Warner University, Imperial Polk Gun Club host youth trapshooting camp
Warner University coordinated its first-ever youth trapshooting camp over the weekend.
Designated as the Warner University Mini Trap, the competitive shooting event was hosted at Imperial Polk Gun Club in Winter Haven on Saturday, and Warner trap shooters, as well as Warner instructors and coaches, took the reigns and introduced trap shooting to the youth.
Ten youths from the area were taught gun etiquette, gun safety and about the sport itself, including eye dominance and gun fit.
Warner professor and assistant shooting coach Hugh Moye said the university's first trap shooting camp was fruitful.
"Those youths, they improved from their morning instruction to their afternoon instruction," Moye said. "The parents were engaged, and our team members enjoyed themselves by sharing some of their knowledge with these youths from the area."
The day began Saturday morning when Warner team members were paired with the youth, comprised area middle schoolers and high schoolers.
American Trap Association Florida AIM Director Bruce Formhals explained what the trapshooting organization was all about. According to the association's website, it is the biggest clay target shooting organization in the world. Additionally, the ATA legislates "the sport's rules and regulations and seeks ways to further enhance the sport and increase participation."
Moye, who has been a Warner trapshooting assistant coach for a year, discussed trapshooting etiquette, and NRA certified range safety officer Rebel Kidd gave instruction on gun shooting and safety.
Warner assistant trapshooting coach Gary Brown broke down the look, hold and break point in trapshooting.
Lake Wales native and Warner head clay target coach Doug Elmore, along with Brown, provided a lesson on eye dominance and gun checks before students began shooting in the range.
"We were very excited and pleased with the outcome," Moye said. "Hopefully this can be a yearly type of event."
Moye said another goal of the camp is to increase the number of attendees to 20 in 2023.
In the long run, Moye said the camp is a pipeline for more local, statewide and nationwide talent to compete on the trapshooting team at Warner University, which is a Division I scholarship program.
"It's a pipeline for recruits that may demonstrate natural ability of shooting, and then we can gauge them," Moye said. "And some of those individuals that show good ability were 11 years old. They still got their entire middle school and high school left, but they'll be on our radar from here on out."
In its third year as a program, trapshooting at Warner this year is already halfway done. The next trapshooting event is April 9 in Savannah, Georgia.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: guns, shooting, Imperial Gun Club, Warner University, youth
