By Scott Stuhr
Where do Olympic athletes have their start? Whether you are watching TEAM USA compete for gold inarchery, pistol, rifle, or shotgun, several athletes credit 4-H for their start. 4-H Shooting Sports programs are in almost every corner of the United States, built at the county level. This grassroots effort makes the shooting sports project available to youth who, one day, may be representing the United States at the Olympics.
Looking back just three years ago at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, James Hall shot for Team USA inpistol. According to the USA Shooting website, “Hall started shooting at a local 4-H Club with his three younger brothers. Shooting sports quickly evolved to involve the entire Hall family, as his mom helped coach the club for many years.” This type of involvement is typical in the 4-H programs where youth start with a spark of wanting to shoot, then quickly leads to mentoring newbies, followed by leadership positions within the club as Hall describes.
The 4-H program is set up to advance athletes with club competitions, county contests, statechampionships, and eventually the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships. As the athlete progresses so does their network of more competitors shooting at their level, and introduction to new coaches who can help them achieve their next step towards a medal.
Emilio Carvalho on the Men’s Trap team for USA Shooting, says he was raised in a small farming community, of Tranquillity, California. It all began for Emilio in 4-H shooting sports at the age of nine yearsold. He started with American trap, and after competing at the SCTP, CYSSA, and ATA events, his love for shotgun sports was solidified.``
In the rifle program, Sagen Maddalena of Groveland, California, qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games: Women’s Air and Smallbore Rifle. Like many other Olympians, she credits family along with 4-H for her early interest. “Sagen began shooting with her local 4-H club, which taught her organization and her grandpa, whotaught her patience. Having got her start as a high-power shooter, Maddalena quietly emerged on the scene as one of the top contenders in Air Rifle,” according to the USA Shooting page.
For 4-H alumni, growth and a hopeful future doesn’t stop on the range. 4-H members are purposely taught life skills along with shooting skills preparing them for a career in the industry. Ashley McAllister, upon being hired as Competitions Manager for USA Shooting, credits not only being a rifle athlete for her wealth of knowledge, she also credits her success to her beginning, “shooting with a local 4-H club when she was just 10 years old.”
4-H has a proven track record of helping youth thrive once that spark is lit inside of them to develop a love of the 4-H shooting sports project. Due to 4-H’s influence of having a place to belong, the opportunity to develop independence and master their skills under a caring adult volunteer, and an avenue to practice generosity, 4-H members are a winning combination for a future Olympic athlete. If you have a youth who is already dreaming about shooting at the Summer Olympics, a local 4-H club focused on the shooting sports projectcan provide them with the team, coach, equipment, range, and support to work on making that Olympic dream a reality as early as age nine.
To learn more about 4-H Shooting Sports, go to https://4-hshootingsports.org/
For information on becoming a supporter of 4-H Shooting Sports, or anything else related to 4-H Shooting Sports, please contact Scott Stuhr, at coordinator@4- hshootingsports.org