It can become addicting!

"I can see how this can become so addicting!"

It took only three strings and the sound of ringing steel on a single stage for that quote to be repeated throughout the day. The reaction was exactly what we were looking for when we initially thought of organizing the UFC Range Day event. We were able to partner with several other companies within our industry to provide a day that was both educational and fun!

Our objective was to provide a safe and educational platform for everyone whether they were a first-time shooter or a more experienced shooter.

It didn't take long for competitive nature to reveal itself as stage times started getting faster.

• "What was her time?
• "How fast was his last run?"
• "Was that time better than my first one?"
• "What's the recommended way to shoot this stage?"

Regardless of prior shooting experience - each fighter was hooked!

This week, as we debriefed on the event, I had several takeaways that I would like to share.

• Fun overrides fear - Introducing new shooters to how much fun can be had on the range is one of the fastest ways to grow the shooting sports. We had fighters that were admittedly "frightened by guns" due to their upbringing, but as the number of rounds downrange increased so did their comfort level with handling a firearm.
• Ego will only get in the way - This applies to both new shooters as well as to those doing the training. We had world champion shooters along with world class trainers working with the fighters. It was awesome to watch fighters who have reached the pinnacle of their sport be able to put their guard down and ask, to some, what may seem like the most basic question. Regardless of how simple the question may have seemed to those more experienced shooters, there was no ridicule. It was truly an environment where everybody was pulling for each other!
• Keep it simple - One of the keys to a successful day was to not overwhelm the new shooters. We didn't have 8 stages set up, we didn't require movement, and didn't even require magazine changes. We can't expect new shooters to go from zero to 100 on the first day.

Cowboy Cerrone, Scott Volquartsen, and Bo Sandoval

This was the first event of its kind that we have done. Are there things we could do better? Absolutely, but I feel overall it was a 100% success as each fighter left asking "when will you guys be back?"

You don't have to be a professional shooter or compete in sanctioned matches to experience the thrill of competition. It can be done between friends or even just competing against yourself while working to improve. There's no better time than this weekend to find out for yourself!

ps: If you'd like to hear the story of Bo Sandoval who serves as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the UFC Performance Institute check out this episode of the No Excuse To Miss podcast.