Value of shooting sports: new riflery program available to camps

There is one smile I will never forget. I was on my first stint as a rifle range counselor just outside of Philadelphia. One of our charges, 11-year-old Jason, was the kind of kid life never seemed to favor. He stood six inches shorter than his peers and struggled with a limp left over from an operation. Like the other Jasons of the world, he was never picked for sports; did not excel in music, art, or academics; and was in the grips of a bewildering self-esteem crisis that was already hampering his social development.

When he literally pranced back from the firing line, finished target in hand and grinning ear to ear, I knew something very good was about to happen.

There is a natural connection between youth and shooting sports. Given a choice at camp, campers invariably drift toward shooting programs. Our camp runs an elective program; without fail, shooting fills up first. In my 25 years directing camp, I have never had an empty slot in a riflery class, something I cannot say about any other activity. I see that enthusiasm echoed as I travel around the country and work with other camps.

Camp shooting programs in decline

Though shooting sports are as popular as ever, the pastime has recently been on the decline in camps. There are various reasons.

First, the world's largest shooting authority, the National Rifle Association, has so entangled itself in politics that many directors and parents believe it carries a stigma that's sometimes difficult to accept.

Cost is another factor. Many directors holding on to smallbore rifle programs know it costs them nearly $.04 a shot for expendables, even before adding in the capital investment of rifles and range construction. Ammunition prices can climb into the thousands of dollars, and directors wonder whether the money isn't better spent elsewhere.

In my role as an NRA Training Counselor and an American Camping Association Standards Visitor, I have inspected hundreds of camp ranges over the years. Many are seriously outdated, inadequate, and often have safety buffers that have given way to development and congestion. Without alternatives, the easy choice is to shut down the range and terminate the shooting program.

Shooting sports as tools in youth development

Camp shooting sports play a valuable role in youth development. Simply, the programs involve taking aim and going for a goal. Properly conceived, shooting a rifle in competition is similar to hitting a tennis ball, swinging a bat, or shooting a basketball. Riflery is a sport that can be played individually or on a team. It is for girls and boys. What sets it apart from many other sports is that it does not necessarily favor the strongest, the dominant, the fastest, the biggest, or the smartest.

Jason was the smallest of his peers and did not excel in other sports. Marksmanship, both in the progressive qualification awards and the competitive arena, turned out to be his ticket to success at a critical stage in his development.

Many campers are attracted to shooting sports because they teach absolute discipline, a component often lacking in modern society and their young lives. Both the act of shooting, and the entire ritual surrounding it, requires dedication and single-minded concentration. Further, working around guns demands that young people be more responsible, and they thrive on the opportunity to show adults they can meet that challenge.

Clearly, camp directors want the benefits of shooting sports for their campers but are still faced with leadership, cost, and safety issues. What, then, is the future of shooting sports at camp?

New program options

Two years ago, in response to member concerns, the American Camping Association established a contact with Leo Lujan, Executive Director of Jr. Shooting Sports USA. Since retiring from the military in 1991, Lujan's mission has been to explore more effective means of introducing young people to Olympic shooting sports. Working with interested ACA camps, Lujan initiated a comprehensive camp riflery program that offers options beyond traditional .22 caliber shooting.

BB guns

Shooting sport leaders recognize the importance of matching the participant and program with the correct equipment. Instruction should begin with lighter, simpler BB guns.

Once considered toys, these inexpensive rifles have reached new levels of sophistication. As training tools they are perfect. With the danger of a serious accident greatly reduced, larger groups of inexperienced campers can be introduced to the range and allowed to concentrate on the basics of safety and technique. Success is easily achieved at this level.

For many camps, BB marksmanship is an ideal answer and potentially an entire program in and of itself. BB gun ranges are only 17 feet in length and can be set up and taken down with a minimum of equipment and space. On rainy days, this activity transfers indoors or under a tent, making it ideal for day camps. Further, some states don't recognize BBs as highly hazardous and allow for more easily attainable instructor certification.

