By SARAH SWIMS
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley 4-H Sharp Shooters club, “Shorty’s Sharp Shooters,” participated in the state competition this year at the Clark County Shooting Complex in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 29.
“A lot of our kids have never shot there before,” said Lacey Tom, 4-H Program Coordinator for Northeast Clark County, and one of the club’s many instructional volunteers. “It’s a great place.”
The 4-H Sharp Shooting club is comprised of Moapa Valley youth ages 9 to 17 years old. They not only practice with the hope of qualifying for events such as a state competition, but they are expected to perform five hours of community service, complete a 4-H portfolio, attend meetings, and help with the set-up and clean-up of practices.
“They try to have well-rounded youth,” Lacey explained. “If they saw an adult at the event who needed an extra hand, they were jumping in and seeing what they could do. We are so lucky for the 4-H youth that we have.”
Since its beginning three years ago, Shorty’s club members have qualified to participate at State in a variety of areas, from shotgun and rifle to archery. Competition with air pistols will be added in the fall.
Shorty’s Sharp Shooters focuses on safety and community. “At the end of the day, it’s safety,” said Lacey. “We want our kids to know how to handle firearms and equipment. We want our kids to have fun, but be safe.”
Bodie Burton, member of Shorty’s Sharp Shooters, qualified for State this year. “This is the third year I’ve qualified for State,” he said. “Shooting has taught me responsible gun safety and sportsmanship. My favorite part about State is having fun with my friends and the competition of shooting.”
Approximately one hundred Nevada youth qualified to participate in the State competition, with about one-third from Clark County. All eight of Shorty’s club members received blue or red ribbons for their achievements at the evening’s award ceremony. Moapa Valley High School student and 4-H senior, Joey Herring, placed second overall in shotgun, qualifying for nationals next summer in Nebraska.
“They all showed themselves really well,” Lacey said. “I was really proud of all of them.”
