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274 Madison Sharpe: Why She Stepped Back This Year · The Dead Pair Podcast

0:26
SPEAKER_01: Never imitated podcast.
0:36
SPEAKER_06: Welcome back, everyone, and welcome back, my West Coast Viking, Tracy Wright.
0:42
SPEAKER_06: What's up, Trace?
0:44
SPEAKER_04: Not a whole lot.
0:45
SPEAKER_04: It's good to good to hear your voice again, brother.
0:47
SPEAKER_06: Yes, it's it's been it's been a minute or two.
0:50
SPEAKER_06: And joining us for the whole show, the lovely Miss Madison Sharp.
0:54
SPEAKER_06: Madison, how are you?
0:55
SPEAKER_02: I'm good.
0:56
SPEAKER_02: How are y'all?
0:57
SPEAKER_06: Uh I'm doing fantastic.
0:59
SPEAKER_06: I think this is kind of cool because normally we open up, you know, we do a little bit of an intro, and I'm like, you know what?
1:04
SPEAKER_06: Madison's got so much good stuff to talk about.
1:06
SPEAKER_06: Tracy's got so much good stuff to talk about.
1:08
SPEAKER_06: It's like, you know what, just just let's just do the whole show with them.
1:11
SPEAKER_06: But if you if y'all will sit tight real quick, we do have a tourney talk to get to.
1:16
SPEAKER_06: So let's do that right now.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: It's tourney talk.
1:23
SPEAKER_01: Brought to you by Scorechaser.
1:26
SPEAKER_06: All right, the American Feetast Grand Prix and Sporting 200 at Eagle's Nest in Mount Gilead, Ohio is now open for registration.
1:33
SPEAKER_06: The shoot will be held June 9th through the 13th, 2027, and that is in Mount Gilead, Ohio.
1:41
SPEAKER_06: Um also the Dead Pear Blast, December 11th and 12th, 2026, is still waiting on your registration, so get over there and get signed up.
1:49
SPEAKER_06: And as a reminder, the Dead Pear Pro Am Benefiting Medway Midway USA Foundation is available for sign up.
1:55
SPEAKER_06: Go to Midway USA Foundation.org, go to the latest news, and click on the Dead Pear Pro Am where you will now see a link to get signed up.
2:05
SPEAKER_06: Uh, we will have world, national, regional, and state champion coaches there to shoot with for the day.
2:11
SPEAKER_06: Every penny raised will go to Midway USA Foundation, where they were matched dollar for dollar, and then that will all be going to youth shooting endowments.
2:20
SPEAKER_06: So it's uh it's something really cool that we're putting together for Midway, and it's right in front of the Dead Pear Blast.
2:26
SPEAKER_06: So if you're planning on coming, bring a little extra watt of cash with you and uh do something cool.
2:31
SPEAKER_06: We'll shoot with a pro.
2:32
SPEAKER_06: And it might even get you tuned up for the dead pear blast.
2:35
SPEAKER_06: So also the Indiana State Championship at Fall Creek Indiana Gun Club is now open for registration August 26th through the 29th.
2:45
SPEAKER_06: That's 2027.
2:47
SPEAKER_06: And also the Browning Briley at Greater Houston is now open for registration.
2:52
SPEAKER_06: That shoot will be held April 6th through the 10th, 2027.
2:57
SPEAKER_06: Madison, you know, you approached me with this topic, and I thought, you know what?
3:02
SPEAKER_06: This is good because Tracy's been through it, I've been through it, I think a lot of our listeners have been through this.
3:09
SPEAKER_06: When does chasing the sport you love start taking some of the fun out of it?
3:14
SPEAKER_06: And you've I think you've kind of endured some of that lately, right?
3:19
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, absolutely I have, and I think that's a great topic to talk about.
3:23
SPEAKER_02: And I feel like nobody's really talked about it, so what better time to talk about it than now?
3:28
SPEAKER_06: Well, you know, that being said, people have noticed that we haven't seen you as much lately at as many tournaments this year.
3:34
SPEAKER_06: So I know you've gotten a lot of questions about it.
3:37
SPEAKER_06: You told me so.
3:38
SPEAKER_06: So let's start there.
3:39
SPEAKER_06: Why did you decide to back off a little bit?
3:42
SPEAKER_02: You know, I think the simple answer is life, right?
3:45
SPEAKER_02: I'm 25.
3:47
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm not married, I don't have kids, and there's a lot of things I want to do before any of those things happen or come my way.
3:56
SPEAKER_02: And so I really taken this year just to take a little bit of a step back.
4:01
SPEAKER_02: Um, I've been doing this for 15 years and I've had an awesome journey.
4:07
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm really blessed that this is what I do.
4:11
SPEAKER_02: Um, sometimes I'll look at myself and I'm like, wow, I can't believe I get to do this in you know, in this life, and it's an awesome feeling.
4:19
SPEAKER_02: But at the same time, there's a lot more to life than winning a tournament, right?
4:25
SPEAKER_02: And I think that I started to lose a little bit of respect and love for this sport probably about two years ago.
4:33
SPEAKER_02: And really, yeah, and I think a lot of it came from I had a couple of really good years, really, really good years.
4:41
SPEAKER_02: You know, my best years of shooting were probably 2023, 2024, um, summer 2025.
4:49
SPEAKER_02: And I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, right?
4:52
SPEAKER_02: You know, like people they always remember who won this shoot or that shoot the year before.
4:57
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, I'm not having fun in the competition space.
5:03
SPEAKER_02: And so this year I made the hard decision to take a little bit of a step back and try and enjoy the tournament, the competition, the pressure.
5:14
SPEAKER_02: And I have been enjoying it a lot more this year.
5:17
SPEAKER_02: You know, there's not the pressure to make Team USA, there's not the pressure to go out and go win every shoot.
5:23
SPEAKER_02: And so I have a really awesome group of sponsors.
5:28
SPEAKER_02: Um, my family and friends supported me.
5:31
SPEAKER_02: And to be completely honest, since you know, we're having such a raw conversation right now, I remember I called my dad one day.
5:40
SPEAKER_02: I was so frustrated with the way I'd shot.
5:43
SPEAKER_02: And he's like, you know, why don't why don't you just take a little bit of a break?
5:48
SPEAKER_02: He's like, you can't do everything all at once, you know, and be good at everything.
5:53
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
5:54
SPEAKER_02: And uh took his advice, and and so yeah, I can honestly say I'm a lot happier now.
6:01
SPEAKER_02: And who knows, maybe next year I'll come back in, you know, full force.
6:06
SPEAKER_02: I think that right now I am trying to stay in the present and not look too far into the future and you know, just enjoy life as it is right now.
6:18
SPEAKER_02: I have a wonderful support system, like I said, supporting me in whatever I do.
6:24
SPEAKER_02: And right now, I'm just I'm excited to go out and go shoot a shotgun without the pressure and the competition and and all of that.
6:37
SPEAKER_02: And so it's been a good change of pace, honestly.
6:39
SPEAKER_02: Um, I've been getting to experience some other things in life too, which has been absolutely awesome.
6:45
SPEAKER_02: You know, me two years ago, if I would have been trying to experience these other things, um, I wouldn't have probably enjoyed them, got the opportunity to experience them.
6:55
SPEAKER_02: And so now um I've kind of changed just the way I'm I'm looking at life in general, and I have an awesome shooting career and awesome clientele, and you know, I'm just pursuing some other things in life right now.
7:08
SPEAKER_06: So let me ask you this: was it physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion, uh, financials, life outside of shooting, or was it just an accumulation of all of those things?
