I have worked with many young
people over the years to teach them life skills
through the discipline of archery. A couple have
been fortunate to also take their skill level to a
point of being internationally competitive and
representing their country at international archery
competitions. My son, Kevin Barker, went to the
Czech Republic and France. Holly Heinsohn, from
Cuero, earned spots on teams that went to England
and Mexico. Andrea Garner, from Port Lavaca,
represented her country in Denmark, while Kayla
DeBord, from Goliad, went to Mexico.
Most recently Victorians Bryce
Wickliffe and Jordan Brown spent their spring break
in Izmir, Turkey, at the World Indoor Championships.
Bryce brought home a gold medal. I asked Jordan, a
Memorial senior, to keep a journal on his trip and
then let me know what he learned on this archery
trip. Following are his thoughts, which are very
revealing:
Over the past three months,
I have prepared and trained for one of the biggest
moments of my life - the 2007 World Indoor
Championships in Izmir, Turkey. Unlike so many other
life-altering events, this was only a stepping stone
toward greater things. I went into the event as the
unknown kid and left virtually the same. However, I
was able to learn and listen to the advice and
experience of those who were veterans in this
sport.Spending eight days with some of the best
archers in the world allowed me to realize that
those people whom I had always thought to be so
perfect, were real people.
Real people lose their first
match even if they are an Olympic silver medalist.
Real people can shoot incredibly impressive scores
just the week before and can lose to a kid almost 10
years younger than themselves. Real people find
themselves shooting against their own teammates in
head-to-head matches and learn to remain civil.
Real people have no control over situations, they
simply take them as they are and adjust accordingly.
I also learned that there
is a difference between an athlete and a competitor.
Both are there for the love of the sport and both
have equal desire to win and come home with the gold
medal. It is not the wins that separate the two, it
is the losses.
An athlete takes the losses
with dignity, looking at the archer who beat him,
realizing that the other archer simply shot better.
Marco Galliazzo, reigning Olympic champion from
Italy, faced first-time international competitor
from the U.S., Shawn Rice, for the bronze medal.
Both had shot impressive scores but found themselves
in the shoot-off for the bronze rather than the
gold. Both Marco and Shawn were perfect through nine
arrows. On the last end of the head-to-head shootoff,
Shawn shot three 10s, finishing with a perfect score
of 120. Marco shot two 10s and on his last arrow
shot a nine. With a smile on his face, he shook
Shawn's hand, knowing he had lost by one point to a
perfect score.
In a similar situation,
other competitors found themselves so wrapped up in
the loss of the gold, they could not see the
possibility and honor of a bronze medal. It's been
said that you can tell a lot about an athlete by how
he/she responds to a loss.Aside from archery, I
learned about a completely new country and culture.
I learned about new people and a very different
diet. I learned in a country where beef is not found
often, lamb is a reasonable substitute.
I learned that differences
are not bad, they are simply different. I think that
the most important thing I learned was something
about myself. Regardless of how I ranked, I had
earned a spot to shoot and represent the United
States - an honor I will forever remember.
I am very proud of Jordan and
the rest of the young people I work with. They are
"Straight Shooters".
Tom Barker is the archery
columnist for the Advocate. Contact him at
361-574-1206 or sports@vicad.com, or comment on this
story
here.
