School considers adding shooting sport

School considers adding shooting sport

Casey Loving, Reporter

Could Maize be getting a school clay target club? It’s certainly worth a shot.

The school board will discuss adding the club Monday during its regularly scheduled meeting. The club would be a nine-week program, with five of those weeks dedicated to competing against other schools in the Kansas State High School Clay Target League.

“We have been exploring some new extracurricular opportunities for students, and one of those opportunities is a clay shooting club,” principal Chris Botts said. “We feel like there are many students who are not presently involved in a school activity and this could provide them a way to establish a connection with their school, learn skills that promote confidence and safety, and get to know their peers better.”

All students joining the club would have to pass a safety course before they are allowed on the team, and there would be a cost associate with the league. Practices would be held at the Ark Valley Gun Club.  Last spring, 18 schools participated in the Kansas league, including Circle, Bishop Carroll and Andover Central.

“I think it would be awesome,” said Spanish teacher Victor Mercado, who is a shooting sports enthusiast. “It could get a lot of kids out who normally wouldn’t do other activities. It’s really you against a clay pigeon.”

To read the school board proposal, click here.