7:22
SPEAKER_02: I would say it's an accumulation of all of it.
7:25
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
7:25
SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, we work so hard every year to go out and compete at the highest level that we can.
7:37
SPEAKER_02: And it really takes a toll on a person, especially whenever we're traveling, you know, probably 20, 25 weeks out of the year.
7:46
SPEAKER_02: You know, that's a lot of sacrifices that our families are making, our friends are making with us.
7:52
SPEAKER_02: And I've learned that sometimes family and and friends and things like that are more important than shooting.
8:00
SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, and honestly, too, you know, you go back and you go look.
8:06
SPEAKER_02: And so I was just telling somebody actually yesterday, you know, they're like, why aren't you trying to make the team anymore?
8:12
SPEAKER_02: And and I said, Listen, I've experienced that.
8:14
SPEAKER_02: You know, I have nothing else to prove to anyone.
8:17
SPEAKER_02: I've proved it to myself.
8:19
SPEAKER_02: I know the shooter that I am.
8:21
SPEAKER_02: I'm sure others know the shooter that I am too.
8:24
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, why am I gonna go travel so much and then I spend all this money trying to make the team?
8:32
SPEAKER_02: Well, then you make the team, and then we we go to wherever the world championship is, and you know, we get reimbursed for um for our travel and stuff like that, but I'd rather go and enjoy and do other things.
8:47
SPEAKER_02: And then next year, if I want to go to the world fee task, I'll pay for the world fee task out of pocket instead of you know trying to make the team and and relying on on that financial stability, you know.
8:59
SPEAKER_02: And I think a lot of it too is everything's so expensive and the the return on it.
9:06
SPEAKER_02: Um, there have been some bigger payouts this year and last year, and you know, we're all coming from a shooter's standpoint, we're all very grateful for that.
9:16
SPEAKER_02: Um, but unfortunately, we aren't getting paid like we're in the NFL, right?
9:21
SPEAKER_02: So um the return is not nearly as big.
9:25
SPEAKER_02: So I'm like, there's other things I'd rather spend my money on, and once again, enjoy life.
9:30
SPEAKER_02: So I think it's a combination of of everything to answer your question.
9:36
SPEAKER_02: And I'm 25.
9:38
SPEAKER_02: There's things that I want to go do other than shoot a shotgun, and I finally have come to a realization of that.
9:45
SPEAKER_06: So well, Tracy, you're in somewhat of the same place.
9:48
SPEAKER_06: I mean, when did you start questioning whether you needed to go to ever shoot?
9:53
SPEAKER_04: Uh, I've been questioning that for a long time.
9:58
SPEAKER_04: That's been about all going on a long time, but uh, you know, I think ultimately, you know, for me, uh, shooting needs to pay for shooting.
10:08
SPEAKER_04: Uh, I use, you know, I still have a full-time job, um, almost two full-time jobs.
10:14
SPEAKER_04: And um, you know, I you I utilize all my uh time off to work, basically, to teach and get lessons and things like that.
10:22
SPEAKER_04: So it's there, it's a lot, you know.
10:25
SPEAKER_04: Sometimes I'd like to use my vacation time to go sit on a beach or actually go do like a real vacation kind of thing.
10:32
SPEAKER_04: Um but um, but I love to do this, you know.
10:36
SPEAKER_04: It's uh it's a passion that I've that I've had for a long, long time.
10:39
SPEAKER_04: And I just couldn't imagine, you know, I stopped trying to pretend that I could ever walk away from it.
10:45
SPEAKER_04: Um, and I think that I've settled more in Madison's place about trying to find balance in life.
10:51
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
10:51
SPEAKER_04: Madison, do you feel like you shot better or worse when you scaled back?
10:55
SPEAKER_04: Like your true performance.
10:57
SPEAKER_04: How do you feel like your performance has changed?
11:01
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, I think that's a really good question.
11:04
SPEAKER_02: So I would say a little bit of both.
11:07
SPEAKER_02: For one, I instruct um shotgun shooting, right?
11:12
SPEAKER_02: So I I would say that I consider that my full-time um job.
11:18
SPEAKER_02: And I do have a couple other things that I have my hands in and that keep me just as busy as teaching people how to shoot shotguns.
11:26
SPEAKER_02: But with that being said, you know, I'm I'm at a gun club, you know, I would say probably somehow, somehow, at least 300 days out of the year.
11:37
SPEAKER_02: And that's a lot, you know.
11:39
SPEAKER_02: So even, yeah, even when I'm a not at the competitions, I'm still somehow at a gun club, right?
11:46
SPEAKER_02: Um so I would say that there have been times when it has been really, really good for me and I've performed amazing when I stay away.
11:58
SPEAKER_02: And then there have also been times where I've fallen short.
12:01
SPEAKER_02: And the only thing that I can say from that is well, if I would have been practicing and I would have been putting in a little more effort, then there was those couple of targets that I easily could have had, but I didn't from lack of effort.
12:19
SPEAKER_02: And there's no one to blame except for myself, right?
12:22
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that's the story of my life for the last uh the last year and a half has been, or two years probably, uh, has been absolutely that.
12:31
SPEAKER_06: I got a question for both of you.
12:33
SPEAKER_06: And and and I I've kind of sort of been in the same shoes, not nearly as much.
12:38
SPEAKER_06: I mean, I don't get me wrong, you know, you guys travel way more than I do.
12:42
SPEAKER_06: I mean, I but I had 14 weeks uh before this before this year will be out, I'll be 14 weeks on the road.
12:48
SPEAKER_06: Now that's not nearly as much as you guys did, but at the same time, I have a wife and kid at home.
12:54
SPEAKER_06: So that makes it way more difficult for me, you know.
12:57
SPEAKER_06: Um, but what I wanted to ask is was it difficult to kind of like give yourselves permission to not go?
13:06
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
13:08
SPEAKER_02: So here's here's my answer that I would give to that.
13:12
SPEAKER_02: It was difficult in the sense of are people gonna think that I'm a failure or that I don't like the sport anymore, or what are people gonna think whenever I'm not there?
13:28
SPEAKER_02: Right?
13:29
SPEAKER_02: There was a couple of times this year I chose to go fishing over going competing, and it was so hard.
13:39
SPEAKER_02: The very first time I did it this year, it was one of the hardest things I think I've ever done.
13:45
SPEAKER_02: And you know, I'm like, how how like I feel like so out of place, right?
13:50
SPEAKER_02: Like I feel like I'm almost betraying my life because I'm not doing the thing that I know to do.
13:58
SPEAKER_02: Like I said, I've been doing this for 15 years, I've missed out on a lot of life events before shotgun shooting because I chose the shotgun over everything else.
14:10
SPEAKER_02: And it almost was there were a couple of times where almost for me was like, wow, like this is a little sad, but then I had to remind myself, I'm almost doing this to better myself and my life because at some point I have to have a break from it.
14:30
SPEAKER_02: If not, I'm going to lose all the love and all the respect for the sport.
14:34
SPEAKER_06: Tracy, you're nodding your head, yes, an awful lot over there.
14:37
SPEAKER_06: She's talking.
14:39
SPEAKER_04: No, it's just it's such a similar thing, you know.
14:41
SPEAKER_04: You you you do feel like you're kind of letting your sport down if you go.
14:46
SPEAKER_04: And um, you know, I I think to I think it takes a certain kind of person to play just for like all the marbles every single time you go.
14:57
SPEAKER_04: I mean, Madison is not is not playing for second.
15:01
SPEAKER_04: Right.
