Lincoln County’s 4-H Club offers the typical opportunities expected from the long-standing agricultural program for students: livestock projects and competitions, nature studies, and county fairs. But Lincoln County offers a little-known yet valuable program through its 4-H Shooting Sports chapter.
Coach Brandi Dye is one of 10 members of the coaching team, which also includes her husband, Patrick Dye, and oldest daughter, Sarah Dye. Brandi says all the coaches are essential to the program’s success, and she is grateful to serve alongside them.
She believes that shooting sports deserves more recognition because it is an amazing program that gives students the chance to train with real firearms and master firearm safety in a structured, supportive environment.
“Youth learn marksmanship, the safe and responsible use of firearms, the principles of hunting and archery, and much more,” Brandi said, quoting the statement listed on the club’s website.
The program currently serves 50 students through two active disciplines: archery and shotgun. The club has also offered air rifle and hunting and outdoor skills in the past. Archery holds weekly practice sessions during both the spring and fall seasons, while shotgun meets weekly in the spring. All practices take place at the Lincoln County Horseman’s Association and 4-H Horse Show Grounds on Wilkes Road, just outside of Fayetteville.
The volunteer-based leadership team consists of certified 4-H instructors who have completed rigorous state-level training, ensuring that every adult on the range is qualified in both firearm and archery safety and youth development. Debra Elliott, who began as an archery parent volunteer and now serves as a Lincoln County 4-H program assistant, serves as the main leader and contact for the Shooting Sports program. She is supported by a dedicated team of certified volunteer coaches across archery, shotgun, and rifle disciplines.
The coaches are intentional about making the club accessible to students regardless of financial status.
“We try to make it affordable to introduce youth to a shooting sport. They can use club equipment to start, then as they build skills, some decide to purchase their own equipment,” Brandi said.
As part of the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University Extension system, 4-H Shooting Sports is designed so that the range is used as a classroom. Students learn focus, discipline, and sportsmanship, and they navigate the physics of trajectory and ballistics. Through grants from the Friends of the NRA and Lancaster Archery Supply, the program has been able to add air rifles, shotguns, recurve bows, an Atlas throwing machine, clays, targets, and other supplies to support its members.
These skills are tested through competitions at the local, state, and national levels. Lincoln County has sent youth to the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championship every year since 2021. In June, four members traveled to the championship in Grand Island, Nebraska, as part of the Tennessee 4-H Shooting Sports delegation: Jackson Elliott in small-bore rifle, Alexa Tonetti in compound archery, and Makai Traylor and Hayden Waid in recurve archery. This year’s championship drew more than 700 youth from 42 states competing across nine disciplines.
The Lincoln County competitors made a strong showing. Makai Traylor claimed the title of 2026 overall national individual winner in recurve archery, and Hayden Waid finished fourth overall individually. The Tennessee 4-H Recurve Archery team placed fourth in the nation. Alexa Tonetti was a returning national competitor who has also qualified for the state invitational in air rifle and shotgun, and Jackson Elliott has previously qualified in shotgun for the state invitational.
The club is also home to a National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador Adelyn Dye, who is Coach Dye’s middle daughter. Adelyn was one of just 28 youth selected nationwide for the 2024 class. She has worked to promote 4-H shooting sports across Tennessee and competed as a member of the 2025 Tennessee 4-H Compound Archery delegation at the national competition. National ambassadors hold their positions for life.
Their collective success reflects the quality of the coaching and the dedication these students bring to their craft every single day.
“Our family never imagined that 4-H Shooting Sports would become such a big part of our lives. We are thankful to be a part of this program and to be able to see that spark of joy when a youth gets on target or hits a sporting clay for the first time,” Brandi said. “It becomes even more special to see them continue to grow in the sport, set goals for themselves, and attain those goals. The icing on the cake is getting to celebrate those achievements with them.” GN
Prospective families can contact Debra Elliott at (931) 433-1582.
