High School Shooting Teams

In the 1950s and 1960s, high school shooting teams were an integral part of middle and high school life. They fostered discipline, teamwork, and focus among young athletes, offering students the opportunity to develop skills far beyond the shooting range. Competitions often brought schools together, promoting camaraderie and school spirit in ways few other sports could. Participants learned the value of precision, patience, and responsibility while enjoying a thrilling yet safe sport.

Fast forward to today, and the landscape of high school shooting teams has evolved dramatically. While some schools continue to embrace shooting sports, the emphasis has shifted. Safety regulations are now stricter, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of responsible firearm handling. Modern teams often incorporate advanced technology and training methods, ensuring that safety and skill development go hand in hand. Additionally, today’s shooting teams are more inclusive, enriching the experience for all involved and promoting a culture of respect.

As we reflect on the past and look to the future, it’s clear that high school shooting teams remain vital to youth development. They teach valuable life skills, promote teamwork, and foster a sense of belonging. Whether you’re a current participant, a coach, or an enthusiastic supporter, let’s continue championing these teams and the positive impact they can have on our youth.

My father was a WWII Army veteran and a police officer after that, so I have been around firearms my entire life. I helped my father teach hunter safety courses, and through the Boy Scouts, I had the opportunity to earn both rifle shooting and shotgun shooting merit badges.

As a teenager, I embraced archery as a matter of routine. There was no local archery team, but I launched thousands of arrows each week from a well-worn Fred Bear recurve at the hay bale target in our backyard. I learned consistency, precision, breathing control, stance, patience, the value of practice, focus, hand-eye coordination, and the occasional intrinsic reward of placing three arrows in a single hole the size of a dime.

The reward for my endless hours of practice was largely intrinsic. Archery provided me with a positive outlet for stress and a goal to work toward. However, one thing it did not provide was the benefit of competition. Competition in middle school and high school provides invaluable experience in handling both success and adversity, adding important tools to a young person’s personal toolbox.

I have always felt that a degree of familiarity with firearms—whether for our children or others’—is essential. The ability to recognize firearms and understand the potential consequences of haphazard handling allows children to appreciate the dangers, minimizes their curiosity, and instills the basic principles of safe gun handling. High school shooting teams are particularly well-suited to providing this education through a solid, methodical structure and a “safety first” approach to firearms.

Today, youth are exposed to weapons in myriad ways – from BB guns (“old sc2hool”) to highly realistic Airsoft guns, to the popular Orbeez water bead guns seen in high school parking lots across the country. Not to mention the spectrum of weaponry depicted in first-person shooter video games.

In many ways, these exposures do a disservice to our youth by enabling a casual approach to handling tools that, in their real versions, come with serious consequences.

I simply have to glance at my refrigerator, where a magnet reminds me of the four Gunsite firearm safety rules:

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Always be sure of your target.

These same four rules apply to a teenager shooting a single-shot .22 target rifle for the first time and to the most experienced tactical operators in the military and law enforcement.

All that said, there is no substitute for hands-on experience with actual firearms under the supervision of experienced instructors who are focused on mentoring students.

Whether you have future generations at home or not, we all share a responsibility to educate, inspire, and create interest in the skills, mindset, and resilience necessary for our youth to thrive in the decades to come. High school shooting teams provide an excellent opportunity to do just that – an opportunity we should embrace and encourage.

If not us, then who?

– Chris Grollnek, Active Shooter Expert

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Glenn Norling, Executive Director, ASPP