We all start somewhere when it comes to the outdoors and shooting sports. Some folks grow up with it and are immersed in it all their lives. Others have never held a gun before, nor have they ever set foot in the field. It was this question of how young people get started in the shooting sports that drove us to talk to Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors Vice President, Brittany French about their Shooting Sports Outreach Program, and the Wichita Clay Dusters team. The story of the Wichita Clay Dusters, the kids, coaches, and the positive impact it has are what results when curiosity and opportunity come together. Youth shooting sports, particularly youth trap shooting illustrates how giving back is an amazing avenue to truly make a difference on and off the field.

The Rise of Youth Shooting

In the early 2000s, it became clear that many gun clubs and shooting ranges across the country were struggling to keep their doors open. Minnesota DNR conducted an informal survey that found that the average age of a gun club member was 57 years old. This galvanized states like Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and many others to come up with a solution to save not only gun clubs but shooting sports themselves. One such individual, Jim Sable, who would later go on to found the clay target league in Minnesota was made the Youth Program Director at his local gun club. And, when the president of his club asked where he was going to start, Sable replied, “In the schools – that’s where the kids are.”

In 2008, the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League began with 3 teams and 30 athletes. The league exploded, and by 2014 the Minnesota State Championship was the largest shooting event in the world. This success quickly spread across the country, and teams and leagues are now in 34 states and have around 32,000 participants. John Nelson, the USA Clay Target League President, states that participation is growing at a rate of 20 percent nationally. In Minnesota, where the league began, there are 12,000 participants and over 400 teams. Nelson points out that the sport is more popular than hockey, and “Minnesota is known for hockey.” Just like in Minnesota, clay target teams are growing rapidly across the country. 

Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors initiated their Shooting Sports Outreach Program in 2019 to connect state high school clay shooting programs with opportunities to hunt with mentors. This effort is to help bridge the gap between youth shooting sports and the outdoors and contributes to the goals of the National R3 efforts. The Kansas High School Clay Target League began with 29 schools and 321 shooters and now serves 108 schools and over 2,000 students. “In 2022, we coordinated 505 outdoor events in Iowa and Kansas that allowed us to serve over 1,100 youth through outdoor mentorship,” said French. This incredible success story has revitalized a sport that builds character and immerses an ever-growing number of new participants in the world of shooting and the outdoors.

Trap Shooting as A Sport

Trap shooting, like other sports, requires a great deal of practice, skill, and attention to detail to be an expert. However, that is where the similarities end. The actual act of shooting trap consists of five shooting stations, a shooter, a puller or pulling device, and the clay target. When the shooter says pull, the clay target is thrown from the house, and the athlete fires.  He or she will shoot 25 shots, 5 times at each station for one round of trap. Each competitor will shoot a second round of 25 and be scored on the total number of clays broken out of 50. Within one of the many high school leagues, a student athlete will shoot a round of trap once every week for 6 to 12 weeks depending on the league. This does not include extra rounds for practice. The league culminates in various state championships and finally a national league championship. Beyond the competition, many student athletes participate in trap shooting to be part of a larger community, try something new, learn a new skill, and most importantly to have fun.

Another way in which trap shooting sets itself apart from other sports is its democratic nature. Almost anyone can shoot trap, and it does not matter if you are a big or small, boy or a girl, rich or poor, in a wheelchair or standing, you can learn to shoot trap. Perhaps, this is why trap shooting has had such a tremendous growth rate compared to other sports. John Nelson points out that “39% of clay target athletes do not participate in another sport. Also, because of the now national reach of trapshooting, more kids than ever, who would have not interacted with each other otherwise, now can be a part of a national community for the first time.”

To date, there has not been a single injury reported in youth trap shooting. Safety and respect for firearms is taken very seriously. Athletes are taught to be responsible for themselves and those around them, to the highest level. To illustrate this, let’s look at the Kansas State High School Clay Target Championship. Over 130,000 rounds were fired by more than 1,300 students in two days, with zero injuries. John Nelson points out that the safety record in Kansas mirrors that of the sport nationally, where millions of rounds are fired every year safely.

