 Andrew Schuster is a Freshman at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell as well as alumni to Lowell High School. He studies Graphic Design and shows his works for class on social media. He takes pride in his work as he is apart of the prestigious (in this community) FLVGS Video Editing Team and works as Street Elite Media Personnel. Mr. Schuster is also the founder of the well-known MassDrill organization. He has made strides in the ROTC program he is in as he is his Drill Teams Overall Team Captain and Armed Regulation Commander. We here at American Drill Report would also like to thank Andrew for his time as he is on our Ranking Committee. I got a chance to have a few questions answered by him. Q: Where do you draw inspiration for your segment composition? A: I draw inspiration from all over. Much of my inspiration for segments come from multiple World Class drillers that I combine into one. For a while, I mainly stuck with Andres Ryan as most young drillers do, but since graduation, I have focused my learning on different types of drill and I feel like it has and is still benefiting me as I learn and progress. I like to watch old successful WDC routines on YouTube and copy parts that I like, but give my own twist to it. I have watched Wendling, Ryan, Caldwell, Delaurier, Renn; all of the routines that placed well in the field in their respective years. I receive and seek help from multiple drillers of the WDC competitor field. They know what it takes, and it is an open free resource. I’m very lucky to call some of them my friends. Music has also become an inspiration while drilling. During practice, I make sure to put on music that has a rhythm to it. I don’t crank the death metal or the old school Eminem but sometimes I’ll find myself listening to Spanish music, or songs that have a good beat or rhythm to it, that helps a lot with the flow of the routine for me personally. Q: Who do you believe is the top driller competing at worlds this year and why? A : I wouldn’t be able to tell you who THE TOP driller is this year because really anyone can come out of nowhere. I do have a couple drillers in mind that could make top 10 but you never know until game day. I’m predicting a very very qualified competitive field this year, possibly greater than last year’s. Q: What do you think is the most important thing in constructing the backbone of a decent drill routine? A: I believe there is more than just one important “thing” in constructing a decent drill routine. Planning out the floor is a big one. Deciding where to put what segment can be hard because if you do not have a certain segment setup right for the judges then you could in end screw yourself over. A personal belief of mine is showmanship is a big part of a decent drill routine. You can come with the sharpest routine and go crazy with military fashion but everyone should have a little showmanship in them. By this I don’t mean dance, flip around and try to be the next cool guy. What I mean is show confidence in yourself, play with your body, your footwork; and how your arms, wrists, and rifle move. I may be wrong but I don't think anyone, judges included, enjoys a sharp and boring routine; everyone enjoys a sharp, creative routine. Then again if that doesn't fit your style of drill then so be it but that is my personal belief. Find your perfect balance of showman. "Failure is always an option; it's what you do with these failures that determine whether its an end, or a setback. Keep fighting." –Andrew Schuster
On Preparing for PracticeAs far as my practice goes there's 10 things I take in consideration before I start every practice. Comfort, concentration, determination, expectations, effort, goals, knowing your limits, knowing your strengths, motivation, and time. Find the environment that's more comfortable to you. Although you know there will be times when you don't necessarily feel comfortable, you have to try your best to work with what you have no matter how cold, how hot, or how humid it is out there. Be aware of your environment indoors or outdoors. Second of all one very important thing about drill as a sport is concentration during, before, even after practice. You want to make sure you practice how you want to perform, if you go into a competition and you are not concentrating there is a great chance that you will not perform at your hundred percent. You want to make sure you have a strong discipline to keep yourself away from bad habits; looking around, extra movements, talking, touching your face are big examples of bad habits during practice or even before or after practice. Try not to lose concentration no matter what's going on there don't let nature disturb you from working. There's also a need for determination, you want to be able to realize what it takes for you to reach what you want to grasp in this great sport. Whether you see drill as a sport, hobby, art, skill, or even a career if you manage to become a coach. Always have in mind everything about drill whether it is unarmed or armed. You also want to have in mind your expectations what is it that you're looking for in this. B completely honest with yourself and analyze what you have to work with. No one ever wants to be mean but, you have to keep in mind that you won't progress as far as you want if you don't have a solid idea of where you're standing and where you want to get to. Don't expect to get at a national level when you practice like someone who doesn't know what to