15:01
SPEAKER_04: Uh I'd be willing to bet Madison has one gear that is to win.
15:05
SPEAKER_04: And I think it's really, really hard to have any other gear or any other mindset.
15:11
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
15:11
SPEAKER_04: You know, it's really, it's really interesting, you know, because Madison's trying to find balance or really, you know, kind of exploring that.
15:19
SPEAKER_04: And I just remember, you know, a couple years back I lost a business and had to go through a whole life reset.
15:25
SPEAKER_04: But I remember kind of feeling like I had seen the mountains for the first time.
15:31
SPEAKER_04: I had, you know, I mean, it's like literally, I felt like I finally pulled my head out of the sand.
15:35
SPEAKER_04: I can't tell you how many different states I've been to, but I still completely have not seen them.
15:40
SPEAKER_04: I saw the gun club, a restaurant, and a hotel.
15:43
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
15:43
SPEAKER_04: Um, that's what I saw.
15:46
SPEAKER_04: And I know, you know, you guys have had the same experience, but it's like, at what point do I find that balance and do I actually go to Colorado to see a mountain or something that Colorado is actually known for?
15:58
SPEAKER_04: Um as opposed to just the shooting range, you know?
16:01
SPEAKER_06: Well, that's that's a that's a really good point, Tracy, because I mean, I, you know, it's outside of the sport, but I was just watching uh somebody uh very well known in another sport had just retired.
16:14
SPEAKER_06: And he's like, look, he goes, I go from race to race all over this country, but I go from the airport to the hotel to the racetrack, back to the hotel, back to the airport, and I'm gone.
16:25
SPEAKER_06: So have I been in South Dakota?
16:27
SPEAKER_06: Yes.
16:28
SPEAKER_06: Have I been in Florida?
16:30
SPEAKER_06: Yes.
16:30
SPEAKER_06: Do I get to go to the beach with my family?
16:32
SPEAKER_06: No, that doesn't happen, right?
16:34
SPEAKER_06: So um, let's talk about that for a second.
16:37
SPEAKER_06: Um sorry, Trace, ladies first.
16:41
SPEAKER_06: Uh Madison, you know, a lot of people that shoot this game mainly compete locally.
16:48
SPEAKER_06: Um, I I would say your average shooter is probably more of a within the state type of shooter, right?
16:57
SPEAKER_06: So from the outside, looking in, traveling around and shooting tournaments all over the country looks like it's pretty great.
17:06
SPEAKER_06: But what does everybody not see?
17:09
SPEAKER_06: Oh man, talk to them about the grind a little bit because it it is a grind, right?
17:14
SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah, you're yeah, you hit the nail on the head there.
17:18
SPEAKER_02: You know, I have this conversation with so many people weekly, and their response to me when I say, Hey, I'm going here or there to go and compete, their answer is, Oh my gosh, that's so cool.
17:37
SPEAKER_02: Like, you get to go everywhere and you get to go see all these really cool things, and you know, blah blah blah.
17:44
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, you know, that's what it might seem like, and that that might be what you think, but that's not at all what's happening.
17:53
SPEAKER_02: So, and and then I explained to everybody that so I'm gonna leave from Texas and I'm gonna drive 14 hours to wherever and get in at midnight, and then I'm gonna sleep for probably six hours, get up the next morning, you know, go do registration, probably shoot an event.
18:13
SPEAKER_02: Well, after day one is over with, I'm tired.
18:16
SPEAKER_02: So I'm gonna go back to my hotel and shower and eat, and then I'm going to bed.
18:20
SPEAKER_02: And then the grind just continues like that over the next four days.
18:25
SPEAKER_02: And then Sunday night after, you know, we get done shooting and awards and everything's over with, it's eight, nine o'clock at night, sometimes even later than that.
18:34
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
18:35
SPEAKER_02: And then I'm gonna get on the road and probably drive until about midnight, maybe even longer than that.
18:42
SPEAKER_02: And then I'm gonna sleep for a couple hours and I'm gonna get up and finish going back home.
18:47
SPEAKER_02: And when I get home, it's boom, it's work.
18:51
SPEAKER_02: And you know, for me, I work on the road as well.
18:55
SPEAKER_02: So um, I even when I'm at these competitions, when I'm at these shoots, I am still working.
19:01
SPEAKER_02: You know, it never stops for me.
19:03
SPEAKER_02: And the travel, yeah, I've seen some really cool places, but did I really get to see and go off on an adventure and explore some of these places?
19:13
SPEAKER_02: Not really.
19:14
SPEAKER_02: You know, I might see these things in passing, but that's about it.
19:18
SPEAKER_02: I never get really the time to go and see, go do sightseeing stuff.
19:23
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, all the cool things that, you know, you go to this certain city, and this city's known for this.
19:28
SPEAKER_02: Well, chances are I probably haven't seen it, I probably haven't done it just because of how much I'm on the road and it's constantly go, go, go, go, go.
19:38
SPEAKER_05: Right.
19:38
SPEAKER_02: And finally, Christmas time comes around and I get to spend a little bit of time with my family, you know.
19:45
SPEAKER_02: So right around Christmas, New Year's, that's that that's my time with my family, and a lot of people don't realize that.
19:51
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
19:51
SPEAKER_02: Um and and so, you know, I look forward to basically that week of the year where I get to do nothing except be with my family, sit around home, and and just try and breathe for a minute.
20:07
SPEAKER_02: So a lot of people don't understand the lifestyle that we live.
20:10
SPEAKER_06: Trace, you got anything you want to add to that, Bobby?
20:13
SPEAKER_04: Uh Madison uh explained it pretty well.
20:16
SPEAKER_04: And you know, Madison has certainly done it to a really high level too with overseas travel.
20:21
SPEAKER_04: So she's definitely given up a lot.
20:24
SPEAKER_04: But um, yeah, I mean, it just feels very similar.
20:27
SPEAKER_04: You know, for me, I'm on the West Coast, so there's not a whole lot of uh people coaching full-time on the West Coast, to be honest, especially in Spokane, Washington.
20:37
SPEAKER_04: Uh, you've got to do a lot of traveling, and you know, I think the discussion of do I move, you know, do I go to a different place, or do I, you know, I mean, there's been a lot of big choices that needed to be made over the years.
20:50
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
20:50
SPEAKER_04: And sometimes you decide to be safe, and sometimes you decide to really make the jump and uh you hope you make the right decision.
20:57
SPEAKER_04: But uh, but yeah, you know, I think we we have given a lot in our own ways to the game.
21:05
SPEAKER_04: And I think, you know, at some point you realize you gotta do it all for the journey.
21:12
SPEAKER_04: There's no outcome that is gonna make it worth it.
21:14
SPEAKER_04: I really don't think there is.
21:16
SPEAKER_04: You just have to love every step and every chance to play.
21:20
SPEAKER_06: You have to.
21:22
SPEAKER_06: You know, one of the things I don't think a lot of people realize, I hear it all the time, and you you can definitely tell the people that are new or newer to the game when they have this part of the conversation is like, well, all these pros get paid to go to the shoots.
21:36
SPEAKER_06: It's like this is not PGA.
21:40
SPEAKER_06: It does not work that way, okay?
21:42
SPEAKER_06: I mean, it's you know, I don't know about you, Madison, but you know, Fioki doesn't send their private jet to pick me up to go to a shoot.
21:49
SPEAKER_06: So uh I I'm I'm on Sean Mainland's case about where's my Kohler limo when I get there, you know, but it just hasn't happened yet.
21:58
SPEAKER_06: But no, there is an extreme case.
22:00
SPEAKER_06: cost in this.
