I was very honored to have been a member of the L.C. Smith team this year on my first try at this event. My son Ethan, who is 14, also tried to qualify but came up short with a score of 19 of 30. I did not shoot as well as I thought I was capable of in the main event(19 of 30) but I enjoyed the experience anyway. Considering how nervous I was shooting in front of the crowd, I guess I did well to hit as many as I did. Before, during, and after the Challenge we had the opportunity to meet and talk to some of the members of both teams. Everyone we talked to was gracious and polite and some even offered some sage advice both before and after I shot.One in particular was Pastor Charlie Brooks. He thanked me for participating and congratulated me on my shooting. I said that I wished that I had performed better but that I had been somewhat nervous. He said, "Son, sometimes when we are in situations like this, you'll start to sweat in places you don't normally sweat." We all had a good laugh and that is one piece of advice I don't think I'll ever forget. The only negative comments we heard were when we were watching after I shot in the first rotation. These fellows reminded me of the same kind of people that you can see at any sporting event, they make off color remarks, they could have done better themselves, etc. etc. I don't want these people to change. They set a good example for young folks on how not to conduct yourself in public. By the same token, my teammates and fellow competitors set a wonderful example in sportsmanship and friendly competition for folks young and old alike. My son and I will be back next year and try to qualify again for the L.C. Smith team. By the way, we don't dislike Parker guns, we own some ourselves, they're just in the smaller gauges.