Well the end of the season is officially here. Chances are if you are still shooting in tournaments they are titled something like "Year End Blast" or "Frosty" something or other. Some of you that are on a roll may wish to coast along into next year without much change. Others may want to take the time to "reset" themselves even if it’s only mentally. Having a definite end of year will get you in the mood for a new season and hopefully motivate you to do well.
You should take time to asses what you did right this year and make plans to avoid what you did wrong. Take a look at your averages and look back over events where you did well and ask yourself why. Internalize this so you can use it to your advantage next year. Then I would call it and end to the season and go into your first event next year with a clean slate. Hopefully you had a good year this year and perhaps made some breakthroughs and I know, next year if you make yourself a game plan and set some goals you will.
Here are some things you can do to get ready for next year:
- Check your averages with your home association. If you are an NSCA member you can get a look at your average for the year by logging on to MyNSCA.com. Keep in mind that the official averages will not be released until after classification review which will be the first two weeks in January. You should receive your new class card around the 15th. Check your average against previous years to see if you can spot a trend. Hopefully it is an upwards one!
- Set a goal to raise that average. As Gebben Miles stated the path to reaching your ultimate goal can be through setting a bunch of mini goals. These mini goals can be things like practicing one aspect of your game daily or weekly or committing to shoot in bigger events where you will be exposed to tougher targets.
- House keeping. Strip that gun and clean it or have your qualified gunsmith do it! Look for worn parts and replace them now. Also it’s a good time to order spares to keep with you i.e. springs and firing pins. Clean out your bags, vests, pouches, push carts and clays carts. Get rid of that junk that seems to accumulate during the season.
- Consider your ammo needs. If you haven’t been buying in bulk take a look through your receipts and figure out how much ammo you really use. It might save money to order everything you need for the season now. You can always team up with your buddies to go for even deeper discounts from ammo suppliers.
- Make a schedule. Look through the local, national and international shoot calenders (see the sidebar here) and write down a schedule. Don’t forget to include practice and instruction time.
- Speaking of Instruction, get some. The off season is the perfect time to get some instruction. You will have the rest of the year to apply what you have learned and make it work for you. It will help you reach your goal. You can also read some things online that may help you like my In the Hoop: Q&A with Anthony Matarese.
- Consider taking a break. It can be very beneficial to lay off shooting for a month or two. It can help avoid burn out and may get you over a slump. If you do take a break leave yourself time to get back to shooting slowly. Take in some focused practice before jumping into a tournament. Those of you who plan to shoot one of the early season big blasts like the Rhino Rally, Seminole Cup or the African PCH championship may not want to take a complete break. it might be better to just slow down and do focused practice.
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