22:01
SPEAKER_06: You know, and it goes back to what Tracy just hinted.
22:05
SPEAKER_06: If you're not doing it for the love of the game, why are you doing it?
22:08
SPEAKER_06: Right?
22:09
SPEAKER_06: Like so it's but it does add up and it does come with a cost.
22:13
SPEAKER_06: And if you're not winning and you're not placing in the money, you know, especially at the level you guys are at, it's it's financially it's a huge burden.
22:23
SPEAKER_06: Right.
22:23
SPEAKER_06: You know, I mean one of the people that I you know I probably should have had him on the show as well is Chad Roberts.
22:29
SPEAKER_06: He recently just bought a house and had to move an hour and a half south from where he was.
22:33
SPEAKER_06: That's a huge cost, especially in California, because they're you know house costs five times as much as anywhere else in the country.
22:39
SPEAKER_06: And you know so he's had to take a little break from shooting in order to afford the more important things in life, right?
22:46
SPEAKER_02: But if you're not what's that I was just going to say a good way to think about this is like when I go to the shoots my goal is to literally break even.
22:57
SPEAKER_02: If I win my money back from what it costs me to shoot, you know, and travel and all the expenses, I'm doing good, right?
23:04
SPEAKER_02: Like there are times when when I am in the positive but is it was it really worth but then you take that positive you know the profit and you divide that by five days and it's like well I could have stayed home and and I could have made a lot more money than that.
23:22
SPEAKER_02: So if you don't absolutely love this sport and almost have an unlimited bank account it's really hard to uh to to always be in the in the positive when when you look at the the pay subs and things like that.
23:37
SPEAKER_02: So you gotta love failing at this sport and you have to love succeeding at this sport because they're gonna balance out and if if you're not okay with failing at times then you're gonna have a hard time making it in a sport and I'm not even talking about making money just mentally and being okay with that.
24:01
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
24:01
SPEAKER_06: Well and to strengthen Madison's point Trace I I interviewed her last year you won the US Open it uh I think it was at Providence is that right she won the US Open for the ladies her pay was 500 bucks that didn't even cover her entry fee for everything.
24:22
SPEAKER_06: You know what I mean?
24:23
SPEAKER_06: So it's like she won and didn't win enough money to cover her registration.
24:27
SPEAKER_06: So I mean it's it it it can get really taxing and really really expensive.
24:33
SPEAKER_06: And so here's the thing I'll throw this out there for okay let's go back to the average shooter which is just say me.
24:40
SPEAKER_06: You know when Sean and I started this podcast it was like oh man we're gonna go to the Florida swing and we're gonna get a VRBO and we'll take the families and we'll make a vacation out of it.
24:48
SPEAKER_06: And that was kind of the start of how we started traveling.
24:51
SPEAKER_06: Now I mean look I'm sorry especially for somebody that's not at the top at the very top of the game and winning HOA I don't care if you win your class and just about every event it's still not going to pay for your travel it's expensive.
25:04
SPEAKER_06: It's very expensive and it gets very taxing.
25:07
SPEAKER_06: What I wanted to ask and Chase will I I'll give you this one first um at what point in this game does chasing points punches all American team rankings and all of that start controlling the shooter instead of the shooter controlling the schedule?
25:28
SPEAKER_04: You're probably asking the wrong guy to be honest I still I still feel like it controls me.
25:36
SPEAKER_04: You know I mean I mean I'm not sure how to answer that because I I you know I think it's like do you have retirement in the bank do you know are you set?
25:43
SPEAKER_04: Are you are your bills paid are you in a really good spot do you own your home I mean however you want to look at it but or are you at least heading that direction you know Madison's 25 she's got a lot of a lot of time to be smart yeah I have very little time sorry I'm not the best candidate for it but um yeah I mean I I I I think ultimately you have to set your path and a lot a certain a healthy amount you know I I think it's like gambling when you go to the casino you got to tell yourself what you're comfortable losing.
26:17
SPEAKER_04: And I think that it's a little bit like that.
26:20
SPEAKER_02: Yeah so um I just I've failed to tell myself what I'm comfortable losing and before you know it you got gold birds on the guy what do you what do you think Madison do you agree with all that yeah 100% you know this is something that I see pretty often and and and and it's really common um you know people will get into the sport and then they'll go all in they'll throw a bunch of money at it right they'll go buy the crown grade Krieg off and then close can they'll spend all this money up front and then they'll start going to these these smaller NFCA shoes then they'll start traveling and going to the bigger NFCA shoes and I see this a lot too especially with the lower class shooters and so they'll start in the low class and then they'll punch up then they'll punch up well during these times of them punching up they're making their money back or actually making money right and then when they hit masterclass they're kind of that standstill and then a lot of times you'll see people back off from going to a lot of these shoots because they say oh I don't have a chance to make money at it anymore.
27:38
SPEAKER_02: Right?
27:38
SPEAKER_02: Like I worked my way up I've made money doing it and now there's really nothing left for me because I'm in masterclass and you know they created pro class and and all of that but pro class is not at every shoot.
27:54
SPEAKER_02: And a lot of these guys aren't going and shooting the whole championship tour.
27:59
SPEAKER_02: So I think kind of the same thing like how much money do you want to spend and then look at your schedule and figure out what shoots make the most sense for you to go to and work off of that because this is an expensive sport and if there's not a good return or no return for you at all and that's going to be a problem well you know you're probably you might be in the wrong sport unfortunately.
28:28
SPEAKER_06: Yeah well you know so it's one of those things because that's the number one email or direct message that I get on a literally on a weekly basis it does not change is you know I made master and now I'm stuck.
28:44
SPEAKER_06: You know they feel stuck and and I look I have talked about it until I'm blue in the face and until the NSCA is willing to make a change and realize that there's a problem with the classification system.
28:58
SPEAKER_06: I mean you talked about pro class okay well but that still puts the top 20 30 maybe even 40 at a bigger shoot in master class trying to get into that pro class those top 20 30 40 in master are no joke.
29:12
SPEAKER_02: I mean you look at the scores look at the look at m1 outside of pro class look at m1 down to m20 yeah who it is exactly those boys are pros too you know I mean it's yeah they're uh there's some big ducks that are not in pro class exact you you're exactly right so there is that struggle and yes you're right Madison they can make some money on the way up but once they get up there we go again you know it's we're in that in that stuck place and I listen I I don't want this whole podcast to be Debbie Downer about traveling because if it is a family vacation for the average shooter or they're only going to get to go to one big shoot a year two big shoots go I there's nothing wrong with that you know I encourage that man go go go see some of these beautiful clubs and the different tournaments and stuff but the grind that uh Madison especially you and Tracy you were doing that that is you're you're going every if not every weekend every other weekend to a big shoot somewhere and that is a lot and so let me let me shift gears a little bit do you think Madison will start with you that competing too much can actually actually make you worse um I think the short answer is yes um I think there comes a time and a point to where you know we all want to compete at a high level we all want to win right like we are animals you know and and that's part of our instinct is to be the best at what we do and to win right and I think part of that comes with the mental side you know you can have a good mental game right but it's easy to wreck that and you know I'm talking from personal experience you know and and I think what is important there is for you to understand that you don't have to go and shoot every single shoot because there may be a time where you might need to take a step back and just not touch a gun for two weeks and kind of have just uh take a peace of mind and and just relax and breathe for a second and then go back in there.
31:34
SPEAKER_02: I do think that there is too much shooting that you can do to a certain extent where you know especially if you're at a time where you're struggling the instinct is okay well I'm I'm struggling on these three types of targets I'm gonna go and shoot a flat of shells every single day until I just can't miss them which is great.
