“PULL!” AT the shooter’s call, clay discs are hurled at 42 mph into the air, simulating a hunter’s flying game. Lincoln County Trap Team members are competing for more than bragging rights, and the team’s coaches are aiming for more than championships.
Coach Mark Horton’s number one priority is safety.
Horton said, “Before winning ever comes into play, I want to make sure we’re safe and that a kid learns how to handle a firearm properly. As long as we teach them to handle a firearm the way it should be handled, then I’m a winner. Winning as a team is second to me.”
Initially formed by Lincoln County High School, the trap team moved from a school organization to a youth league team to allow youth of all ages to compete. Horton said starting them young is essential if you hope to keep them involved.
Students from 9 years old to 23, male and female, can participate. The Lincoln County Trap Team is a member of the American Trap Association (ATA) and competes under ATA’s AIM program, which stands for academics, integrity, and marksmanship.
Horton and assistant coach Kevin Tanner know the program’s long-term potential to benefit students. Aside from the fellowship and teamwork, the sport offers academic scholarships, and five team members have obtained assistance with further education from those awards.
“At the nationals every year, they give away $80-$100,000 in scholarships. Five on our team have received scholarships to further their education and keep shooting. There are colleges out there that have trap teams now. My daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Faulkner Horton, was on one of them,” Horton said. “And I’ve had four kids go to Bethel University. My son, Ethan Horton, received a partial scholarship, which he used at the Colorado School of Trades to become a gunsmith. One teammate has won partial scholarships for the last three years for his college education.”
The Sub-Junior C Class (11-14-year-olds) was national champions in their division last year in Sparta, Illinois. The Senior Class was the runner-up in their division. “That’s a big accomplishment when you’re competing against 2,000 kids. We’ve done well for about the last six years bringing home trophies from the national championships,” Horton said.
Another great thing about trapshooting, according to Horton, is that it’s a family-oriented program. The team participates at times in ATA shoots outside the AIM program, and moms and dads can participate, as well as the students.
“That’s what makes it so much fun because parents want to get involved. I have some exceptional parents and always have had good parents,” he said.
Watching the students have fun, achieve a sense of accomplishment, and learn self-control makes Horton’s sacrificed time for the program worth it all.
Horton said, “It’s all a mindset. This game is more of a 99% mind. If you keep that, then it makes it easy. You want them to be proud of what they’ve accomplished, and then, in the long run, they’ll give back. A lot of my team members have given back to the trap team.”
Gun safety, pleasure, and personal development combine for award-winning seasons, on and off the field. “Pull!” GN
