Kansas youth prepping for state shooting sports match
Qualifying matches end in late March
March 17, 2021
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Time is running out for Kansas youth to qualify for the state shooting sports match, scheduled for May 1 in Great Bend.
Shannon Rogge, a 4-H youth development program coordinator, said qualifying ends on March 27 for youth participating in BB gun, air gun and rifle competitions. Youth qualify for state competition based on their scores at local qualifying matches.
“Once qualifying closes, we will announce those that have qualified for the state match,” Rogge said.
Listen to an interview by Jeff Wichman with Shannon Rogge on the 4-H segment that aired March 15 on Agriculture Today
The spring state shooting sports match was cancelled a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rogge said youth and instructors have been eager to get back to doing what they enjoy.
“There are a lot of programs that practice once a week, but some are practicing twice a week in the evenings to make sure they’re honing their skills and accomplishing the goals they want to,” she said.
The Kansas 4-H shooting sports program is structured to encourage increased safety and responsibility in youth, who learn to appropriately handle firearms and archery equipment. Matches include targets only.
“We have a training program for our volunteers before they go back to the county level and train the youth,” Rogge said. “It is a very structured process so that everybody is meeting those minimum standards.”
She adds: “The certified instructors are the backbone of our program. Youth have to be safe on the firing line, meet the requirements before they are considered safe to go to a match on their own. Those are all standards they have to meet and they learn a lot along the way.”
For information on the Kansas 4-H shooting sports program, visit the Kansas 4-H website, or contact your local K-State Research and Extension agent.
