January/February 2011: Volume 19, Number 1 - USA Shooting

From Youth Programs & Athlete Development
Can I, or do I have the ability to win a place on the U.S.
Olympic Team and to win medals at the Olympic
Games? I recall shooting in my backyard or on my
aunt’s farm as a pre-teen wondering what it would be
like to compete in the Olympics. If you are asking
yourself “am I good enough,” or “can I compete at the international
or Olympic level,” the answer is YES you can, IF you are willing to
work and train for gold.
For me, the answer to this question came about one year after
I joined my high school Junior ROTC rifle team. I was a sophomore
shooting every day for an hour and a half or more, entering local
competitions and eventually watching my skills and scores increase.
Being pushed, challenged and supported by my JROTC coach made
it easy for me to picture myself on the podium in the future. It wasn’t
a question of “if,” but “when.”
Between my junior and senior year I worked all summer saving
nearly every dollar to purchase my own Anschutz 1413 Super Match
target rifle. My dad agreed to buy the leather shooting jacket if I
saved the money for the rifle. This put my shooting career in high
gear. My freshman year in college, I was on the varsity rifle team, a
feat that no freshman had ever achieved. I was motivated to be the
best. I learned about the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit in my junior
year of college, and five years later I was competing in the Olympic
Games.
When you read articles and profiles of past and current
Yes . . . You Can!
Olympians, you see common threads in how they all started—
hunting with grandfathers, dads or uncles at an early age, or starting
with a BB gun, pellet gun, .22 rifle, pistol or shotgun. It starts as a
lesson in gun safety or having fun shooting at cans or targets either in
your backyard, someone’s farm or at a local shooting club. You realize
how much fun shooting is and want to improve, getting more time
on the range or on the field.
And then you get the urge to shoot the local turkey shoot or
club competition. Now you’re hooked. You watch your skills increase
along with your confidence. When you ask for help there are plenty
of adults and competitive shooters offering to help in any way they
can. It’s the way of our sport—like an extended family. The details
of the path to the Olympics play out differently for each of us, but
the underlying basics exist in the stories for most Olympic shooting
athletes.
The big “IF” at the end of “yes you can” refers to your
willingness to practice hard, learn from a good coach and others in
the sport, compete in as many matches as possible, join a club or
facility that you use on a regular basis, obtain and maintain good
equipment/guns and stay focused on your goals. As with any sport,
there is a learning curve and how fast you progress depends on your
commitment to continuous improvement. The path to the Olympic
Games isn’t for everyone, but if you have the drive and commitment,
YES you can and USA Shooting is here to help you along the path.
■ Michael Theimer
jan feb 2011.indd 27
1/3/2011 10:46:22 AM