m getting better! And I think I can be better still.

I will very likely be C-class the next time classifications go through. If not C-class then very very close to it. Very exciting. :D