Shoot for yourself
In Canada, shooting is truly an amateur sport. You are self funded, you work a 9-5 job, you train in your spare time for the love of the sport. Just because you are heading into a Games doesn't change that. Don't let the media put any additional burdens on you. You shoot now, and always, for self improvement: to be the best shooter you can be.
Have a plan, be ready for anything
With a few shots to go in the 2003 Pan Am finals, on my first year on the National Team, I suddenly realized in those few seconds between shots that I was doing well, and that I could earn a quota spot for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Guess what? I didn't make it, my focus moved away from shooting and my mind wondered down the path of "what ifs".
Entering the finals in 2007 Pan Ams, I knew how strong the shooters on the line with me were. I just wanted to do my best and keep up with the pack. I absolutely did not allow myself to think about anything other than shooting the next shot. I kept myself occupied and distracted from the score using whatever methods possible, visualizing how I wanted the front sight, singing to myself, closing my eyes except when aiming, chanting a Buddhist rhyme, whatever it took to keep the focus on shooting. What happened? I won the Gold and earned a quota spot for the Beijing Olympics.
What's the difference? I wasn't ready to win in 2003. I didn't have a plan of what to do if I was doing really well. In contrast, in 2007, I knew what I had to do. I knew what going down the "what ifs" path would lead me, so I used all my energy to stay in the moment and focus on shooting the next shot.
So, do you have a plan for what to do when things are going well? Do you have a plan for what to do when things aren't going their best?
Best of the day
As with any competition, it is always the best of the day. Maybe you feel like you are not having your best performance; but, what you don't know is, others may not be having a PB day either. You are a shooter: you do the shooting. Let the bean counters worry about the score. Do what you've always done, concentrate on your lane, shoot one shot at a time.
Manage your energy
As exciting as a multi-event Games experience is, it can be exhausting. I think many of us shooters have solitary personalities and enjoy the quietness of our own space and thoughts. That can be difficult to find at a Games. This is especially true since this time the Games are at home. There will be many more demands from friends, family, media etc. All of these groups will want your attention and your energy.
It can be especially difficult to manage family or close friends. While you are a seasoned competitive athlete, able to cope with competition stress, your family and friends most likely don't know how to deal with the added adrenaline and stress. Your goal at the Games is not to satisfy their needs. You must act according to your own needs and energy level, including saying no if needs be.
It is especially important for athletes competing later in the Games to manage their energy level effectively. Spending days shooting minimal training sessions and the rest of the time waiting in the village can be very challenging to manage. With excessive time the mind tends to wonder. I've seen many fall ill from something they ate, catch a cold, get intoxicated from too much partying, or otherwise not be at their physical and mental best when it finally came time to compete.
So what's your plan to fill the time between training and competition? Maybe bring some books? If you have a Muse, bring that and do some sessions to focus your mind. If not, that's okay: find a quiet spot, sit down and close your eyes. Do some deep belly breathing and focus on counting your out breaths. When you lose count, acknowledge it, and start back at 0. It's just like shooting, we are always starting at 0.
Manage your energy levels is key. Have fun, enjoy the whole Games experience, but know when you need to bow out and get some quiet time for yourself.
It's just one step
As amazing as it is to compete in a Major Games on home soil is, life will go on after the Games. Whether or not you shoot a PB, win a medal, or earn a quota spot, life will go on the day after. The earth will continue to spin, the sun come up and set, the summer breeze blow by and the fall leaves cover the roads. This competition is just one stepping stone along your path of becoming the best shooter you can be. So don't treat it as anything bigger than that: it is merely one step among many.
That turned out to be a lot longer than I expected, I hope you found some useful ideas in there. Good luck, and may all your shots be centres :-)
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