As I was participating in this years Indoor Nationals, it dawned on me that life had come full circle. Here I was sitting next to my son, who was lighting it up, while I was struggling with my shot. Every end he would encourage me and let me know if I was executing the way I intended. I sat there sort of stunned and chuckled to myself at the irony of the situation. Truth be told, I rather enjoyed how the tables had turned.

In general, parents and coaches secretly long for the time their charges outperform their mentors. We all expect growth but when it becomes clearly evident that there is not only improved performances, but a depth of understanding of the task at hand, it is deeply gratifying. And so it went this year.

There is one other observation from this years event. While I did struggle with my process early, prior success led to a slight adjustment in my shot and I was able to shoot with competence, if not brilliance. I was able to draw on shot keys I had abandoned and used them to quickly find a way to compete. This is very different from ‘trying new things’ in the middle of an event, which leads to nothing but frustration. It was adopting something which I had discarded in error, in hopes of shot improvement. I tested those new ideas in practice and a local event, but when really put to the test, those new ideas couldn’t hold up to the stress, while the tried and tested methods shone through my calcified psyche. Perhaps an apt analogy is an old horse finding his way home without a rider. It isn’t done consciously. The sheer repetition of the horse going home allows it to happen.