circleshooter
Ultimate Member
I don't know if this is the best forum for this, but since it has to do with shotgunning I'm posting it here.
Today was the first day of Loch Raven Skeet & Trap Center's "Clays Against Cancer" shoot, and we had almost 150 participants shoot nearly 350 rounds (that's 8,750 targets!). Good times and money being raised for a good cause.
But this isn't really what this post is about. Throughout the morning I was walking up and down the fields taking photographs. When I got down to field 6 there was a young man shooting. His father was keeping score and Ron, one of LRSTC's member volunteers, was pulling targets and coaching him.
The young man's name was Walter, and he's 13 years old. I couldn't help but notice the thrill and joy on his face, and the clearly evident pride on the face of his father, Chris. I took several photos and when Walter was done the round there were high fives all around. For you see, Walter had just registered his highest skeet score - at a charity event no less. Walter hit 80/100 targets. I learned that Walter shoots with the Mason-Dixon Clay Busters and has started participating in competitions just this year.
But it doesn't end here. MDS member JMintzer (Jamie) had come up to the event and we got together to shoot a couple rounds of skeet. We walked down the fields and came upon field 6 where Walter was getting ready to shoot another 50 targets. Jamie and I joined them.
Walter's enthusiasm, intensity, and willingness to listen to the coaching we were giving him was, well, inspirational. And hell, I'm addicted to clay shooting! To have somone ratchet up my enthusiasm for the sport is impressive.
When we got done the rounds we were talking with Walter and his Dad about what kind of gun they were thinking of upgrading to once he got a little bigger. Walter was looking at my gun sitting in the rack. [the gun is a FABARM Velocity which blends classic design with very modern features. It's a pretty distinctive shotgun.] He turned to me and asked if it was a "really expensive gun." I told him, yes, it was pretty expensive. Then I asked him if he wanted to shoot it.
Walter's eyes got big as saucers and says, "Can I?" as he looks over at his father. I handed him the gun. Walter stepped up to station 4, Ron pulled the targets and he crushed them both! Walter handed me my gun back, and thanked me with a beaming face. He thought that I had made his day....but Walter had actually made mine.
We should all spend more time introducing, and then mentoring, new people to the shooting sports. I did my heart good to see such an enthusiastic and respectful young man excited about clay shooting - along with his proud father. Walter and his Dad did, indeed, make my day.
Today was the first day of Loch Raven Skeet & Trap Center's "Clays Against Cancer" shoot, and we had almost 150 participants shoot nearly 350 rounds (that's 8,750 targets!). Good times and money being raised for a good cause.
But this isn't really what this post is about. Throughout the morning I was walking up and down the fields taking photographs. When I got down to field 6 there was a young man shooting. His father was keeping score and Ron, one of LRSTC's member volunteers, was pulling targets and coaching him.
The young man's name was Walter, and he's 13 years old. I couldn't help but notice the thrill and joy on his face, and the clearly evident pride on the face of his father, Chris. I took several photos and when Walter was done the round there were high fives all around. For you see, Walter had just registered his highest skeet score - at a charity event no less. Walter hit 80/100 targets. I learned that Walter shoots with the Mason-Dixon Clay Busters and has started participating in competitions just this year.
But it doesn't end here. MDS member JMintzer (Jamie) had come up to the event and we got together to shoot a couple rounds of skeet. We walked down the fields and came upon field 6 where Walter was getting ready to shoot another 50 targets. Jamie and I joined them.
Walter's enthusiasm, intensity, and willingness to listen to the coaching we were giving him was, well, inspirational. And hell, I'm addicted to clay shooting! To have somone ratchet up my enthusiasm for the sport is impressive.
When we got done the rounds we were talking with Walter and his Dad about what kind of gun they were thinking of upgrading to once he got a little bigger. Walter was looking at my gun sitting in the rack. [the gun is a FABARM Velocity which blends classic design with very modern features. It's a pretty distinctive shotgun.] He turned to me and asked if it was a "really expensive gun." I told him, yes, it was pretty expensive. Then I asked him if he wanted to shoot it.
Walter's eyes got big as saucers and says, "Can I?" as he looks over at his father. I handed him the gun. Walter stepped up to station 4, Ron pulled the targets and he crushed them both! Walter handed me my gun back, and thanked me with a beaming face. He thought that I had made his day....but Walter had actually made mine.
We should all spend more time introducing, and then mentoring, new people to the shooting sports. I did my heart good to see such an enthusiastic and respectful young man excited about clay shooting - along with his proud father. Walter and his Dad did, indeed, make my day.
