I have been re-reading Lanny Bassham's book, With Winning In Mind. I am surprised at how much I forgot, ignored or missed. Maybe I wasn't ready to hear some of the things he writes about.
He has a dedicated web site for shooting sports at: http://www.mentaltrainingshooting.co...ol-and-action/
I am going to blog on some of my own mental challenges (no laughing) to competing.
I will start where I began in competition:
My first few IDPA Matches and one NSCA sporting clays match I really didn't care where I placed, and wasn't expecting to win anything. I was just having so much fun that it really didn't matter. When I was able to go up to a sporting clays stand and push the button without knowing the path of the clays, and actually hit the clays, it was very satisfying and fun. Similarly, when I shot my early IDPA matches, I was happy to see the correct number of bullet holes in the down zero...time didn't really matter then. When I remembered the COF and made no procedurals and didn't hit non-threats, it felt great. That is when I got the passion for shooting sports. At the time I had not even thought about the mental aspects of shooting. When I completed the match people would ask me how I did and I reeled off all the things I did wrong, and rarely said something positive.
I will leave it there for now. Share your story of how you became passionate about competing in shooting sports.
Cody