Objective Thoughts on a Young Shooter

[Wyatt]

Morning all,
My son (who is now 12, almost 13) has been shooting most all his life. We never have really talked or pushed a particular discipline, whether it be Rifle, Shotgun, or Pistol. He trains regularly on all 3, but probably more on pistol, just because of when I am teaching handgun classes, he is with me on that particular range. He shoots skeet regularlly with his church, and some of the guys there that shoot skeet (I don't), wants him to shoot more because they feel he shoots really well, so... Keeping it objective, and in mind I am attempting to get a college to look at him, which discipline should we be be looking at with regard to best chances of scholarships, etc... Am I still to general? Thoughts?

 

[Wyatt]

I ask this as I am not a competition shooter, by any stretch, it just never really appealed to me, but have taken him to several different shoots, shotgun and pistol. As long as it involves guns, he don't care. He enjoys baseball, but will never be an Arod, or whoever is the latest golden child of baseball...

 

[SMS]

I could be wrong, but I think a lot of the colleges that offer scholarships for the shooting sports do it in conjunction with ROTC. The various service academies also have competetive shooting teams.

Here's a good place to start: http://www.nrahq.org/compete/college_lookup.asp

It'll tell you if the school has a team and if scholarships are available.

 

[grizzly97]

Not too sure, but I would assume long range or skeet shooting would be the two best chances.

 

[Sam Shoun]

Here's an NRA webpage on collegiate shooting sports, which appears to be pretty informative: http://www.nrahq.org/compete/coldir.asp

Are you attempting to get a college to look at him specifically for shooting sports? The easiest way to guarantee he gets to pick which college he goes to for free/cheap is for him to get excellent grades and score very high on the ACT and SAT. Maybe an ammo-for-grades type incentive program, and just let him pick whatever shooting discipline he's most interested in at the time? Just throwing out ideas.

 

[Wyatt]

He is a good student, and I should have brought that up. He will be making Eagle Scout in about a year and a half or so... He would love to go to West Point, but... I just want (like everyother paretn) him to go to college, and I am trying to hedge my bets on his grades and an activity he does well... I know that a lot of parents push their kids on a particular sport and then the kid succeeds in it for college. I am not looking for the flamers to chime in of "pushing" a kid in an area...

I do want to make something he enjoys available to him, and do it WELL...

 

[Sam Shoun]

I know that a lot of parents push their kids on a particular sport and then the kid succeeds in it for college. I am not looking for the flamers to chime in of "pushing" a kid in an area...

I do want to make something he enjoys available to him, and do it WELL...

I hear you there, and I didn't mean you shouldn't push him. My wife and I sort of wrestled over this subject a while and ultimately settled on letting the kids pick what they're interested in, but instisting that they do it intensively and train to become their best at it. We really do believe in pushing the kids pretty hard.

Any case, it sounds like your son's on course to succeed at whatever he does, and I'm interested to hear what conclusions you come to with the collegiate sports. My son loves rifle and pistol and is good with both, but the thought of collegiate potential hadn't even occurred to me.

 

[Wyatt]

I may be talking myself to my own answer... He understands trigger, front sight, grip, stance, etc, all the facets of good marksmanship principles. I know the basics all follow through to any discipline. BTW, thanks to those that sent the NRA link, forgot about that. Not alot of surrounding states that offer anything other than small bore and shotgun, so that narrows it down significantly.

 

[Wyatt]

..and a side note... He is an NRA Life Member... He read the Endowment Member app I am sure several of you received the other day. Now he is, to put it mildly, irritated, and wants to send in his app to become one... Made me proud, tear to my eye, all that touchy feely crap...

 

[MLRyan]

I don't know anything about the topic at hand, I was just gonna say that you're awesome for trying to hook your kid up like this...especially in something that's unique and he enjoys, instead of the typical "you're going to play football/baseball/basketball" way