Pressure Shooter
November 05, 2010 09:44 AM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Michael Kulbacki is used to pressure. The West Virginia University junior was thrust into the ultimate nerve-packed situation at the conclusion of his rookie season on the Mountaineer rifle team, as he was part of the four-man air rifle team that successfully dug the squad out of a deep hole at the 2009 NCAA Championships and captured the school’s 14th national title.
Back then, if Kulbacki did not break a sweat, he could claim youthful ignorance. Today, as an older and more mature shooter, he knows better, and sometimes finds himself overcome by certain situations.
Such was the case this past July. After two qualification competitions, the DuBois, Pa., native earned a spot on the United States Junior National Team and a trip to the 50th International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship to shoot in the junior men’s 10m air rifle.
No stranger to international competition, Kulbacki felt at ease throughout the weeks leading up to the championship, training consistently each day and focused on a strong showing. Yet, as soon as his team’s plane landed in Munich, Germany, he says the nerves began to grow, slowly at first and then at a more rapid pace.
“Our sport psychology consultant, along with some of the US open coaches, had a meeting with the junior team explaining that if we weren’t feeling nervous (at the championship’s onset), to not assume we weren’t going to be nervous,” Kulbacki explained. “I knew I was going to be nervous, but it went exactly as they said it would – it built each day. Right before the championship, that’s when the nerves really set in.”
Kulbacki says the meetings with the sport psychologist and the national coaches, including Dave Johnson, a former WVU All-American shooter and the current US national team head coach, helped settle his nerves, but ultimately his own self-confidence pushed him through the match’s initial unsettlement and toward a respectable finish.
“There is a lot of individual pressure at the World Championship,” he said. “There were only three people from the United States, and then a ton of other competitors from other countries. You didn’t shoot next to your teammates – you were scattered among everyone else.
“I was nervous, but at the same time, I kept reflecting back on the fact that I shot well enough to qualify for the championships, so I shouldn’t be too nervous. I knew if I was shooting there, then I could shoot a good score.”
After opening the competition shooting 98 in his first relay, Kulbacki struggled through his next 20 shots, shooting 96 and 97 in the second and third relays, respectively. He persevered and bounced back with a 99 in the fourth relay and finished with relay scores of 97 and 98 for a final score of 585 and a 34th-place finish.
Fifth-year Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond, shooting at the championship with Team Great Britain, was able to watch Kulbacki shoot, and despite the rocky two relays, likes what he saw.
“He seemed pretty calm and I think he enjoyed the experience,” Hammond said. “I think it’s hard – as much as you listen to people, there’s nothing that substitutes for experiences. We all have parts we want back at the end of matches.”
Though he finished below his expectations, Kulbacki says he left with life-long lessons.
“I had a pretty good game plan going in to the championship, and it went well for the first target, but then I faltered on the next two,” the engineering major explained. Thankfully, I was able to come back and shoot well in the last 30 shots.
“I learned in that match to just stick to my game plan and, if need be, to take the time to access a problem. I didn’t get my problems figured out soon enough at the World Championship. I figured them out toward the end, but it was still a little too late. I lost a lot during shots 11-30. Now, I just have to stay relaxed and access my problems while shooting. You can always turn something out of nothing.”
Kulbacki hopes the lessons he learned over the summer will aid him in his quest to win a second NCAA title with the No. 1-ranked WVU rifle team. The two-time first team air rifle National Rifle Association All-American is already excited about the Mountaineers’ potential this season.
“I think the team is looking great,” he expanded. “We had to battle some stuff at the beginning of the season, but I think we’re doing well.”
Despite WVU’s narrow 4675-4663 loss to No. 2-ranked TCU on Oct. 24, Kulbacki believes the Mountaineers are on track to claim their nation-best 15th national championship.
“We obviously want to win every match, but the fact that we lost to TCU isn’t really a burden,” he said. “We’re just going to keep building week-to-week and work on different things each match. We really want to start peaking in February, right around the Great American Rifle Conference Championship. It would be great to shoot well there, but really we’re focusing on the national championships.”
