The idea to start a clay target shooting team came from Wapakoneta junior Mason Becker, who saw on the news how the sport was gaining popularity in schools out west and in the rest of the country.
ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - This year, Wapakoneta joins over 40 Ohio school districts in one of America's fastest-growing interscholastic sports, clay target shooting.
With grants from the NRA, the Lima SABRES Shooting Association has been able to support this new team.
The idea to start a clay target shooting team came from Wapakoneta junior Mason Becker, who saw on the news how the sport was gaining popularity in schools out west and in the rest of the country. He's been shooting for years and knew it was something his classmates would want to do.
"I enjoy shooting very much, and ever since I was a boy, my father has taken me hunting, and fishing, and outdoor sports, and I've really enjoyed those experiences. So, that's the main reason why I've wanted to start this," Becker said.
With grants from the NRA, the Lima SABRES Shooting Association has been able to support this new team. They're more than happy to be able to give kids a place to learn the discipline.
The Wapakoneta team also has plenty of oversight with a 2 to 1 student-coach ratio.
"We've been out here; SABRES has opened up their doors to us. They've been a huge help with lifting this off. Eric Markley, he's the one that's kind of got us up at SABRES, and they've offered us to come up here and shoot on certain days during certain times free of charge and at a discounted price. So, we're taking full advantage of that," explained Jared Selover, the head coach of the Wapakoneta Redskins Clay Target Club.
The USA Clay Target League says that statistically, clay target shooting is actually safer than traditional sports like football or soccer. Every student completes a safety course before they're allowed to handle a gun. The Wapakoneta team also has plenty of oversight with a 2 to 1 student-coach ratio. Talk to any member of the team, and it's clear that they have a lot of respect for the guns and take safety precautions very seriously.
"If you get a break-action gun or a pump gun, even semi-auto, you always keep the action open or slide pulled back. Always gotta have safety glasses while you're shooting; always gotta put earplugs in. Make sure your shell is not in your gun when you're not shooting," said Lucas Schnipple, a sophomore on the team.
All experience levels are welcome, and after just a few practices, the students who have never even shot a gun before are already improving and having a good time.
"There have been over 200,000 kids doing this, and they said there have been over two hundred million shots fired, and there hasn't been a single incident of any type of injury or anything happened. They're saying it's the safest and fastest growing high school sport right now," added Coach Selover.
The co-ed team is open to any Wapakoneta student in grades 8–12. All experience levels are welcome, and after just a few practices, the students who have never even shot a gun before are already improving and having a good time.
"I'm real happy about the success it's had through the community and the support that we've been getting. And one day, I'd like to see it throughout all the Western Buckeye League," Becker said.
Registration is still open until September 9th, and there will also be a spring season. The first competition will be September 17th at the Moulton Gun Club.
