Club teaches young people shooting sports and safety | News, sports, jobs

Courtesy of Al Pfeister, Delta Sure Shots members Trinity Busick and Mackenzie Blume practice shooting .22 caliber rifles at the Great Lakes Sports and Recreation Club.

ESCANABA – The Delta Sure Shots, a 4-H shooting club where children ages 8 to 19 participate “learning by doing” are preparing for a new season. The program, run under the auspices of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension, teaches archery, air rifle shooting and .22 caliber rifle shooting with safety as the top priority. The Sure Shots meet weekly on Monday evenings from November through spring and then compete in a regional tournament in June.

Overall, 4-H has programs in over a dozen countries with its diverse programs designed to empower youth through hands-on learning in areas such as agriculture, science, health, civics and more. In the United States, 4-H is operated by the Cooperative Extension, which includes more than 100 public universities in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture.

The Michigan 4-H Foundation has operated since 1952, providing grants to state and local 4-H programs in all 83 counties in the state.

The local 4-H shooting club has been training young shooters since at least the 1980s. A 1987 news article reported that 16 youth from the Delta County Sure Shots competed in the state tournament that year and brought home several top honors.

“Many of the club’s kids have gone on to military careers and won some marksmanship awards…due to the time they spent in the shooting sports.” said MSU Extension Educator Dave Radloff, current Delta Sure Shots club leader.

Radloff got involved about 20 years ago when he became certified so the program could continue. He said he started with BB gun training and has since recruited other leaders to teach the other disciplines.

The Michigan 4-H Shooting Sports program offers courses in shotgun, rifle, air pistol, muzzleloader and archery. However, only three disciplines are currently taught in Delta County.

“We hadn’t had a shotgun here for probably about 10, 15 years when our shotgun instructor retired.” said Radloff.

About 20 years ago, an instructor joined to teach .22 caliber rifles, whose students must be at least 12 years old. The archery program was added a few years later.

“Archery is a relatively new discipline when you think about the 4-H program – we’ve been around for 100 years – but archery is one of the most popular things that kids seem to be drawn to.” said Radloff.

He confirmed there has been a lot of support from the UP Whitetails and the Great Lakes Sports and Recreation Club, with the latter providing the space for the program’s weekly classes.

Volunteers can help during classes, but to take the line during active shooting, an instructor must be certified.

“Safety is our top concern and that’s why we welcome many volunteers. The more adults supporting and supervising you, the less likely you are to have an accident.” said Radloff.

When asked if he had ever had an accident, he replied: “Nothing at all” and said you can attribute that to that “Very strict guidelines” of the 4-H program.

“We open the line, we close the line, we check our equipment. So there’s a whole protocol that we follow to ensure safety.” Radloff explains.

Three are active instructors for the Sure Shots: Radloff, Al Pfeister and Travis Blume.

This year’s curriculum includes classes starting Nov. 4 on Monday evenings with BB and .22 from 6 to 7 p.m. and archery from 7 to 8 p.m

Many students return to the program year after year to develop their skills.

Participation in 4-H shooting sports should improve “the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of youth”; promote personal growth; improving decision-making, self-discipline and concentration; And “Promote the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship and ethical conduct.”

Registration and re-registration for Delta Sure Shots can be done online at v2.4honline.com; If you need assistance, call 906-786-3032.