The problem however was there wasn’t anywhere nearby to shoot competitively. There’s Sullivan County, which is part of a scholastic clay target league, and Central Mountain, which participates in the US Clay Target League.

But nothing within Lycoming County.

That all changed, however, this year.

Smith is the clay target shooting coach for St. John Neumann and the club is beginning to garner interest. Currently there are two kids from St. John Neumann, a kid from Loyalsock and a kid from South Williamsport who all are members and engage in clay target and skeet shooting with the club.

PHOTO PROVIDED Members of St. John Neumann’s clay target shooting team pose for a photo prior to competition. The team has four members, but it is gaining interest in the area.

Smith looked into the US Clay Target League and found it was quite versatile and they went into college-level programs.

“When we signed up and got some information, then approached the school because it’s a smaller school, we can get four or five kids together and start shooting,” Smith said. “As we approached the school, not thinking they’d be receptive because of the issue of guys, but they were excited for it. This is different, this is something individual, but also a team component to it.

“So that’s how it started and then we got approval in January and in March, we had four kids this year,” Smith continued. “We’re getting ready for the fall season.”

There’s different levels in the shooting league. It doesn’t go by age or grade, but rather ability: novice, junior varsity and varsity level.

The members of the clay target team that Smith coaches are ninth-grader Wade Smith of St. John Neumann, who is varsity trap and skeet; Evan Steele, a ninth grader from St. John Neumann who’s junior varsity in trap and skeet; South Williamsport junior Cole Campbell, who’s a novice in both trap and skeet; and Loyalsock junior Mike Shipman, who’s varsity trap and skeet.

PHOTO PROVIDED A member of the St. John Neumann clay target shooting team competes during this past season.

Smith placed 10th at states in the skeet and was 230th in trap. Steele was second in skeet at states and 31st in trap. Campbell finished second in skeet at states and was tied for 15th in trap shooting. Shipman was tied for seventh at states in skeet shooting and was tied for 73rd in trap shooting.

“The one kid we just knew by chance because he shoots at Lycoming County’s 4-H program, and we just started talking to his dad one night and he said ‘yeah, he’s interested,'” Smith noted. “We want kids who want to do something different. They aren’t into the running sports, so we have sixth through 12th graders who participate. If they don’t have a hunter safety course completed, they have their own course they have to take before being able to participate. So everybody is certified with gun safety before they even start shooting.”

The state skeet shoot was competed at Huntingdon,

It may take time for the sport of shooting to grow, but Smith has already seen an interest starting to bloom in the area.

“That’s what we’re starting to see. There’s close to 80 teams this past year; they need 100 to become a PIAA-sanctioned sport,” Smith said. “They’re hoping in the next two to three years, it’ll be a PIAA sport. Obviously the high school kids are able to letter in this. When they go to nationals, their cutoff is 1,800 kids that shoot trap.”

PHOTO PROVIDED Members of St. John Neumann’s clay target shooting team pose for a photo prior to competition. The team has four members, but it is gaining interest in the area.

Shooting could become the next varsity sport if that trend continues. Girls wrestling became a sanctioned sport officially two winters ago, and girls flag football just became a varsity sanctioned sport recently.

The regular season for target shooting sees competitions at the club’s home and there’s a leaderboard that ranks you whether you’re novice, junior varsity or varsity. That also qualifies you for the top 10 in each division. While the regular season isn’t in-person competition — with clubs competing against themselves for scores — the state competition is in person with shooters.

“That’s another nice part. Everybody can go to states, everybody can go to nationals. When we went to Elysburg for the state trap shoot, these kids were shooting both trap and skeet,” Smith said. “When we went to states, there were more than 800 kids who participated. That’s a lot of kids.”

Kelli’s son Wade was the only member of the team who shot competitively prior to the club’s recent Elysburg trip for competition. The rest are all new to competitive shooting.

Smith noted that many of the kids like trap shooting over skeet due to the level of difficulty.

PHOTO PROVIDED A member of the St. John Neumann clay target shooting team competes during this past season.

“Most of these kids are like ‘oh we like trap, it’s easier.’ They go to skeet and they like it, but it’s a little harder and tougher to get on it,” Smith said. “Our kids excelled more in skeet than trap, so our two varsity kids are in the top 10. All four placed in the top 10 in their division.”

Smith noted the clay target shooting club also has another kid who’s practicing as he’s just starting sixth grade this year, and another boy from Williamsport may be coming over as well to shoot.

“Two or three other possibles for this fall as well,” Smith said. “Next spring we’re hoping for two full teams. Five for each team,” Smith said. “They’re very eager to go.”

And it seems there’s a lot of kids eager to join the sport as well in Pennsylvania.