It certainly seems like 2025 was nothing more than a quick blink and then a glance in the rearview mirror. So many different things happened across the landscape of USPSA. Many of us set, achieved and transcended personal goals, while others, like me, are still reaching out to grasp that coveted sense of accomplishment. What is truly interesting is what happens when something that was previously considered a dream or well beyond the scope of attainment actually becomes a reality.
My story begins like many others. When I was nine years old, my parents gave me a Mossberg bolt-action .410 shotgun. From there, the floodgates opened, it seemed. I was never a hunter—I didn’t like getting up early and I detested the cold. I liked to shoot, though, and when time permitted and I could find a range, I would go. Looking back and comparing those range sessions with today’s, I can’t help but laugh.
I didn’t know anything about USPSA, let alone the International Practical Shooting Confederation, the International Defensive Pistol Association or any other organization, while growing up. Fast-forward to May 2021. My son Brayden was 14, and I was searching for a way for us to bond as father and son. I’m not a gamer, nor am I up to date on what “fanum tax” and “skibidi” mean. Brayden had never shown an interest in firearms, let alone shooting. That’s when I showed him some YouTube videos about USPSA and asked him if he thought he might like to try it. In June 2021, we embarked on our first match together. Unbeknownst to us, that would forever change the landscape of our lives.
We both started in Carry Optics. While I maintained that until mid-2024, Brayden moved to Open in January 2023, fitting in like a duck takes to water. I’m now shooting Open and Limited Optics in between, and I’m more like a duck in a hurricane at night when shooting Open.
We usually split USPSA Nationals. Brayden would help me at Carry Optics and Handgun Nationals, and I would help him at Open Nationals. It wasn’t until 2025 that we both shot Factory Gun and Race Gun Nationals together on the same squad. Those matches were the best times I’ve ever had. The whole sport has provided an outlet for many people. I’ve been fortunate and just plain lucky to spend this time together with my son.
I began to feel a different need or, as it’s so commonly put, some kinda way. I have always searched for ways to give back to what I feel has greatly impacted my life. My Law Enforcement service is volunteer-based; when I go to the range for my USPSA practice sessions, I’ll have people show up and practice with me to learn the rules and the basics. (Then, at a certain point, I’ll advise them to find someone who can help get them to the next level.) Life does its thing, so that opportunity for change was just around the corner.
In April 2025, I took over as Match Director for the BNA Club (Brothers N Arms) in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I felt like this was a step in the right direction. I yearned for a sense of calling. I needed to be more involved and give back to the people who I felt had given so much.
Just a few short weeks later, Ben Berry decided to step down from being the USPSA Area 6 Director. Knowing this, my friends and family said I should run for the position. I laughed and said, “There’s no way.” I thanked them for the crazy vote of confidence, then came up with reason after reason for why I shouldn’t. But it stayed in my mind and heart. No matter how easily convinced the others were, I was having a hard time convincing myself.
While on a quick vacation with my wife in San Juan in May 2025, I remembered a quote from Walt Disney that my dad told me years prior: “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” On the beach, with the salt air reminding me of my childhood and my dad, I made the decision to run for USPSA Area 6 Director. From that moment on, I was shooting the stage of my life, and on October 3, 2025, after campaigning and countless emails, texts and phone calls, I received a call from Alan Turner, who congratulated me on winning. Life has never been more fulfilling since I retired from the Army. Each day presents new challenges and solutions. Most importantly, being able to represent and fight for not only Area 6 members but all of USPSA’s members is the calling I never knew I needed.
BEYOND THE MATCHES
The most impactful part of my story was the ability to form an unbreakable bond with my son, Brayden. The shooting is fun, and so is the camaraderie with everyone else. I was able to discover a side of me that maybe I didn’t know existed, or if it did, it had stayed locked away.
I have been asked countless times about why hunting wasn’t a natural choice for Brayden and me. Even growing up in the South, I’ve never been fond of hunting. I wish I had a romantic story about it, but it’s very simple. I hate the cold; I hate getting up early; I loathe being still and bored while cold and up early. I tried multiple times with friends, but it just never appealed to me. I’m definitely an odd bird around my location, having never shot a deer. I do have four car strikes against them, though, so one more and I’m an Ace.
