Are you the next Peter Wilson?
If so, Christian Schofield and the team at British Shooting would like to hear from you as they search for young athletes to place on the Talent Pathway
SINCE Peter Wilson’s tremendous success at the London 2012 Olympics, where he won gold in the Men’s Double Trap, many other British shooters have achieved great things. Ed Ling (Men’s Trap) and Steven Scott (Men’s Double Trap), who both won bronze medals at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, are obvious examples. It is also great to report that success is not limited to the shotgun disciplines, with talented athletes in rifle, pistol and in the new, although not Olympic, discipline of target sprint also winning. For British Shooting, finding another Peter Wilson is about building and sustaining an effective performance pathway on which talented athletes can learn and develop.
Through developing the Talent Pathway, Peter’s journey to Olympic Gold was studied in detail by British Shooting’s performance director as there is much to learn from his approach to becoming a winner. Peter has been generous in sharing his ideas and thoughts on the development of shooting athletes. Based on this and the experience of successful athletes in other Olympic sports, British Shooting is creating a system to help athletes make the most of their talents.
The research undertaken by British Shooting has not revealed any one great secret but merely confirmed what readers of The Field will have assumed would be the case. The foundation of success is hard work and doing the basics exceptionally well. This requires tenacity and determination to keep going when things are difficult and the results are not what you want. From the start, athletes are encouraged to be selfaware, to reflect on their actions and take responsibility for their training. As athletes gain experience they are encouraged to lead their own development programme. British Shooting coaches encourage athletes to take risks and experiment without fearing failure. The aim is to develop people who are resilient and can thrive in competition.
The Talent Pathway is designed to cater for people who are just beginning their shooting career as well as those who have already achieved success in competitive shooting. British Shooting understands that the abilities required of a good, driven-game shot or rough shooter are the same as those required to become an excellent shot in the Olympic disciplines. Many of those who shoot the Olympic shotgun disciplines well can be found by the side of a covert, in a pigeon hide and even in a grouse butt. Indeed, all our Olympic medallists are fine game shots.
Rather than give a detailed analysis of the transferable skills and a comprehensive description of each Olympic discipline, it is more important to encourage those with ambition to try the Olympic shotgun disciplines. There is no escape from the fact that they are fiendishly difficult. However, for those who relish a challenge the rewards of mastering an Olympic discipline are great. It is also probable that it will make you a better game shot, although this is not part of the British Shooting guarantee. Joining the British Shooting Talent Pathway will ensure that you can share the highs and lows of your development journey with like-minded shooting athletes and supportive coaches.
Within the British Shooting Talent Pathway, athletes can go from complete beginner to Olympic success. You can join the Pathway at the level that suits you best. The foundation level concentrates on mastering the basic elements of shooting and learning to train. The development level hones the necessary skills and introduces you to the idea of training to compete. The talent level is aimed at helping you develop your unique technique and learning to win. As your journey progresses along the Pathway there will be competition for places in the programmes. It is not solely about performance score but also about your willingness to learn and develop.
There are many opportunities for all levels of development and especially so for junior athletes. As well as major competitions, such as the World and European Championships, there are Junior World Cups and international Grand Prix. This year junior athletes will have the opportunity to shoot in Australia, Austria, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Norway and Finland. There is also plenty of competition at home with the British Grand Prix, United Kingdom Championships, English Open and the British Shooting competition series. These are all great opportunities to develop your winning skills.
As Peter is busy converting from the discipline in which he won Olympic gold to Olympic Trap, the mission is not to find the next Peter Wilson but to find many more like him. Are you one of those people or do you know someone who is? British Shooting is keen to hear from you and to see how it would be possible to help you achieve your shooting ambitions.
British Shooting works with the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA) at the Game Fairs. In 2017, the CPSA gun line coaches identified 10 talented athletes who are now progressing well along the British Shooting Pathway. Please get in touch if you would like to attend a British Shooting talent identification day or just learn more about the Talent Pathway.
The mission is not to find the next Peter Wilson but to find many more like him