The science of darts.... or, the art of throwing pointed metal things and not stabbing anyone (one's self included!).

Last night we started the dart season. Anyone who knows me might say I'm a bit neurotic when it comes to darts. I love playing.

I love the camaraderie. I love the strategy. I love the psychology.

And most people don't know that it's that involved!

The game of darts is much like the games of pool and (dare I say it?) golf. In order to become successful, you need to practice. You need to watch those better than you. And when you get to a certain level, you realize that there are more things to learn and more things to practice. It is constant change and evolution - if you want to get better.

And oddly enough, I am finding that this practice does positive things in my "real" life. For instance, these days, I am working to improve my focus and supressing my nerves. It took me a season and a half to get comfortable with my Wednesday night team, whose two leaders get really worked up during the night, and it messes with the way they throw. I used to get caught up in that, but now I've realized that if I can find a way to relax and control the anxiety that rubs off from them, then I can throw to my potential.

Well, last week during my Gilda's Club lecture, I tried to use some of the same relaxing techniques. As a result, the lecture went really well, and I stopped being nervous early on.

And this works vice versa as well... after I got sick, and learned patience the hard way, I was able to use that in darts.

Believe me, though... I struggle at this game. And even though I understand the concepts behind throwing a great game, I often have a tough time doing it myself. So in line with the saying "those who cannot do, teach", I have found how much I enjoy helping others improve their game.

Overall, it's a very rewarding experience to shoot with your friends, to make new friends, and in my case, I've been fortunate to earn the respect of some people I've looked up to. Sometimes it's taken some tough, tough lessons, but in a way, darts are like life, and those tough lessons will only make you stronger.