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ENLARGE
Teresa Middleton
If you were to try to identify one of the fastest-growing areas in 4-H is, what would you guess?
If you guessed shooting sports, you’d be right. There are more than 300,000 youth and 45,000 adults in the nation involved in the 4-H Shooting Sports Program. If you were unaware that the 4-H offers shooting sports, you’re not alone. Even though the program is not new — it’s been officially around since 1976 — it is an area that requires extra training for leaders, and that can sometimes limit clubs and club size. You may even be wondering why 4-H would offer a shooting sports program. The focus of all 4-H programs is the development of youth as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Program stands out as an example.
Youth learn marksmanship, the safe and responsible use of firearms, the principles of hunting and archery, and much more. The activities of the program and the support of caring adult leaders provide young people with opportunities to develop life skills, self-worth, and conservation ethics.
The Oregon 4-H Youth Development Education Program recognizes and supports Shooting Sport discipline tracks such as archery, shotgun, rifle, hunting, pistol and hunting dog. Any leader who is interested in teaching a shooting sport must go through a 15-hour rigorous training session per track.
Teaching children safety is the number one priority. Some people have concerns about the safety of shooting sports. All statistics support that shooting sports, under the direction of responsible and capable adult leaders, is one of the safest activities available to young people.Teresa Williams 5/20/09 I have a hard time believing this. Safer than what??
Last month I had the privilege of attending one of the 4-H Shooting Sports Master Leader Workshops in Redmond along with two other Douglas County 4-H leaders. It was one of the most thorough trainings I’ve been through. I chose the archery training track.
As a kid growing up in Bend, and the oldest of five children, I had been involved in archery. It started when my dad took up archery as a hobby. Whatever hobby my dad took up, we kids did, too. I still remember the smell of burnt feathers as my dad made arrows — it was cheaper that way.
We used to put up the straw bales behind the house and spend countless hours shooting until the targets were just shredded paper. Apparently kids today are a lot like my siblings and I.
While talking to other leaders who were there for the training, I heard that there was a great need for leaders in the shooting sports. So many children are interested, yet there aren’t enough leaders to go around. I was impressed by their passion. Most of the participants didn’t have children or grandchildren in the program.
They had a love for their sport; they cared about children and felt that the benefits of this type of program were well worth the time, effort and money spent to do the training.
For more information on 4-H Shooting Sports, you can visit their Web site at 4-Hshootingsports.org, or contact the Douglas County OSU Extension.
If you guessed shooting sports, you’d be right. There are more than 300,000 youth and 45,000 adults in the nation involved in the 4-H Shooting Sports Program. If you were unaware that the 4-H offers shooting sports, you’re not alone. Even though the program is not new — it’s been officially around since 1976 — it is an area that requires extra training for leaders, and that can sometimes limit clubs and club size. You may even be wondering why 4-H would offer a shooting sports program. The focus of all 4-H programs is the development of youth as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Program stands out as an example.
Youth learn marksmanship, the safe and responsible use of firearms, the principles of hunting and archery, and much more. The activities of the program and the support of caring adult leaders provide young people with opportunities to develop life skills, self-worth, and conservation ethics.
The Oregon 4-H Youth Development Education Program recognizes and supports Shooting Sport discipline tracks such as archery, shotgun, rifle, hunting, pistol and hunting dog. Any leader who is interested in teaching a shooting sport must go through a 15-hour rigorous training session per track.
Teaching children safety is the number one priority. Some people have concerns about the safety of shooting sports. All statistics support that shooting sports, under the direction of responsible and capable adult leaders, is one of the safest activities available to young people.Teresa Williams 5/20/09 I have a hard time believing this. Safer than what??
Last month I had the privilege of attending one of the 4-H Shooting Sports Master Leader Workshops in Redmond along with two other Douglas County 4-H leaders. It was one of the most thorough trainings I’ve been through. I chose the archery training track.
As a kid growing up in Bend, and the oldest of five children, I had been involved in archery. It started when my dad took up archery as a hobby. Whatever hobby my dad took up, we kids did, too. I still remember the smell of burnt feathers as my dad made arrows — it was cheaper that way.
We used to put up the straw bales behind the house and spend countless hours shooting until the targets were just shredded paper. Apparently kids today are a lot like my siblings and I.
While talking to other leaders who were there for the training, I heard that there was a great need for leaders in the shooting sports. So many children are interested, yet there aren’t enough leaders to go around. I was impressed by their passion. Most of the participants didn’t have children or grandchildren in the program.
They had a love for their sport; they cared about children and felt that the benefits of this type of program were well worth the time, effort and money spent to do the training.
For more information on 4-H Shooting Sports, you can visit their Web site at 4-Hshootingsports.org, or contact the Douglas County OSU Extension.
Teresa Middleton is the 4-H education program assistant at OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at teresa.middleton@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 672-4461.