31:57
SPEAKER_02: That sounds like an awesome plan right but you know if you're going out there in practice especially and putting all this pressure on yourself to fix this and then you have a tournament that weekend and you feel like you aren't prepared well now you just did the pressure times two for that tournament and it's probably not going to turn out very good probably not a good result like you would hope for.
32:21
SPEAKER_02: And so I do believe that there is such a thing as too much shooting for a person.
32:26
SPEAKER_02: We're all humans right like at some point there's got to be some sort of a break.
32:30
SPEAKER_04: Yeah I agreed Tracy what do you think Bon yeah I I agree a hundred percent I mean I've I've never really got a chance to do it I've never really shot enough tournaments where anybody told me you know like you gotta go home or anything.
32:44
SPEAKER_04: I just feel like when you're ready to stop chasing the ball you know you gotta you gotta stop for a little while but and find that balance but um yeah I just think that when you get there and you don't know why you're there and you don't have that same drive you know I gotta get excited you know when I roll in I remember there I don't I don't remember but you know Zach described going to nationals after you know he's been to every single one of them for like 30 years or something and you described every single year.
33:16
SPEAKER_04: It just feels this you know it gets him excited.
33:20
SPEAKER_04: He knows he's at the big show every time and I just think you got to get a little excited if it doesn't do that for you then you you're probably not gonna win it or you're probably not gonna put your best score up you know I think you gotta want it like that.
33:33
SPEAKER_06: Well sure and that I'm glad you said that because that leads me into the next thing here is is because I kind of wanted to take a little bit of a break from taking a break and shooting um and and kind of shift the focus a little bit to like how does the average person see what they actually want from shooting this sport.
33:53
SPEAKER_06: So you know why Tracy I'll throw this one at you first why do you think that sometimes with there's this perception that anybody that shoots register targets is supposed to be chasing a championship you ever notice that like you get a new guy in and he's shooting register and all of a sudden they get it's almost like I've never done drugs but I'm thinking it's like they tried they had a little taste and now it's like I want more.
34:21
SPEAKER_06: So what what happens here that everybody thinks I've shot a couple registered tournaments now I got to go chase a championship.
34:28
SPEAKER_04: You know I I run into this all the time you know you know because like I'm a coach and I teach a lot of different people I teach you know uh bird hunters uh trial gunners I mean just all sorts of different people but it's so weird because I find myself teaching everybody how to win like this is how you got to do it to win you know and I'm talking to him like this and I'm like wait he's 10.
34:48
SPEAKER_04: No I'm just kidding he came to me how to you know hunt how to hunt birds you know he wanted a wing shooting lesson and I'm trying to get him to win at sporting clays or get him to win everything.
35:02
SPEAKER_04: And it's like you know I've had some people tell me hey I'm a surgeon I don't my job is so intense I don't want to go compete I want this to be like a release sensible or calm it needs to be a bit of a release I want to be outside and enjoy myself please don't put pressure on me you know folks you know what am I doing here you know I got one gear and I just it's uh it's a it's a bit infectious but I think it takes a lot to manage that you really got to uh get your head straight.
35:33
SPEAKER_06: Yeah Madison you do a lot of coaching yourself do you do you run into that too do you see where people once they start competing they feel like they've got to just make a run um I I see a little bit of both sides.
35:47
SPEAKER_02: And what I mean by that is I feel like I am extremely blessed um to be where I ended up landing at here in Texas.
35:56
SPEAKER_02: I teach at Hogheaven Sporting Club and our new club that we just took over and opened a couple months ago at Horseshoe Bay Sporting Club.
36:08
SPEAKER_02: And it's a really unique situation that I found myself in and one is you know Hogheaven we're we're more the competitive side um and you know we have memberships and things like that.
36:21
SPEAKER_02: So we have a lot of members who they're getting involved into the sport and some of those members you know they want to go out and compete and you know I get them involved in the NSCA and then well all of a sudden now they're going to the state shoot and then in the national championship at the NSC because it's right here in our backyard.
36:42
SPEAKER_02: And then I have some other members and especially at horseshoe bay you know we're really proud to you know kind of showcase more of a country club style uh at horseshoe bay and so over there I have more of this is gonna be a leisure activity or my new hobby or hey I want to do this with my wife because it's going to give us something to do together that's not playing golf.
37:14
SPEAKER_02: So I find it really interesting that I kind of get the best of both worlds.
37:19
SPEAKER_02: So it's a good change of pace.
37:22
SPEAKER_02: Some is relaxed some is up you know more upbeat intense and the hey I want to compete and I want to be the best and I think when I get those people it's like okay well wait a minute you need to learn how to crawl before you can walk and then you got to walk before you can run instead of people just jumping in.
37:45
SPEAKER_02: So that would be my take on it.
37:47
SPEAKER_02: Um I think it's really I think and I think overall what I would say about this topic is it's really important that you set a goal for yourself in the beginning.
38:01
SPEAKER_02: And what I mean by that is not necessarily I want to win a world championship but hey I would like to punch into B class by the end of the year.
38:11
SPEAKER_02: I think that realistic goals are what I try to steer my shooters towards in coming from an instructor because I've been there I've done that I've seen it right so I think setting realistic goals instead of boom I all of a sudden want to be the best shooter in the world and want to go win a world championship.
38:32
SPEAKER_06: So that would be my take on it well let's talk about this for a second.
38:39
SPEAKER_06: So taking a break without walking away and this is going to apply to both of you because I think both of you are starting to find this balance right now.
38:49
SPEAKER_02: So what does a healthy break actually look like if if you if if there's someone listening it's like man I've been chasing this stuff and I'm going to every big shoot I can sign up for or afford to go to and I'm getting burnt out but I love the sport so how do you find that balance I mean like let's start with you Madison like what does a healthy break look like for you you know again like I found myself in a really positive and unique situation where I landed out in Texas and I couldn't be more grateful for the clubs and my Texas family and my clients I have a wonderful clientele and they're all great people they care they support me.
39:39
SPEAKER_02: And I think that that healthy break for me is not necessarily me picking up the gun and shooting but sharing my knowledge with other people through instruction.
39:52
SPEAKER_02: I think that for me that's okay but there are times where I need to get away from the gun club completely.
39:59
SPEAKER_02: You know and one thing that I even did about six months, no, not even six months ago sorry about three or four months ago was I moved out of my house um that I was living at on property of one of the clubs.
40:16
SPEAKER_02: You know that just became too much.
40:18
SPEAKER_02: I was like all right this is very oversaturated with how much time I'm spending here.
40:22
SPEAKER_02: Yeah you're living at work yeah yes yes and so I made that first step to move out of that house.
40:30
SPEAKER_02: And when I did it was like a breath of fresh air for me because I was like all right now there's some kind of separation.
40:38
SPEAKER_02: So when you ask me like what's part of like my plan to taking a break that was part of my plan and that's worked out really well um as funny as that may sound but so moving away you know just to have a little bit of distance and privacy and time to myself um I wasn't listening to guns go off you know half the day every day.
41:04
SPEAKER_02: And um so that was awesome.
41:07
SPEAKER_02: And then I really enjoy instructing I really love sharing my passion with other people but I think for me the break was I just need to get away from actually having the gun in my hands and I've also found recently that I really love fishing like a lot like too much.
41:30
SPEAKER_02: It's pretty dangerous.
