Sportsmen looking for sharp kids

GENE JANSEN/For the Frontiersman

PALMER - Drive by the Matanuska Valley Sportsmen's Association on any given Tuesday evening and there will be a parking lot chock-full of vehicles because it's kids' night at the shooting range.

The weekly event, dubbed the "NRA [National Rifle Association] Junior National Qualifying Program," is open to youth of all ages who want to improve their shooting skills or shoot competitively. The Matanuska Valley Sportsmen's Association, which is located on the Glenn Highway just outside Palmer, has hosted the program for about eight years.

For $3 a visit, boys or girls who are at least 11 years old can come to the range on any Tuesday from 6 - 9 p.m. and shoot as many .22-caliber rounds as they can peg downrange. All that is required is participants have to attend a 15-minute safety orientation and introduction to using the protective gear.

"When I first started the program, it was geared to competitive shooters," volunteer rifle instructor Jim Kaufman said. "Then it changed to a familiarization program."

Once the orientation is completed, students will sign in, don the gear, pick out a rifle and commence the NRA program. All the equipment is provided. Several coaches will walk the firing line offering advice as shooters methodically post the required scores before moving on to the next program level.

Students have the opportunity to earn awards and pins until graduating to expert marksman, if they go that far. Instructors will log the students' performance on a chart and keep the records on file until the kids' next visit.

If students desire to move on to competition-level shooting, guidance is available through range instructors who readily make themselves available. Small-bore rifle competition ranges from 50-foot to 100-yard distances. Match competition can be 30-40 shots (10 shots prone, standing, kneeling). Competitions can be conducted in as many as four positions (Prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing) or as few as one.

Like many other sports, the cost of competing in small-bore rifle competition can be prohibitive for students. But resourceful parents can start with a minimum investment by looking for a reasonably priced used .22-caliber rifle. Just ask Kaufman or range volunteer Dick Barlow to evaluate the rifle to make sure it is certifiable. Other equipment students need to purchase includes a spotting scope with a stand, a sling, a shooting glove and coat, protective goggles and ear protection.

Until potential youth competitors make the investment, the facility stores ample equipment that is available on site for the Tuesday night program at no cost. Kaufman, who has been involved with rifle instruction for about 50 years, hopes the program will turn into much more than a familiarization program.

"I want interested kids that want to stick with the program," Kaufman said. "I want to develop competitive shooters. I'm looking for kids that really want to learn from the gut."

Youth from all over the area, including Eagle River, make the trip to the range because it is readily available to all youth interested in honing their shooting skills. The concept of teaching kids competitive shooting skills might not be popular nationwide, but Kaufman and Barlow are making every effort to keep the riflery tradition alive here in the Valley.

"Shooting is supposed to be an American heritage," Barlow said.

While committing every Tuesday to educating area youth on shooting fundamentals, Barlow doubles as the coach of the Palmer High shooting team. Through his guidance and perseverance, he has made Palmer one of the top teams in the state, but there is always room for improvement.

"To be competitive, you've got to get yourself focused," Barlow said. "You've got to apply the fundamentals."

The University of Alaska Fairbanks gives out a few shooting scholarships every year, but it is very difficult to get into its program because it is one of the top college programs in the nation. UAF is also home to one of the premier shooters in the nation, Olympic gold medalist Matte Emmons.

"Shooting is the second-most popular sport in the Olympics . . . when you count the number of participants," Kaufman said. "In this country, shooting is politically incorrect. In every other country, when an Olympic shooter walks down the sidewalk, someone stops and asks for his autograph."

Grades, maturity and parental support are the three most important things Kaufman looks for in a potential marksman. And student smarts go hand in hand with marksmanship.

"A student who has learned how to concentrate makes a better shooter," Kaufman said. "Shooting teaches concentration and makes a better student.

Kids have an opportunity to earn college scholarships. If the parents aren't behind the student, it won't go. You have to put the effort and work into it."

For more information on the Tuesday night program, call the MVSA at 746-4862.