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As local clay and trap shooting leagues for students prepare to enter their spring seasons, the Aggie Foundation has partnered with local organizations to provide assistance to ensure student athletes with safety training, safety gear and supplies.
The foundation awarded $1,500 to the Surrey Mustang Sharp Shooters with the support of the Big Dog Saloon. Wildwood Country Club in Minot has assisted the Des Lacs-Burlington Trap Shooting Team with $3,000 in funding.
Monte Walker, head coach of the Surrey Mustang Sharp Shooters, notes the growing popularity of the sport. The team averages 28 student participants during the season, made up of sixth-graders through seniors.
"Each year we get more and more kids joining in," Walker said. "Kids who aren't into traditional sports, basketball, football,volleyball, they can go out and shoot and have fun. There's still discipline involved, but it's a different type of athleticism. With the community supporting us, we're definitely going to grow. We encourage anyone who's interested in shooting to come out and watch us practice."
While the sport isn't school-sanctioned, shooting teams across the state host competitions that draw in over 1,800 kids from North Dakota clubs. The leagues provide supplies such as shells, eye protection and ear protection.
Walker has worked to ensure students on the team can letter in the sport. Like any other athletic pursuit, students make time and safety commitments to be a part of the team. "Whether the kids enjoy shooting already or if they've never even held a gun, we make sure they go through hunter's safety classes."
The DLB trap shooting team has been operating for a few years and is coached by Tim Smith. Approximately 40 students take part in the league, and Smith considers the flexibility of the sport to be an asset to student schedules.
"The idea of the program is that it can be run in conjunction with other sports, so whether a student wants to be a part of the fall or spring season, or they want to be involved with other athletic programs at the same time, they can do that," he said.
Smith also has seen significant growth in the sport's popularity and attributes this to the hard work the league does to make shooting accessible to all.
"It's a sport that offers an alternative to athletic opportunities. Equipment can be adapted to suit anyone's skill or ability. I don't want any kid to be deterred from trying this due to cost. Fundraising helps us make sure that anyone who wants to try it out can take part in the league," he said.
The economic support was provided by the Aggie Foundation and made possible by the local efforts of Big Dog Saloon and Wildwood Country Club.
"The Big Dog Saloon is a great supporter of ours," Walker said. "In the past they've hosted our raffles and coach's meetings with them. We know them very well and they're always willing to help us out."
"It's important that we keep fundraising as locally-based as possible," Smith said. "When we reach out for sponsorships, we want to be mindful that we stick within the community, which is why working with Wildwood Country Club is an ideal setup for us."
Aggie Foundation was established in 2012 by a group of friends from Velva. The foundation initially supported an annual scholarship to a Velva senior. It later began to raise funds for citizens in need, schools, youth sports and local organizations doing good things in Velva and the surrounding communities.