A competitive collegiate shooting team has been formed at Concordia University, Nebraska. The club was aided by grant money from the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
“Having a collegiate shooting team on campus will promote the shooting sports among our student body, the local community and nationwide through students and alumni,” Dr. Joel Helmer wrote in the team’s grant proposal. Helmer is a professor of geography and chair of the Social Science Department at Concordia. He also serves as the Outdoor Club adviser and shooting coach, along with Dr. Tim Huntington, assistant professor of biology.
The grant money will allow the Concordia trap and skeet team to host promotional recruitment events, send the team to a collegiate shooting event and attend the 45th Annual Cornhusker Trapshoot to recruit high school shooters.
The team currently partners with the Oak Creek Sporting Club near Brainard, Neb., Seward County Pheasants Forever and the Seward County Izaak Walton League. Members of the team will assist Pheasants Forever will its annual Youth Mentor Hunt on Oct. 13 and its annual banquet in February. The team also will attend Izaak Walton League meetings, help with maintenance projects on the range and assist with the League’s annual gun show.
Helmer said the team hopes to recruit eight to ten members this academic year. All members are required to pass a certified firearm hunter education course or firearm safety course. The team will begin regular practices and competition in the spring.
