Launched: Tri-Valley middle and high school students participate in new clay target team

DRESDEN − Not every high school student wants to take a shot at traditional sports teams — some want to take a real shot.

“Trap shooting and clay target shooting is a fantastic way to keep your skills sharp,” said Jared Dosch, assistant coach of the newly formed Tri-Valley Clay Target Team, which had its first official practice on April 1. “Parents and students are very enthusiastic to have an alternative sport for them to participate in. And one that is something these kids are already doing.”

For safety reasons, the team is required to have one coach for every 10 students, who range in age from seventh graders to seniors. The seven-member Tri-Valley team is coached by Class of 2003 alum Wes Stotts. The two assistant coaches and founders are Dosch and Elicia Brooks. The team is also required to have range safety officers present. Those include Marion Lazar and Bill Brooks.

The team is overseen by a five-member board comprised of parents and/or supporters, who meet every month.

“Because we’re just getting started and it’s not a typical round ball sport, it’s considered a club sport,” said Dosch. “But the school did approve it and agreed to lend their name.”

The first-year team members are comprised of students who already have backgrounds in hunting or sport shooting, said Dosch, though he’s hoping for more students without such backgrounds to join in the future similar to how the school’s archery program grew.

“We have a pretty robust archery program now,” said Dosch. “But it started the same way we’re starting. And then it grew and became a recognized varsity sport through the school. Our plan is to do the same thing and grow (clay target shooting) into a varsity level sport for Tri-Valley.”

In competition, a clay target team has five shooters positioned in a row approximately 16 yards behind a trap house. When a team member yells pull, the clay target is launched from the trap house, and that single player shoots at the target. It’s counted as either a hit or a miss. That process is repeated for each athlete.

Equipment requirements for each team member is either a 12-gauge or 20-gauge shotgun and ammunition, as well as safety gear and training.

“One of the requirements to participate is that every student has to either complete a hunter safety course or a league safety course,” said Dosch, adding that the team will compete in the Ohio State High School Clay Target League and the USA Clay Target League, of which there are 1,625 teams across the country. “Since this league started in 2008 there’s been zero incidents and injuries. It’s always safety first.”

Typical injuries sustained in clay target shooting are usually to hearing and vision, and typically due to firearm malfunction, said Dosch. The requirement for each member of the team is that they must have eye and ear protection. Additionally, firearms are inspected by coaches and range safety officers. The team member is responsible for upkeep of their firearm. There is also a requirement for first aid training and having trauma kits available for all practices and events.

In fact, further safety measures include practice and in-season competitions held at a team’s gun range only. “You’re not transporting guns and kids,” said Dosch, except for the final state and national competitions at the end of the season.

“Coshocton Gun Club is our home base,” said Dosch. “It’s a long-standing gun club. And they have the trap fields already set up. Their members have been unbelievably good to our team. It’s a good partnership.”

The spring season is the most vital for trap shooting teams, including Tri-Valley, as the scores uploaded during its five competition weeks are what count towards national rankings.

“We shoot at Coshocton, upload our scores (in April and May), and the league tracks it for league and individual standings,” said Dosch. The state tournament is held in June, followed by the national tournament in July, giving them a four-month season. “Those two competitions are when they’re able to shoot head-to-head with other students from around the state and country.”

Dosch said they will have a couple practice weeks before the five competition weeks begin on April 21.

“In a practice we’ll do two rounds per day, which is about 50 shells per day, per athlete,” said Dosch. “We have been fortunate to receive some donations and sponsorships to offset what the kids have to pay to participate. We’ve gotten it down to $300 per student from the original estimation of $1,000 per student.”

Dosch said an alternative activity like clay target shooting gives kids a whole different opportunity and outlet to express who they are and what they’re interested in. It’s also a sport that can be turned into Olympic gold given trapshooting has been at the games since the 1900s.

“Whatever a kid’s passion is and whatever they enjoy doing, it’s rewarding to let them be able to do it and grow and excel in that sport,” said Dosch, whose own son is on the team as a seventh grader. “If these kids feel more secure being outside busting clay, then it makes us feel good about the time and resources we’re putting into it to give them that opportunity.”

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: New clay target team launched for Tri-Valley students