Personal Narrative: My Trap Shooting Career

“Keep the mountains on your left and you are facing north.” In my hometown, that is how you figure out where you are and what way you are going. Growing up my whole life I was surrounded by mountains, whether I went North, South, East, and West the mountains were always in sight. When I was thirteen, I joined a competitive trap shooting league called the Amateur Trap Association. In the sport of trap five shooters, usually teammates, stand on five individual posts, or firing positions, that are angled towards a central trap house. Beginning with the first shooter and their command of “pull”, a 4 1/4 inch clay disc is hurled forward randomly through the air at a speed of 42mph, simulating the flight path of a bird fleeing a hunter. If the shooter breaks the clay, shatters it or chips it, it is counted as a “dead” target. Shooters shoot five times at each station then rotate through the five stations, shooting at a total of twenty-five targets. In the beginning of my trap shooting career, I was very confused and was not very good, but I did not realize how far from my comfort zone and my hometown that this sport would take me. After over three years of practicing twice a week and getting tips, pointers and words of

So, everyone will eventually be put into difficult and stressful situations. Humans are individuals with varying personalities; everyone will react differently to their situation. Some individuals act like I did, the stress and emotions become too much and they want to give up. Others use that stress and their emotions to drive themselves forward and be the best they can be in that situation. Being able to handle that stress and the emotions it causes you is essential in living a happy and successful life. So whether you need to use your resources, get a pep talk from a peer or even yourself, or practice over and over again to get through the difficult situation you are in. Never give up on your passions, goals, or your