The "Rifle Sickness" Story

aIt was an ordinary day. We were getting ready for the State Championship. Didn't sleep very well last night. Anticipation is getting the better of me, but I can't let the kids know. I found a restroom near the range and am clearing my nervousness! I have my rifle team at Penn State University for the 1972 State Championship (read about the season in my November '09 The "State Champs" Story). I know if I eat too much for breakfast it will come out of me one way or another before the meet. Always happens!! During the season our rifle meets were always at 4:00 PM, after school had ended for the day. If it was an away meet, I was in the bathroom for at least 15 minutes before the bus would leave for the meet. Kids thought I was getting my score book or ammo. Lunch that day would find a way to get out of me, and then I was set to go. I would look and feel calm and collected and the kids would pick up on that and feel the same way. For a marksman, the worst thing that can happen to you is to have a bad case of nervousness. Forget the match that day! One of my main jobs as coach was to stay upbeat and keep the kids the same way. On days when we fired at home, I would head down to the range as soon as my last class was over and get ready for the match. As soon as the first shooter would show up I would head to the restroom in the upstairs hallway and lock the door. Always empty that time of day and I would get over my nervousness without a crowd. This was my third year of coaching rifle, so I was getting good at it. I had my team so relaxed today that we won the big one!! And now I was hungry!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.