Number of Young Competitive Shooters Skyrocketing

During his NRANews program yesterday, Cam Edwards mentioned this article that appeared over the weekend in the Boston Globe.  The article, titled "Gun Controversy Lost on New Shooters" is a pretty balanced article that discusses the rise in the number of young competitive shooters at a time when some adult policy makers want to restrict our gun rights.

Participation in the nationwide 4-H Shooting Sports Program, which includes archery, hunting, pistol, rifle, and other firearms, has nearly tripled since 2009 and last year drew 336,558 program participants nationally. The actual number of youths involved is doubtless somewhat different than that, as some sign up for more than one offering and not all states report, but the trend is clear.

Also, after a long decline, participation in hunting in the US increased by 9 percent between 2006 and 2011, and one of the main reasons appears to be an array of youth recruitment and retention programs sponsored by local clubs and national youth organizations, according to a recent study funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

No surprise to those of us who have children who enjoy the shooting sports, parents interviewed for the article mentioned target practice and competition has increased their child's focus and sense of responsibility.

During Sportsman Channel's NRANews Cam and Company, Edwards spoke with world champion shooter and captain of Team Smith and Wesson Julie Golob about the article and the positive impact the shooting sports have on young shooters.