do. No matter how hard it is there's always room for possibilities, if those are not exaggerated. Personally effort is one of the most important aspects considering this is a physical sport. Without effort you will lack what it needs to reach higher levels, whether it's spinning, control, posture, marching, or facing movements. Not everything comes naturally therefore you have to work hard. You want to focus all your attention and determination including your expectations in order to get the most out of your practice. As far as effort, complete your motions don't try to speed through the process of learning, living organisms never stop learning so keep that in mind. Establish reachable goals based on what you know about yourself, drill, and the community. Not everyone can be the same we are all different therefore we will have different goals. Don't try to copy other people's goals be honest with yourself. One's true goals come from within a person, try not to use other people's goals unless you are out of fuel. Have in mind time will never be able to be controlled, you have to figure things out at your own pace no matter if that clock is ticking. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you work smarter. If you know you can't throw a triple I'm sure you will not think of putting that in your routine. If you know you're great at certain movements, you will find that you can use that to your advantage. Start with what you know and work towards getting better at what you're not good at. Eventually after many double spins you will gather the strength to throw a triple, there's many ways to use this example learn by analyzing your practices. Knowing your limits is also very important. Limits could be motor skills, endurance, muscle fatigue, injuries, and energy. Make sure you don't exceed your capabilities when you practice. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't train as long as you would want to but, you have to learn when to stop practicing. There will be time for you to work on those things that hold you back eventually don't lose encouragement. Be motivated!! Motivation is what keeps us going even when we feel like we hit rock bottom, when we feel stopped by a wall, and when we feel like we're not as good as someone else. Use your mind to fight through the obstacles you will soon find in this great sport, never quit because there's no glory in quitting. The last thing will be time. Learn how to administer your time wisely don't spend too much time thinking about what to do. Have in mind everything before you start practicing that way you will prevent losing precious time you could be using to get better. One last thing, since this is a physical sport you want to make sure you are able to endure throughout practice. Start physical training, don't expect the rifle to do all the work. Before I was able to do the things that I'm capable of today, I didn't have the strength it took for me to do it at one point. Whether it's weight lifting, calisthenics, or gymnastics it will help. What is a Normal Practice Like for You?A normal practice to me would be hard to explain. There's times I practice basic spins like singles mixing up a variation of vertical, horizontal, and 45° stops. Sometimes I just start with one move and add another and just keep going to develop reaction time and timing. I also start marching and adding movements with the rifle making sure I pivot to turn left, right, and rear to turn according to where I practice. Flowing continuously in a straight line no matter left, right, forward, or backwards until I run out of space, changing direction to turn from one side and continue to another. There's times I practice strictly one handed holds either holding the rifle vertical, horizontal, and 45°. Free spin or even do a set of 5 single variations then 4,3,2 1 and continue with a different hold on a different part of the weapon or switching hands. When I get serious I try to march perfectly, do manual movements in place including pivots and strict spinning in between. When I try to get a move that I don't quite feel confident with and I know my arm angle is bad, I practice only that move until I get tired. My goal when practicing would depend on what I planned on doing before the practice started and what I would do after the practice finished. Sometimes after a long practice I do bodyweight exercises to hit those muscle involved as you practice, you could do those in between your practice to increase muscle fatigue before you start spinning again. This can help you get a feeling of what it would be like if you were that tired to make sure you use the right motion movements. Is There a Specific Routine to Follow When Practicing In Order To Reach That Level of Drill?I don't really practice it since I just think of doing my movements right and not being afraid to catching that rifle when I apply a little bit of strength to the spins. So if you think power would be spinning fast and strong I would have to say I'm not really sure. You can increase the speed by adding a little more torque and strength and making it stand out because it looks way faster and stronger if you keep your posture and absorb the impact of the weapon properly. My drill doesn't define a style since I'm not forced to spin a certain way It all depends on what you are doing. If I could define my style I would just say it's simple difficulty due to it being a combination of difficult moves and simple transitions and vice versa.
|