41:33
SPEAKER_02: So I have been doing a lot of fishing if you follow me on social media you've probably seen um and it's funny enough I think almost every person I've come into contact they're like oh you're back from fishing oh I'm surprised you're not on a boat um you know so it's pretty funny but you know just doing something different that gives me the headspace to kind of just live and breathe and there's no pressure right like I just get to go be myself and enjoy my time and maybe it's because I'm out in the middle of the ocean and there's no service that might be why um you know people can't get a hold of me when I'm out fishing.
42:14
SPEAKER_02: I don't know but um I do really really enjoy hunting as well so I'm really excited for this hunting season coming up and so I'm looking forward to being back out in the woods and and back on the water.
42:27
SPEAKER_02: So um I think that it really depends on the person and you have to find what your happiness is and where you can find that at really and and what's gonna give you the space to breathe in.
42:46
SPEAKER_02: And I think yeah I think that'll help determine what does a break look like for you individually well Trace you're doing it again man you're she the whole time she's talking you're nodding your head yes the whole time here so that's cool I want to go fishing now and talking about unstuff so yeah it's pretty it's very similar for me you know it's gotta almost be like a structured activity I've tried to take vacations where I like go sit on the beach and stuff and I just twiddle my thumbs and think about sporting clays the whole time.
43:19
SPEAKER_04: So it doesn't work very so um I've always been super obsessed with the gym it's very psychologically clearing for me um and then fishing and hunting have always been that thing they kind of force that that moment out in nature you know and I think to me that's real time off you know when you can kind of really turn it off and I have to be outside for moments like that.
43:44
SPEAKER_04: And I really like being outside.
43:47
SPEAKER_06: Okay so since you're both coaches I'm gonna ask this is going to sound like a selfish question because you know where you two know where this is coming from being me but there's a lot of people listening Thing to this, it's going to relate to what I'm talking about here.
44:03
SPEAKER_06: There's probably a lot of people just got home from San Antonio and they got two tabs open on their computer.
44:09
SPEAKER_06: One is their credit card bill, and the other one is Score Chaser looking at their scores.
44:15
SPEAKER_06: Okay, so what are you telling this person, this student of yours, that's going, Hey, uh, I'm looking at my calendar for next year and I'm looking at this credit card bill, and I'm exhausted from being at Nationals all week.
44:31
SPEAKER_06: You know, are you gonna tell them to choose fewer events?
44:34
SPEAKER_06: Are you gonna tell them to just pick events that actually matter to like what advice do you guys give people in our situations like this?
44:43
SPEAKER_04: Go for a medicine.
44:45
SPEAKER_02: All right.
44:47
SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, okay, so me personally, what I would tell someone is, you know, from a financial standpoint, what events are going to pay out for you?
45:01
SPEAKER_02: And what I mean by that is I have some students that only want to shoot sub gauge, which is totally fine.
45:08
SPEAKER_02: If you're going and, you know, next year, if you're going to nationals and you're like, hey, I don't want to shoot all the 12 gauge because one, it's not as fun for me.
45:16
SPEAKER_02: And two, you know, you might feel like you don't have as good of a chance to shoot just a sub gauge.
45:22
SPEAKER_02: Also, one thing too that I would say is don't go to nationals next year and try and stack all however many events, I'm gonna say 20 events, all 20 events and jam them into a week.
45:35
SPEAKER_02: Choose events that you really want to shoot, the events that you really like, and put more effort into those events instead of trying to cram everything into one week because one, you're gonna be really, really tired by the end of that week.
45:53
SPEAKER_02: And towards the end of the week, you're probably not gonna be performing as well as you did in the beginning of the week.
45:59
SPEAKER_02: Right.
45:59
SPEAKER_02: You know, anyone who goes and shoots three events a day, um, you know, I've done it in the past and it's not fun, it's very tiring, and I run out of steam pretty quickly.
46:12
SPEAKER_02: I feel like I fuel my body correctly um and I stay hydrated, but I I just can't fathom someone shooting 300 targets every day for 10 days.
46:24
SPEAKER_02: So I would say pick the events that are most important to you.
46:28
SPEAKER_02: And typically what ends up happening is the events that you put more effort into, there's a better return on.
46:37
SPEAKER_02: So maybe you'll win your money back, right?
46:40
SPEAKER_02: So that's what I would say.
46:41
SPEAKER_02: Don't go in there and try and just, oh, well, I'm gonna shoot three events every single day over the next 10 days.
46:49
SPEAKER_06: Trace, what are you telling your students?
46:52
SPEAKER_04: Um, I tell them, you know, what some of the things that I do is I I've and this I've done this for years, is I only allow myself to shoot 200 competition targets a day.
47:02
SPEAKER_04: And I kind of have my students kind of assess where is their number?
47:06
SPEAKER_04: Is it 100 targets?
47:08
SPEAKER_04: Is it 150 targets?
47:09
SPEAKER_04: But where do things start to deteriorate and you don't start posting, you know, your best scores.
47:15
SPEAKER_04: Um, the other thing that I like to do is put an hour in between events.
47:20
SPEAKER_04: I think it's important to let your audience relax a little bit.
47:23
SPEAKER_04: Um, get some food in you with blood sugar stabilization.
47:26
SPEAKER_04: So you're gonna go back out there in the same state that you hopefully did your first 100.
47:31
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
47:32
SPEAKER_04: Or even better.
47:33
SPEAKER_04: So I think that kind of helps people allocate their schedule a little bit better.
47:37
SPEAKER_04: I think you don't over you know, overcommit to where you're probably not gonna have some subpar performances and then uh, you know, see how that fits within your budget and really base it off of that.
47:49
SPEAKER_04: But don't hang, I think you have to look at nationals like an education.
47:55
SPEAKER_04: You know, think of the percentage of people who are actually gonna win at nationals is a very small percentage of people.
48:02
SPEAKER_04: You have an opportunity to really shoot a lot of really good quality uh competition style targets um in a very competitive atmosphere.
48:11
SPEAKER_04: It's kind of college, it's awesome.
48:14
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think it's a really good place to to uh expand on your skill base and get better.
48:19
SPEAKER_02: I would agree with all of that too.
48:21
SPEAKER_02: I think that was really well said, you know.
48:24
SPEAKER_02: Think of nationals as, especially if you're a first-time attendee, think of nationals as an educational event.
48:34
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no, that's that's very well said too.
48:38
SPEAKER_06: Um when was the last time either one of you went to a tournament with absolutely nothing to prove?
48:47
SPEAKER_06: You know what I mean?
48:48
SPEAKER_06: Like, do we need more tournaments or shoots where the point is to just go have fun, laugh, compete with your friends, and have a good time?
48:58
SPEAKER_02: I think the question is does this tournament, is this like are you asking this from like a mental state that I'm in?
49:10
SPEAKER_06: It's more like when's okay, take out the big championship tour tournaments, okay?
49:18
SPEAKER_06: Just take those, just take those out of the regionals, US Open, nationals, take that out.
49:23
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
49:24
SPEAKER_06: When was the last time you went to a tournament with nothing to prove?
49:27
SPEAKER_06: Like you're just there to compete with your friends, have a good time.
49:31
SPEAKER_06: That's it.
49:33
SPEAKER_06: Right.
49:33
SPEAKER_06: I mean, so don't you think we need more shoots like that?
49:38
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, yes.
49:39
SPEAKER_02: And I think the place to do that, and what I have found this year that I have enjoyed so much has been going to some of these charity shoots.
49:48
SPEAKER_02: And I know what people are probably gonna say, oh, I'm a ringer, whatever.
49:54
SPEAKER_02: But that's not why I'm going to the charity shoots.
