Marksmanship is a co-ed competitive shooting sport that is very popular in high schools across the nation. At Byrd we practice "3 position sporter air rifle" which is an entry level to intermediate level shooting sport for high school students. It feeds into college shooting, international shooting, and the Olympics. Many colleges and universities have shooting programs that offer scholarships to excellent shooters who meet the academic standards of the institution. Our program has produced 2 national champion shooters and numerous others who have placed in national level competition. Two of our past members, Daniel Duzan and Trey Eades, have won three national titles between them and set national records while competing.
Marksmanship has no specific physical requirements other than good or corrected vision and the physical ability to get into the positions. It is not a contact sport requiring physical aggression with the attending injuries. It is a sport in which competitive aggression is necessary, but is mental in nature and directed at a paper or electronic target. It is one of the safest sports in high school to participate in. Marksmanship does, however, require a great deal of mental and emotional discipline. These skills are developed in training along with the physical skills. Initially, the ability to understand and follow instructions is crucial. Later, the ability to work alone, analyze performance, and make adjustments independently allow the shooter to progress. Finally, the drive and mental aggression to excel in competition will make all the difference between a good shooter and a great one.
Coaching marksmanship is different from coaching other sports such as basketball or football. At the beginning the shooters are taught the physical skill sets used in shooting. Those who follow instructions, listen well, and remember the instruction will excel in this phase of the training and their learning curve will be more steep. As the shooters progress their performance becomes more and more dependent on their ability to analyze information, process it, and solve problems on their own with assistance from the coach. As they begin to compete in larger tournaments they will find that the coach is not allowed to coach them while they are shooting. Once the shooter has passed through this phase the relationship between the shooter and the coach will be the primary determining factor that allows the shooter to progress. The shooter must trust the coach's knowledge and ability to provide accurate, timely information to the shooter. Improvement becomes more difficult at this point. Coaching involves primarily mental and emotional issues. The sport is well over 90% mental and requires a tremendous amount of mental discipline, focusing skills, emotional control, and superior analytical skills. Shooters must be independent minded, able to work alone, and to make decisions for themselves. Patience is a must.
Tryouts for the marksmanship team are held at the beginning of school..
