THE “FUTURE” OF OUR GAME

Often at times the wise soothsayers sit around the clubhouse like the Oracle of Delphi and predict the future of this game. While in times of recent memory that, not counting the Legacy Class in sporting who vividly remember the Spanish American war, the bulk of us have seen fairly stable times. With prosperity and a stable economy, discretionary income was for the most part available to indulge in hobbies such as ours.

Growth and interest in sporting clays and other clay shooting disciplines has grown amongst the youth. To the delight of an aging core group of shooters, this has been a boon for clubs and those who want to see the shooting sports continue into the next generation. There is no arguing the success of the various youth organizations. Participation is up, more and more kids are discovering the various disciplines. Generally, these kids are shooting for the first time and were not brought up in families where competitive shooting was familiar to them.

Controversy or Common Sense

In politics the term “third rail” is used to describe a topic that is “charged” or “untouchable”. Any

BY GARY FITZJARRELL

avoids these issues at all costs if they hope to have a long career in the game. I have never been accused of being sensible and I can assure the readers I have never been called sane...so here we go...

Is youth shooting the future of the game or is it actually the present? There is no one with a modicum of sense who would ever deny a young person the opportunity to pull a trigger in this sport. We want to seed the love of the game in those who statistically will be around long after the retirees have gone to that great gun club in the sky. But…and this is a “big” but; is this the type of hobby that thrives on new blood, or does it thrive on those with expendable income who are not afraid to literally shoot it off in the air?

Now, if you believe that the youth shooters will continue to shoot long after mom and dad stop paying for it, then what are they doing to ensure the clubs are there when they decide to shoot after college, starting a career, starting a family, buying a house etcetera?

By now you should see where I’m going with this. What are they doing?

Some youth teams require team members to participate in community service projects. This is what we should be teaching all our kids in this game or not. We see the “what can you do for my team” more than” what can my team help with” at your club. This is a one of the most valuable lessons anyone can learn. As a parent myself, I want my kids to have fun and enjoy themselves in their hobby, but as a parent, we need to realize that these kids, sooner than later, will become adults. Ultimately, this is what we are preparing them for. There is an opportunity here to be teach kids some valuable lessons. If these groups are truly the future of the game, then they need to help build their future, and we as the stewards of this game need to instill a deeper love than just winning a medal and going home.

The Folly of the Internets

I have broached this subject before on various social media pages, and have met stiff resistance, and for lack of a better word excuses as to why their child couldn’t work at a tournament. Before going any further, notice that I used the word “work”, not “volunteer.” A fair number of clubs in this current climate are desperately needing help, paid help. So to assist you with connecting the dots, this is a great opportunity to make money for your kids and your team.

On to the excuses. “Well, my kid was rudely treated by a grumpy shooter.” Guess what, your 16-year-old will be frequently treated rudely in life, and I can assure you this is the exception not the rule within the shooting community. We as parents want to shelter our kids from the world but we also need to realize that we can’t do this forever. Eventually little Kayden will have to learn to deal with people, no time better than the present. It is amazing what a club will do for a youth team when those youth team members are willing to help the club. If you truly believe that these kids are the future, wouldn’t it make sense to help the club continue to operate and provide profitable events so those kids can enjoy it in the future?

Lead by Example

In reality, we are all need to be thinking of the future but mindful of the present. In a world of the Walmart guarantee we tend to be critical of the gun club. We want things a certain way and are quick to voice our criticism more than our compliments. We face a period or rising costs associated with our hobby. Ammo, fuel, and the overall cost of operating a club are on the rise and there’s no plateau in sight. While we all want our income high and our costs cheap, this is not a realistic expectation currently. Many of the clubs we enjoy are a business not a charity, maybe one day UNICEF will open a gun club but until then, we are required to pay to play.

While many of us think we know what the club’s profit margins are, the average club isn’t lighting cigars with $100 bills. It’s a