When I think of juniors and their path, I don’t think of hunting, frankly. I like their ability to operate semi-autonomously, but within constraints. Interpersonal communication and diversity help build and shape their worldview. I believe the ability to self-sustain is extremely valuable, whether that is through hunting, farming or shooting. To me, the lessons learned in practical shooting pay dividends throughout life, not just spicy reloads or splits.
If you think back, Brayden was 14 and smack dab in the middle of his tumultuous teenage years. We all know how kids are at that age. Today’s kids gravitate toward games and screens, whereas when I was a kid, I was outside doing who knows what. Many of you can relate to this next part: We knew that we had better not go back inside that house. If we wanted water, there was a hose. If we were hungry, Mom brought out a bologna sandwich. Then we went back to playing with lawn darts with metal tips, most likely ones that had lead paint on them, and riding bikes without wearing helmets.
While the lawn darts have vanished and lead paint has been replaced with paint that might last a couple of years, the outdoors are still there. What I felt was most important was not suffering in the Mississippi heat during the summer; you get that just by walking to the car. The important things were how to start on a journey and finish it, the sense of accomplishment for getting what/where you want, the knowledge you gained about yourself throughout the journey and the transformation at the end. That’s why I showed Brayden some YouTube videos about USPSA way back in May 2021. Then I asked him and hoped he might like to try it. I was fortunate enough to embark on a journey with something and someone I love.
From that point until the end of 2025, we shot matches together all across the US and in Puerto Rico. We drove across the country, Brayden flew on a plane for the first time, and we both made friends we otherwise would have never met—all while being together and bonding.
Brayden had never shot a gun before USPSA, and I had never dedicated myself to a true goal before USPSA. He was able to watch his dad struggle, deal with setbacks, get frustrated and show emotion. He was also able to see his dad attain his goals, display a work ethic, never settle and always take advice and constructive criticism from him and others who were teaching me.
What I saw was a kid blossom into a man. His mental development and ability to read a stage, execute a plan, reload his own ammo, tune and repair his own gun, and set and attain goals put him above his peers in many aspects of the intangibles in life.
I think, as parents, we either neglect or forget how to effectively communicate with our kids. Maintaining the illustrious position of a dad who never has things go wrong and always seems to be in control is almost akin to a scarlet letter. I remember talking at my kids and expressing that my way is the only way. Obviously, for some things, there is only the parents’ way; however, I learned during this time that for many more, listening is the most important part. My mom told me when I was young that God gave us two eyes, two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Communication is a lost art and the downfall of many interpersonal relationships. We hear, but we don’t listen and, if we do listen, we listen to respond, not to understand. Something unique and amazing has happened during the last few years. Brayden and I have both learned how to better understand each other and communicate. This spills over into our other relationships as well.
The truly amazing part was realizing that we had become empathic to each other’s needs and struggles. We learned to recognize when the other had a problem or might need a little helping hand (even though neither of us would admit it), how to be connected enough to know when the other is struggling and when to help out with that struggle. This awareness continues to pay countless dividends in our relationship.
Many will agree that being a parent is a tough job. We don’t seek thanks or praise for what we are led to do. We do these things knowing that all we may receive is an intrinsic reward. The tangible reward is not what we’re there for. As parents, nothing is owed to us for doing our job. If Brayden becomes the next Warren Buffett, I don’t expect repayment for anything, nor should I. My greatest hope is that he, too, will find an outlet, hopefully USPSA, for him and his children to find themselves and strengthen their relationships.
Much like with seasons, with time comes change. Brayden has entered a different phase in his life, consumed by papers, calculus and a litany of other items to foster his growth and maturation into adulthood. I cherish the times we are able to shoot together now. I feel a huge gap in my heart when I look across a stage and don’t see him cutting up with the MasterPiece Arms guys, making silly faces at the camera while recording me, or air gunning his stage plan. Matches look different without him there as often, and it highlights the reality that “this is the way we’ve always done it” will change.
Article from the January/February 2026 issue of USPSA’s magazine.
