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Robin Sheehan joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a conversation on Sporting Clays, women in shooting sports, mental performance, target setting, instruction, hunting, and building a stronger community for female shooters. Robin is the founder of Annie Oakley Shooters of Northern Illinois, an NSCA Level I Instructor, SCTP coach, board member at Gallatin Sporting Clays, former U.S. Shooting Team rifle competitor, and a passionate advocate for helping women find their place in clay target sports. 

In this episode, Robin shares how she grew up in New Jersey in a family of pheasant hunters and later became a highly competitive smallbore rifle shooter. As a young athlete, she earned multiple national titles, international success, and All-American honors in college. After a successful professional career in investment banking, consulting, and aviation sales, Robin returned to shooting later in life through Sporting Clays when her son began taking lessons to prepare for a family pheasant hunt.

Dawn and Robin discuss the major differences between rifle shooting and shotgun sports, including the challenge of moving from a stationary target and sight-based discipline into the visual, instinctive, moving-target world of Sporting Clays. Robin explains how barrel awareness, eye dominance, mechanics, and over-analysis created challenges when she began shooting shotguns, especially after years of precision rifle habits.

A major focus of the episode is women in Sporting Clays. Robin shares how Annie Oakley Shooters of Northern Illinois was created to provide training, educational, and competitive opportunities for women. She discusses the importance of creating a welcoming environment where women feel respected, supported, safe, and encouraged from their very first experience with a shotgun.

Dawn and Robin also discuss the difference in communication styles when coaching women, the problem of unsolicited advice, and why women often thrive in supportive clinics where they can learn without intimidation or condescension. Robin explains how the Annie Oakleys work to train instructors, host clinics, organize female registered shoots, and create a community where women can enjoy the sport while developing confidence.

The conversation also explores target setting, including Robin’s experience taking a target setting clinic, her appreciation for the physical and creative demands of the work, and the artistic element involved in using terrain, distance, backgrounds, angles, and target selection to create meaningful presentations.

Dawn and Robin also touch on the mental game, including Robin’s awareness that discipline, mechanics, fitness, diet, and preparation are not always enough when the mind becomes mechanical or self-conscious under pressure. They discuss focus, confidence, ego, trust, humility, and the challenge of moving from conscious control into a more natural performance state.

This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, women competitors, hunters, target setters, and anyone interested in growing the sport through better coaching, stronger community, and more inclusive opportunities.

Robin Sheehan Links:

Annie Oakley Shooters of Northern Illinois Website:
 https://annieoakleyshootersni.org/

Email:
 info@annieoakleyshootersni.org

Board of Directors Page:
 https://annieoakleyshootersni.org/about-us/annies-committee/

Facebook Group:
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/annieoakleyshootersni/

Northbrook Sports Club:
 https://northbrooksportsclub.org/

Gallatin Sporting Clays:
 https://gallatinsportin