One of the biggest challenges that youth trap shooting faces as a sport is that cost can be a big barrier to entry. Range fees or memberships, equipment, and ammunition costs can put a financial strain on athletes’ families. This is why donations, fundraising and community support are essential pieces to allow student athletes to participate in shooting sports. 

Wichita Clay Dusters Clay Target Team

The Wichita Clay Dusters is a Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) team for youth in the greater Wichita area. According to Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors, this team was created to give youth more opportunities to participate in shooting sports that do not have a team at their school. The team has now been around for four seasons and has grown from 10 kids to 30! Out of the whole team, only two of the athletes own their own guns, the rest are provided by donation. The kids and their families pay a $25 registration fee to SCTP. “At this time, all the essentials are provided through grants and fundraising efforts. Ammo, range fees and loaner shotguns are provided at no additional cost,” said Mike Christensen, President of Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors.  Beyond that, the kids need only show up ready to learn.

The team is coached solely by experienced volunteers. New athletes are immersed in a world of firearms safety. Before each round, the team participates in a safety talk, where it is reinforced that this is the responsibility of all present at the range. Students are taught that if they see something, say something, and all firearms are treated with respect. There is zero tolerance for anything less. 

“It is very rewarding to watch an athlete learn the sport of trap and fire their first shots with us,” said French about the Wichita Clay Dusters team. “The expression on an athlete’s face after they break their first target is priceless.” Because of this, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors focuses on coaching each kid individually and introducing the student to the sport in a fun and simple way. It is important to note that most kids do not start off shooting 25’s but need to be encouraged and patiently worked with before they really get it. This is why an emphasis on safe fun is so important to keep kids coming back. “Their excitement and understanding of responsibility is contagious.”

Although cost can be a challenge, anyone can learn to shoot trap regardless of their upbringing, previous experience, or physical abilities. “Trap shooters don’t need to be the biggest, fastest, or tallest…and youth with disabilities can participate right alongside all of the other shooters,” said Christensen. “Boys and girls compete on the same team.” 

Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors has structured their programming through volunteers, donations, and fundraising to minimize cost as a barrier for kids who want to compete. Many of the kids that Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors serves are from minority communities with fewer outdoor opportunities. By working with local community leaders, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors is helping kids of all backgrounds get involved in shooting sports.

The Impact

As kids grow in their trap shooting abilities, they grow in character as well. They are taught to listen, to persevere, to work together with their coaches and teammates, and to dedicate themselves to putting into practice what they have learned. Furthermore, there has been a great increase in the confidence of those shooting. In addition to boosting their confidence in their shooting skills, this kind of growth is not only fostered on the field, but the relationship between coach and athlete has effects that transcend the sport. 

We have mentioned removing entry barriers a few times in this story, and this trend continues when you look at how youth trap shooting teams become feeders for an exposure to hunting and the outdoors. Student athletes on the Wichita Clay Dusters team have the opportunity to participate in mentored hunts organized by Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors. The curiosity of these kids now has an avenue, and they have a place to ask questions about things like hunting and the outdoors. This is certainly not a requirement, rather, just another great opportunity for young people to explore the outdoors. It is this kind of exposure that continually helps promote the conservation of the larger outdoor world through greater youth participation.

Giving Back

“It is priceless to be present,” says French. Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors has a passion for involving youth in the shooting sports, hunting and conservation. French has said that giving back to the sport she loves is bigger than herself or any one hunter. In the past few years, she has often found herself hunting less and mentoring more. Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors regularly sees the transformation of kids to adults when introduced to firearms and the outdoors. They realize that this is just as much a gift to the mentor as it is to the kid. 

“If we want to see youth shooting sports grow and thrive with longevity, it takes all of us supporting the next generation busting clays. A team can never have enough coaches, funding, or access to practice,” said French. “My challenge for you is to think about becoming a coach, sponsoring a team, or allowing a team to shoot at your range if you have one. When we all start working towards the same goal, everyone wins and, in this case, the future of shooting sports will be more vibrant than ever.”