49:57
SPEAKER_02: One, I'm going to go support the charity, two, I've probably am shooting with somebody who's asked me to, or you know, we've made a team up, whatever.
50:06
SPEAKER_02: But I can honestly say for this shooting season, I've had more fun shooting with my friends, whether it's family, just going out and having fun and laughing, and there's nothing on the line.
50:23
SPEAKER_02: Um, one of my favorite charity shoots that I do every year is the Remington Shoot to Cure event.
50:30
SPEAKER_02: It's a fun event.
50:31
SPEAKER_02: You know, I get to see my friends in Arkansas every year.
50:36
SPEAKER_02: It's a good, friendly, competitive little shoot that we just get to go and we get to raise money for the hospital, children, the children's hospital in Arkansas, and we get to laugh and cut up and have fun the whole entire time.
50:51
SPEAKER_02: I love that.
50:52
SPEAKER_02: And I can honestly say the couple that I did this year, those have hands down been my most fun shoots of the whole entire year.
51:02
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
51:03
SPEAKER_06: Well, I mean, it's why we look, that's why we all started doing this in the first place, right?
51:09
SPEAKER_06: Right.
51:09
SPEAKER_06: Yes.
51:10
SPEAKER_06: Chase, do we you, you're you're smiling and shaking your head, yes.
51:14
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
51:15
SPEAKER_04: Um, yeah, it's the same thing.
51:16
SPEAKER_04: It was a it was a a benefit shoot, which you know, it's a pretty it's a really good question, Jason, because it kind of alludes to when you're really bringing somebody out shooting, what are some great opportunities to expose them to a great shooting, you know, and a and a benefit or a charity?
51:31
SPEAKER_04: Gosh, what a better way to do it.
51:33
SPEAKER_04: Because they are fantastic, they're fun.
51:35
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you know, and that was the last time that I went into a shoot without expectations.
51:39
SPEAKER_04: I just had fun.
51:40
SPEAKER_06: You know, it's funny because the worst I've shot all year and the most fun I had was at the big charity shoot I did in Minnesota for Midway USA Foundation.
51:50
SPEAKER_06: I shot terrible.
51:51
SPEAKER_06: I mean, I was 18 miles in front of everything, right?
51:54
SPEAKER_06: You know, but I was cracking up and having a good time.
51:57
SPEAKER_06: I met some new friends and you know, people I still talk to today, and I just I I had a blast, and you know, it kind of reminded me why we do this.
52:07
SPEAKER_06: And you know, I I listen, this is not a sales pitch or anything, but this whole conversation is actually it hits on something that we've been trying to create with the dead pair blast.
52:20
SPEAKER_06: It's at the end of the year, you know, everybody has spent all year chasing the tour and championship and punches and points and patches and all that BS.
52:30
SPEAKER_06: The blast is it it's it's almost the opposite.
52:33
SPEAKER_06: I mean, yeah, we've got good money and a ton of prizes in it, but it's like come shoot, come bring your friends, compete as much as you want, but laugh your butt off, have a great time.
52:44
SPEAKER_06: We're gonna eat, we're gonna feed you well, we're gonna pour a bunch of adult beverages in you at the end of the day.
52:50
SPEAKER_06: Um, but it's it's a but it's a perfect way to end the year, you know what I mean?
52:56
SPEAKER_06: It it's it's supposed to be putting the fun back in it, right?
53:00
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, and it kind of gives you encouragement going into the next year.
53:04
SPEAKER_06: And I just I hope a lot of people can see the value in that and what we're trying to create there.
53:09
SPEAKER_06: Um, but because trust me, there's no money in it for me.
53:12
SPEAKER_06: I promise you that.
53:13
SPEAKER_05: But we we tried to open hard work realistically.
53:17
SPEAKER_06: I mean, Chad and I tried to open the year that way in LA.
53:20
SPEAKER_06: Unfortunately, it fell on a holiday weekend.
53:23
SPEAKER_06: But you know, this year, uh to end the year rather, excuse me, uh we're we're gonna try and recreate that again.
53:30
SPEAKER_06: But Madison, I this has been really cool.
53:33
SPEAKER_06: And you know, you were telling me before we started this, you've you're starting a YouTube channel now, and you're kind of not reinventing yourself, but you're you're kind of finding new ways to to market some of the things you're doing.
53:45
SPEAKER_06: Is that correct?
53:47
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
53:48
SPEAKER_02: You know, I've been put in a again, really unique situation.
53:53
SPEAKER_02: I I think that what's important for my life is to find the fun and enjoy the things that I'm doing.
54:02
SPEAKER_02: And if I'm not enjoying those things, then I need to figure out why.
54:07
SPEAKER_02: And I've started to figure out the why to all of it.
54:10
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, I have I've started a YouTube page.
54:14
SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna be sharing some of the things that I'm doing on there.
54:18
SPEAKER_02: There's gonna be some instructional videos and just kind of the life that I get to live and some of the things that I'm doing.
54:27
SPEAKER_02: So um, you know, anybody who wants to go subscribe to my YouTube page, I would love for you guys to do that um and kind of follow along with my journey.
54:37
SPEAKER_02: Um, the shoots I'm gonna be going to, instruction, what I'm doing for fun, all of those things.
54:44
SPEAKER_02: So you're gonna get a real genuine and raw form of me on YouTube where you can see everything that I'm doing.
54:53
SPEAKER_06: Heck yeah, that's that's cool.
54:55
SPEAKER_06: Um, I got one last question for both of you, and then we'll wrap this up.
55:00
SPEAKER_06: Madison, if you could go back and talk to the version of yourself that thought you had to go to every shoot, what would you tell her?
55:10
SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's a good question.
55:12
SPEAKER_02: Um so I don't know if a lot of people know this or not about me.
55:18
SPEAKER_02: When I was coming up in youth shooting, I had a coach tell me that I would never win a two-day main event.
55:30
SPEAKER_02: And funny enough, in 2023, when I had won the national championship, the very first thing that I could think of was I proved him wrong.
55:41
SPEAKER_02: And before that, I had won some two-day events, obviously.
55:45
SPEAKER_02: But um it that was kind of a turning point for me in my career, and I had accomplished everything that that 14-year-old little girl wanted to accomplish whenever she was told she never would.
56:02
SPEAKER_02: And I think if I had to go back and redo all of it, I would obviously still work as hard as I could, I would still have those same dreams and those same goals of mine, but I think that I would try to somehow figure out to take some of the pressure off and understand that this game isn't always about winning, it's about learning and it's about failing.
56:33
SPEAKER_02: It is about succeeding as well, but not always, and I think it's being okay with failing.
56:43
SPEAKER_02: So that would be my answer.
56:45
SPEAKER_06: Awesome.
56:46
SPEAKER_06: So, Tracy, let me restructure that question for you.
56:49
SPEAKER_06: If you could go back and talk to the version of yourself that thought you had to chase every big tournament or shoot, what would you tell yourself?
56:57
SPEAKER_04: You know, I kind of I need to say one thing, and that's that you know, even though you know this has been a really long, arduous journey that has been very difficult and has put me in a lot of good places and bad places all at once.
57:14
SPEAKER_04: But I have had the most incredible life's memories completely and solely attributed to sporting clays.
57:24
SPEAKER_04: I've met some of the most incredible people, I've had some of the most incredible journeys, and I would have never ever got to experience that if it wasn't for clays.
57:34
SPEAKER_04: And um and how all in I've always been.
57:37
SPEAKER_04: So I don't know if I would change anything.
57:41
SPEAKER_04: I would be that same all-in kid.
