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4-H Aims High!Tift County High SchoolTifton, Georgia by Natascha Foremes photography by David Haire & Jane & Ricky Justice |
| Tift County has what volunteer Coach David Haire of the Tift County 4-H BB and Air Pistol Team says is the “best kept secret in the county” when it comes to students shooting air pistols, shotguns and BB guns. Haire is the Tift County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer during the day, but in his off time, he volunteers as the coach and is one of the team’s strongest supporters. The Tift County Air Pistol Team works on perfecting their shooting talents twice a week under the direction of Coach Haire who has been shooting since the age of four and has quite an impressive record himself! He says, “I’ve been coaching with the TCHS 4-H for 12 years, and I’m so excited to be coaching again this year. I can’t wait to see how the members progress this year.” According to Haire, members who are a part of the air pistol team compete against each other and are not a team, so to speak. Each member of the team works to do his or her best to outscore the others on their team, as well as opposing teams. Air Pistol shooting is an extremely difficult sport, difficult enough to be an Olympic sport. The young members of the air pistol team shoot the same guns, use the same ammo and shoot at the same type of target as those used in the Olympics. In a regular competition, the competitors usually shoot 40 shots. Haire said that while on the line preparing to shoot, coaches are not allowed to give directions or use hand signals to help the shooters in any way. “I leave it up to them when they’re on the line. I think they are in their own little world, and it takes a great amount of concentration and quietness to do what they do,” said Haire. “Oddly enough, there are eight guys and only one girl competing on the air pistol team but it works out well in my opinion,” said Haire. The air pistol team members recently participated in the USA Shooting Jr. Olympic State Championship on Saturday, March 28. This competition, also known as the Cannon Classic, was held at the Tift County Extension Office. It is hosted by Tift County and has been since its inception four years ago. The Cannon Classic is named for Patrick T. Cannon of TyTy, Georgia, who used to be a member of the Tift County Air Pistol Team. Cannon was recently sought out and recruited by the US Army to serve as the seventh member of the seven man International Pistol Team, proving that this event can really open doors for students’ futures. At this year’s competition, Haire said that 28 individuals from across the state competed and two of Tift County’s members gave impressive performances during the competition. Sophomores Jade Revels and Tyler Beasley both placed in the event. Beasley received first place and is now the Jr. Olympic State Champion. “Tyler has been shooting for two years, and I’m extremely proud of his progress,” said Haire. Revels, in her first year on the team, placed third in the competition. She has made tremendous progress, and Haire said she has really given the guys a run for their money. Haire has great confidence in these two students’ futures. “I’m extremely proud of both of them. They have put in tons of practice and are getting better every day,” he said. |
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“Shooting air pistols is a sport you can continue on for life; it is definitely a sport that can stick with you for a lifetime. It takes strength, endurance and dedication,” said Haire. This is obviously not an easy sport to pick up in a day; hard work and practice come into play while participating in this sport. In addition to the air pistol team, Tift County 4-H can boast to having one of the best Skeet and Trap Teams in the state. Skeet and trap shooting is a recreational and competitive activity where participants attempt to break clay disks flung into the air at high speeds. While there are few similarities between air pistol and skeet shooting, the main difference is the target. In air pistol shooting, the target is a stationary circular mark with rings within the circle that vary in point range. In skeet shooting the target is always moving and more difficult to capture. Standard clay targets are bio-degradable clay disks that are 4 and 5/16 inches in diameter and 1 and 1/8 inches thick. These disks are launched into the air by a machine on opposite sides of the course, and shooters must shoot them from eight different positions on a semicircle. Unlike the air pistol shooting team where members compete against one another, the skeet shooting team is made up of four shooters with the top three individual scores translating into the final team score. The other discipline of the 4-H shooting competition is trap shooting. Trap shooting uses the same target as skeet shooting; however, the machine that throws the targets is located in the center of the field. Each trap target is thrown at a random selection from the machine, and a competitor shoots five targets per station and rotates to the next for a total of five stations or 25 targets. The Tift County Youth Shotgun Team participates as another team in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) which was formed when the National Skeet Association, the National Sporting Clays Association and the American Trap Association came together to encourage and promote youth shooting. This competition includes skeet and trap shooting but adds sporting clays. With sporting clays, shooting stations are positioned at a course that simulates a natural habitat, and targets are thrown that resemble the flight path of game birds or other animals found in the wild. Sporting clay courses consist of the standard target but may also include various sized targets such as mini disks and flat disks and even one called the rabbit which skips across the field. Shooters advance through the course, normally consisting of 100 targets, and the shooter with the most “breaks” or hits, is the winner. Again, the teams are made up of four shooters with the top three individual scores forming the team score. The Tift County team recently participated in a tournament at the Meadows Gun Club in Forsyth, Georgia, and TCHS junior Drew Jones placed 4th in the competition. The Scholastic Clay Target Program allows shooters as young as ten to participate, and most stick with it through high school. Along with Jones, TCHS junior Brooke Justice has been shooting shotgun since the seventh grade, but both started with the BB program in fifth grade. Justice noted that shotgun sports are an activity she will always be able to enjoy. In addition to shotgun sports, Justice and Jones run Cross Country for TCHS, and Justice said, “We may not be able to run a 5K when we are older, but we can always shoot a shotgun!” Additionally, this sport is another that can boost participants’ future opportunities. “There are scholarships offered for impressive shooters,” said Ricky Justice, owner of the Tifton Skeet and Gun Club and Head coach of the Tift County Youth Shotgun Teams. Ricky Justice has been involved with the youth shotgun shooting program for nine years, and he says safety is his number one priority. The shotgun team, which currently has 19 competitors, practices once every two weeks. While this may not seem like much practice, members of the team are active in one-on-one instruction whenever necessary. The Tift County Youth Shotgun Team also has an impressive track record. Just two years ago, the team won the 4-H State Competition and competed in South Dakota at the national event where they ranked 6th in the nation. This year’s team will have a chance to show off their impressive talents soon as the state competitions for 4-H and SCTP will be in the coming months. They will also be able to demonstrate their skills for the public on May 16 when they help raise money for two very important charities in Tifton. The shotgun team will be working at a charity sporting clay shoot for Ruth’s Cottage and the Patticake house, both of which strive to end domestic violence as well as child sexual and physical abuse. Coach Justice and the entire shotgun team encourage citizens and interested spectators to come to the event that will be held at the Tifton Skeet and Gun Club. While shooting may not be the most popular sport, it is definitely one of skill and concentration. In fact, Haire and others are working hard to bring a competition team to the campus of TCHS in the near future. The coaches of these teams advocate that a lot of practice, proper training and dedication can come together to make shooting a fun activity that anyone can enjoy, and they are also quick to point out that these events have the potential to enhance students’ futures. “This sport is a good one for students who cannot run and jump,” said Haire, and he added, “it is also one that can provide students with scholarships!” Just look at what Cannon has accomplished through this sport! | |
January 2012
Robert Preston Jr. 
Micki K Photography 