Camps with older campers and longer sessions find BBs fit as a good introductory tool, leaving participants with a greater challenge to look forward to and graduate into.

Air rifles

The air rifle is used in five different Olympic shooting events. It propels a .177 caliber lead pellet via a burst of compressed air. Though far more powerful than BB guns, air rifles are still a good solution on ranges where location, safety, and noise are concerns. Many retired or unsafe .22 smallbore rifle ranges can readily be brought back into service as air rifles.

A long time competitive shooter in my youth, I grew up with a prejudice against air rifles. They were poorly built, didn't last, never had the look or feel of a real rifle, and were basically toys. No more! The new generation of air rifles are highly accurate, beautiful instruments, offering everything a smallbore program does at a fraction of the cost. Further, they can be shot indoors, in smaller spaces, with equipment easily and inexpensively assembled.

Field test

To test the theory that the future of camp shooting sports lies in the adoption of a BB gun/air rifle training progression in our camps, we invited Leo Lujan to spend two weeks at Camp Mason. He field tested new program ideas, and succeeded in weaning us from our purist smallbore attitudes.

Historically, our concerns at Camp Mason included the number of children who could participate in our shooting program and the amount of actual shooting time and direct instruction they would receive. Our limitations included the need to double up on certified staff, the fact that our range had only six positions, and that our daily schedule allowed for only five structured activity periods.

The first solution was in front of us all along, but we needed someone else to point it out; Lujan set up a separate BB gun range. The new range immediately doubled capacity and better served the younger campers.

A second problem was the non-productive time campers spent waiting. On analysis, we found our range was frozen in transition between rotations almost 50 percent of its available time; we were shocked to discover that in a 60-minute period, the average camper spent only seven minutes shooting.

The answers came in the form of a mechanical, knockdown target system that could be reset by the campers without ever moving off the firing line. The prototypes were tested at camp this past August, with excellent results. Template inserts allowed the knockdown zone to be progressively reduced as campers improved; the system gave instant feedback and wasted no time between rotations, especially when using a buddy system. In the end, our program tripled in size. Participants' shooting time increased, and they received better instruction. The camp's expendable costs were cut in half.

Many of the campers expressed a desire to continue to work on their skills at home with parental supervision. These are the young people we're likely to see back at camp next year, ready to move ahead in our more advanced programs. Many of the parents purchased our used equipment on the last day. (Equipment is generally available to camps at the start of each session on contingency, loan, or deeply discounted from manufacturers.)

New roads are never smooth. Some will resist change and new affiliations. Here lies an opportunity to save camp shooting sports and to revise programs currently under suspension. It is a chance to continue to do good things, and bring smiles to the faces of campers like Jason!

Jr. Shooting Sports USA (JSS/USA) is a nonprofit association founded by concerned people involved in Olympic shooting program development in combination with youth camp operators.

Founding premises

* shooting is a sport

* junior shooters are athletes

* trained and qualified coaches are essential to safety and success

Organizational goals

* to provide "grassroots" support to youth camp programs

* to support camp administrators and youth camp programs with training, materials, and resources

* to foster widespread participation and development of youth interest in the Olympic shooting sports

Program outlines, teaching aids, progressive awards, and resource assistance for camp directors are all available for the 1996 season. Camps enrolling with JSS/USA will receive a notebook with an instruction guide, support materials, and samples of optional camper manuals. The knockdown target system was designed specially for this program.

For information on prices, recommended equipment and suppliers, scheduled events, and instructor training, write to JSS/USA, P.O. Box 3207, Brentwood, TN 37024-2632, or call 615/831-0485.

Michael Peterson is director of YMCA Camp Ralph S, Mason and training program chair for the American Camping Association New Jersey Section. He has been a rifle instructor for 25 years and an NRA Instructor Training Counselor for 14 years.

COPYRIGHT 1996 American Camping Association
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