57:43
SPEAKER_04: I think that the only thing I might change is maybe just understand the geographic issues of living in a small town in Washington, you know, and and how that's gonna complicate things.
57:55
SPEAKER_04: But yeah, I'm an all-in dude, and uh, and I think that that's um, I don't think I'd change it.
58:02
SPEAKER_04: I'd be all in because of uh what I got from it was life-changing.
58:06
SPEAKER_06: That's cool.
58:07
SPEAKER_06: I mean, but now that you've done it, you've found that balance, right?
58:11
SPEAKER_06: So you you can adjust all that now, right?
58:14
SPEAKER_04: I talk a lot about that balance, yes.
58:16
SPEAKER_06: Yes, yes.
58:18
SPEAKER_06: Well, guys, this has been really cool.
58:20
SPEAKER_06: Um, and we we have been on here for a hot minute, as I like to say.
58:24
SPEAKER_06: So um we will get this wrapped up.
58:27
SPEAKER_06: But listen, everyone, I don't want you to take this the wrong way.
58:30
SPEAKER_06: Think about what these two amazing pro shooters have told you here tonight.
58:35
SPEAKER_06: You know, you can get burnt out, and the I think the point of all of this is finding that balance and only shooting what's important to you.
58:43
SPEAKER_06: But don't ever stop the love of the game, right?
58:46
SPEAKER_06: And one of the things that I'm alluding to here is we tell everyone each and every week, take someone new shooting, take them to a tournament.
58:54
SPEAKER_06: Just don't let them slip into the sporting clays of cocaine that these two have have found.
59:00
SPEAKER_06: Uh, but it is uh it truly is an awesome sport.
59:04
SPEAKER_06: And I'm gonna steal a line from Tommy Browning.
59:07
SPEAKER_06: There's no strangers in sporting clays, only friends you haven't met yet.
59:10
SPEAKER_06: And that is so, so true.
59:12
SPEAKER_06: Uh very true.
59:13
SPEAKER_06: You know, I mean these I would have never met these two that I'm talking to right here if it wasn't for sporting clays, you know.
59:19
SPEAKER_06: And uh, so yeah, it's awesome.
59:21
SPEAKER_06: And share the love, you know, take someone new shooting.
59:24
SPEAKER_06: Uh, a very big thank you as always to our sponsors, Kohler Arms.
59:29
SPEAKER_06: Thank you very much to Kohler, Fioki USA, Ranger Shooting Eyewear, Atlas Traps, Rhino Chokes, Gun and Trophy Insurance.
59:37
SPEAKER_06: Tracy, I think you've already got signed up.
59:39
SPEAKER_06: Madison, if you're not signed up, we're gonna tune you up, girl.
59:42
SPEAKER_06: You got to get over to Gun and Trophy and get you some good insurance on that Krieg off.
59:46
SPEAKER_06: Uh Midway USA Foundation.
59:49
SPEAKER_06: Don't forget about that pro-am.
59:50
SPEAKER_06: This is a chance to give back a little bit.
59:52
SPEAKER_06: Taconic distilleries, yes, we're gonna wind you up with some taconic distilleries at the Dead Pearl Blast.
59:58
SPEAKER_06: Uh, long range, uh, thank you very much to Neil Chadwick, the two$500 entries into nationals.
1:00:04
SPEAKER_06: Those two people were very excited uh and very thankful for that.
1:00:08
SPEAKER_06: Uh Score Chaser, Odo Pro Technologies, L Hefe Energy, Fuel for the Fearless, Tracy.
1:00:14
SPEAKER_06: You get you some L Hefe.
1:00:16
SPEAKER_06: Bear Pelt, it's not just your vest, it's your new uniform.
1:00:19
SPEAKER_06: And of course, make a break and our technology sponsored, JTech.
1:00:23
SPEAKER_06: Uh, sorry everyone, I don't want to sound like a broken record or commercial, but these people do help us out.
1:00:29
SPEAKER_06: They bring you these great guests each and every week.
1:00:31
SPEAKER_06: Madison, Tracy, thank you both very much, man.
1:00:34
SPEAKER_06: I appreciate this.
1:00:35
SPEAKER_06: This has been fun and this has been a good conversation to have.
1:00:38
SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
1:00:38
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I really enjoyed this.
1:00:41
SPEAKER_02: Maybe this is something we'll start doing a little more often, you know, just get on here and talk.
1:00:46
SPEAKER_02: Talk about things that we usually don't talk about.
1:00:50
SPEAKER_06: Absolutely.
1:00:50
SPEAKER_06: That's a great idea.
1:00:51
SPEAKER_06: I love it.
1:00:52
SPEAKER_06: I'm I'm seriously considering to start doing a regular scoops, a regular live show every week.
1:00:59
SPEAKER_06: And I think that'd be kind of cool.
1:01:00
SPEAKER_06: You know, just a relaxed atmosphere.
1:01:03
SPEAKER_06: We don't have to push all the things that we do in the podcast every week, just get some people on.
1:01:07
SPEAKER_06: I've got that call-in number now.
1:01:09
SPEAKER_06: If you're a paying member on Patreon, you can get on there for less than a cup of coffee a month and have that number and call into the show.
1:01:17
SPEAKER_06: Of course, anybody's welcome to to write in during the show, but I think that'd be kind of cool.
1:01:22
SPEAKER_06: And Madison, sounds like your game to be a uh a co-host for that.
1:01:27
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, heck yeah, I'd love to.
1:01:28
SPEAKER_02: You know, I I think that this might just be a way for me to find the fun and the sport again.
1:01:36
SPEAKER_02: So you never know.
1:01:37
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
1:01:39
SPEAKER_02: You know, maybe maybe we can get some of our listeners to send us in some questions and maybe that'll be our next topic we talk about.
1:01:47
SPEAKER_06: Bingo, there you go.
1:01:49
SPEAKER_06: But you know, I mean, seriously though, if you guys want to do some scoops episodes, uh, that would be great.
1:01:53
SPEAKER_06: And it sounds, if you if y'all are listening to this, it sounds like Madison's willing to take questions.
1:01:58
SPEAKER_06: So um, yeah, let's let's plan on that in the very near future.
1:02:02
SPEAKER_06: Let's do it.
1:02:03
SPEAKER_02: I am if anybody has any questions, um, you can find me on social media.
1:02:07
SPEAKER_02: My Instagram is Madison underscore sharp underscore.
1:02:12
SPEAKER_02: I have an email in my bio.
1:02:14
SPEAKER_02: You can email me with questions, um, and maybe we'll just talk about your question on the next one.
1:02:19
SPEAKER_06: There you go.
1:02:20
SPEAKER_06: Just tell them, hey, tune in this day and we'll answer online.
1:02:23
SPEAKER_06: So that'd be that's right.
1:02:24
SPEAKER_06: Heck yeah.
1:02:25
SPEAKER_06: That's right.
1:02:26
SPEAKER_06: Well, Trace, thank you as always, buddy.
1:02:27
SPEAKER_06: I really appreciate you coming on, man.
1:02:29
SPEAKER_06: Uh sincerely.
1:02:30
SPEAKER_04: Always good to talk to you.
1:02:32
SPEAKER_06: All right, everyone.
1:02:33
SPEAKER_06: Until next week, can't wait to catch y'all back here on the Dead Pear Podcast.
1:02:38
SPEAKER_01: We'll see you next time on the Dead Pear Podcast.
1:02:41
SPEAKER_00: The Dead Pear Podcast is brought to you by Kohler Arms, America's competition shotgun, and is fueled by Fiyoki USA.
1:02:48
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1:02:52
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