Kingcreek
Member
I had something really great happen yesterday.
I know we have some trap threads going but I post this by itself. Forgive me as is it not really shotgun related.
I was invited to a high school graduation party for a young woman I coached in HS trap. I was out of town for meetings that went late and I sent a text to her stepdad and said I was trying to get back but running late. He insisted I come anyway.
I got there and there were still quite a few relatives. Most I had seen when they came to watch her shoot. Some I met for the first time.
The girl shooter ran out and gave me a hug and I gave her a card. I’m very careful about touching this generation and even ask them before I adjust their shooting stance. She hugged me again and said she had to leave for work.
The parents and relatives treated me like royalty. Apparently she was always very shy and guarded and the fact that she gave me a hug on her own was amazement to them.
They insisted that the trap shooting and me as coach along with her teacher adviser transformed this girl. She was terrified to take a shotgun and fire her first shot but her friend got her there. I started her off very slowly and carefully and stayed right behind her shoulder until she was comfortable with it. I remember the look on her face when she hit her first target about half way through her 2nd post.
She finished her first flight with 8 out of 25. She was slumping down looking at the ground and said “I suck, I can’t do it” I showed her the score sheet and said “you did 1 better than a junior boy and he’s shot before tonight. Come back and we’ll do better together”.
She did come back, and she got better and shot 3 years with us. We had fun.
Until yesterday, I didn’t realize how much it meant to her and her family. Really glad I went and got that hug.
I know we have some trap threads going but I post this by itself. Forgive me as is it not really shotgun related.
I was invited to a high school graduation party for a young woman I coached in HS trap. I was out of town for meetings that went late and I sent a text to her stepdad and said I was trying to get back but running late. He insisted I come anyway.
I got there and there were still quite a few relatives. Most I had seen when they came to watch her shoot. Some I met for the first time.
The girl shooter ran out and gave me a hug and I gave her a card. I’m very careful about touching this generation and even ask them before I adjust their shooting stance. She hugged me again and said she had to leave for work.
The parents and relatives treated me like royalty. Apparently she was always very shy and guarded and the fact that she gave me a hug on her own was amazement to them.
They insisted that the trap shooting and me as coach along with her teacher adviser transformed this girl. She was terrified to take a shotgun and fire her first shot but her friend got her there. I started her off very slowly and carefully and stayed right behind her shoulder until she was comfortable with it. I remember the look on her face when she hit her first target about half way through her 2nd post.
She finished her first flight with 8 out of 25. She was slumping down looking at the ground and said “I suck, I can’t do it” I showed her the score sheet and said “you did 1 better than a junior boy and he’s shot before tonight. Come back and we’ll do better together”.
She did come back, and she got better and shot 3 years with us. We had fun.
Until yesterday, I didn’t realize how much it meant to her and her family. Really glad I went and got that hug.