When the Mountaineers step on the line this March and shoot for that elusive NCAA title, Kulbacki’s experience in pressure-packed situations should serve him well, and he will be ready to lead WVU back to the top of the podium.
Back then, if Kulbacki did not break a sweat, he could claim youthful ignorance. Today, as an older and more mature shooter, he knows better, and sometimes finds himself overcome by certain situations.
Such was the case this past July. After two qualification competitions, the DuBois, Pa., native earned a spot on the United States Junior National Team and a trip to the 50th International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship to shoot in the junior men’s 10m air rifle.
No stranger to international competition, Kulbacki felt at ease throughout the weeks leading up to the championship, training consistently each day and focused on a strong showing. Yet, as soon as his team’s plane landed in Munich, Germany, he says the nerves began to grow, slowly at first and then at a more rapid pace.
“Our sport psychology consultant, along with some of the US open coaches, had a meeting with the junior team explaining that if we weren’t feeling nervous (at the championship’s onset), to not assume we weren’t going to be nervous,” Kulbacki explained. “I knew I was going to be nervous, but it went exactly as they said it would – it built each day. Right before the championship, that’s when the nerves really set in.”
Kulbacki says the meetings with the sport psychologist and the national coaches, including Dave Johnson, a former WVU All-American shooter and the current US national team head coach, helped settle his nerves, but ultimately his own self-confidence pushed him through the match’s initial unsettlement and toward a respectable finish.
“There is a lot of individual pressure at the World Championship,” he said. “There were only three people from the United States, and then a ton of other competitors from other countries. You didn’t shoot next to your teammates – you were scattered among everyone else.
“I was nervous, but at the same time, I kept reflecting back on the fact that I shot well enough to qualify for the championships, so I shouldn’t be too nervous. I knew if I was shooting there, then I could shoot a good score.”
After opening the competition shooting 98 in his first relay, Kulbacki struggled through his next 20 shots, shooting 96 and 97 in the second and third relays, respectively. He persevered and bounced back with a 99 in the fourth relay and finished with relay scores of 97 and 98 for a final score of 585 and a 34th-place finish.
Fifth-year Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond, shooting at the championship with Team Great Britain, was able to watch Kulbacki shoot, and despite the rocky two relays, likes what he saw.
“He seemed pretty calm and I think he enjoyed the experience,” Hammond said. “I think it’s hard – as much as you listen to people, there’s nothing that substitutes for experiences. We all have parts we want back at the end of matches.”
Though he finished below his expectations, Kulbacki says he left with life-long lessons.
“I had a pretty good game plan going in to the championship, and it went well for the first target, but then I faltered on the next two,” the engineering major explained. Thankfully, I was able to come back and shoot well in the last 30 shots.
“I learned in that match to just stick to my game plan and, if need be, to take the time to access a problem. I didn’t get my problems figured out soon enough at the World Championship. I figured them out toward the end, but it was still a little too late. I lost a lot during shots 11-30. Now, I just have to stay relaxed and access my problems while shooting. You can always turn something out of nothing.”
Kulbacki hopes the lessons he learned over the summer will aid him in his quest to win a second NCAA title with the No. 1-ranked WVU rifle team. The two-time first team air rifle National Rifle Association All-American is already excited about the Mountaineers’ potential this season.
“I think the team is looking great,” he expanded. “We had to battle some stuff at the beginning of the season, but I think we’re doing well.”
Despite WVU’s narrow 4675-4663 loss to No. 2-ranked TCU on Oct. 24, Kulbacki believes the Mountaineers are on track to claim their nation-best 15th national championship.
“We obviously want to win every match, but the fact that we lost to TCU isn’t really a burden,” he said. “We’re just going to keep building week-to-week and work on different things each match. We really want to start peaking in February, right around the Great American Rifle Conference Championship. It would be great to shoot well there, but really we’re focusing on the national championships.”
When the Mountaineers step on the line this March and shoot for that elusive NCAA title, Kulbacki’s experience in pressure-packed situations should serve him well, and he will be ready to lead WVU back to the top of the podium.
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