Olivia Spiczka was extremely hesitant to take her first shot. She was in Big Fork, Montana, with her father one summer, attending her stepbrother’s practice. The coach asked her if she wanted to give it a go.
“When it was my turn to shoot, I was so scared that I closed my eyes the whole time,” Spiczka said. “After that, at every practice, he kept pushing me with his great coaching to try it until I got five in a row. He was so proud of me that, to this day,he still tells that story.”
Spiczka was the top female shooter in the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League Fall League and she finished fourth in the 2018 NDSHSCTL State Tournament for Female High Gun.
PullUSA:What do you like most about the League and your team?
Olivia Spiczka: I like that there are people my age who challenge me to be a better shooter and to do my best every time I go out to the stand. Also that I’ve made friends who have encouraged me to do better along the way, along with my great coaches from Shanley High School.
PullUSA:What other activities do you enjoy?
Spiczka:I enjoy shooting skeet as well as sporting clays. I also enjoy things like marine biology and geology.
PullUSA:Do you have any goals for the Spring Season?
Spiczka:My goal would be to bring home a few 25 patches and hopefully get my first 50 patch. I would also like to improve my concentration along with consistency. Doing well in the State Tournament wouldn’t hurt either, but mostly enjoying the sport with my friends and family.
PullUSA:What’s the most important advice you can give?
Spiczka:Make sure to keep your head down. Anytime I’ve seen myself or other shooters miss, they’ve usually brought their head up. Another one would be to bring your gun up to where you think you’re going to shoot and then bring it back down to your holding point before you shoot. That way it loosens you up and readies you for moving your gun so you’re not so stiff. But most of all, practice, practice, practice, and have fun!
PullUSA:What would you say to kids who are thinking about joining the League?
Spiczka:If you’re nervous about joining the League, just give it a try like I did, even though I was very scared to shoot a shotgun at first. You never know if you’re going to like something until you try it.
PullUSA:Do you want to keep shooting after high school?
Spiczka:I would love to keep shooting after high school. It is one of my favorite things to do in my own time. Whether it’s competitive or not, I enjoy the challenge of the sport no matter the weather conditions—rain, snow, wind. It’s all new and exciting every time. Hopefully, I’ll find a college that o ers a competitive team so I can keep doing what I love.
Each issue of PullUSA features a different high school clay target athlete exhibiting exceptional character and passion for the sport and their communities.
