Set a goal for NDA Nationals next year

By Gary Irwin

I have been playing darts for about 16 months at this point and have spent a lot of time and energy on learning how to play the game right. I have challenged the best and lost more times than I want to count, but I have learned something every time I play.

This week I went to Vegas and played all but one event in the biggest tournament I have ever seen.  The atmosphere was incredible and the level of play was the highest I have ever seen.  It was one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed in darts and turned out to be an awesome time.

This is not a tournament for the faint of heart; the first day I played singles, I was up and playing for 22 hours and it was exhausting, to say the least. The first day is all about singles, and trust me, there are more players than anyone would realize without seeing it for themselves.

But this is what darts are all about, and the Arizona group showed that day after day. No matter when I played or at what level I played the people who were not playing showed up to cheer you on and make sure you had support behind you.

I played for first place at four in the morning and that was after starting at 8 am, but when it was over, I looked back and there sat two people from Arizona who played all day cheering me on and there to support me. That is what Troy Vending, Masters, and the players from Arizona are all about! These are people who have helped me learn the game and chose to be there on their time.

I do not know the numbers but regardless of what AZ players won in total, they won as a team, and showed the world of darts that we travel together and play together.

If you are just starting to play or have been playing for a long time but have not been to Vegas for Nationals, take the time to prepare and go see the greatest show in darts.

It is something I will never in my life forget. I had a great time and while doing so, learned what a team is all about.

Thank you Troy Vending and Phoenix for an incredible event!