Our inaugural Ask the All-Americans column takes a look at what it means to be an Amateur Trapshooting Association All-American.  Earning a position on the team means many different things to a lot of people – to both those who have made the team and those who strive to someday make it.

With that being said, our staff at Trapshooting Online decided to provide some insight on what it means to them.  Without further ado, take a look at what 5-Time All-American Dan Murphy had to say about the topic:

Q: What does being an All-American mean to you?

A: To me, what it means to be an All-American can be summarized in three words…Sacrifice, Achievement, Responsibility.

Sacrifice - The countless hours spent traveling, the money spent on shooting expenses, and the time spent away from family and from home are all sacrifices that must be made to become an All-American.  Being named to the All-American team is your reward for making all of those sacrifices, and it makes them all worthwhile.

Achievement - Being an All-American also means that you have achieved something that very few people will ever accomplish in any sport.  If you tell someone that you are an All-American, they immediately know that you are the best of the best at what you do.  It is a huge honor to carry around that title and the status that goes with it.

Responsibility – In addition to the reward and the status, there is a great amount of responsibility that goes along with being an All-American.  As a member of the All-American teams, you are viewed as an ambassador of our sport and are held to a higher standard than everyone else.  People want to feel good about their All-Americans and to know that they truly deserve that title.  The youth shooters will look up to you, and they will watch for you to set an example for how they should carry themselves as trapshooters.

About Dan

From 1996-2000, Dan earned a spot on five ATA All-American First Teams.  Throughout his career, Dan also was named to seven Wisconsin All-State teams, including 4 times as Junior captain and once as Men’s Co-Captain.