Shooting Sports

The Shooting Sports Project is a comprehensive introduction to shooting sports safety and the fundamentals of shooting disciplines including: archery, pistol, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloading, and hunting. Youth may participate in one or more of the listed disciplines, however, all disciplines may not be offered in every county. The project concentrates on a strong youth development approach based upon long-term mentorship. Also offered are district and state-wide family involvement activities, events, and programs for youth of all ages and adults.

Looking for 4-H Shooting Sports in Your Area?

Training Opportunities

Opportunities to become a certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach are offered at various locations around the state throughout each year. Participants attend two day classes that prepare and certify them for coaching their local 4-H Shooting Sports project. The trainings teach participants the basics and history of 4-H, risk management procedures, range safety and regulations, proper practices for coaching youth audiences, and discipline specific aspects of shooting sports. Discipline certifications offered at each training include: archery, pistol, rifle, and shotgun. Only one discipline certification may be obtained per coach candidate per training. The agenda will cover all day on Saturday and Sunday morning until noon. Saturday noon and supper meals will be provided and are included in the registration. Registration for this event is completed online via 4-H Connect. Any actively enrolled Adult Volunteer Leader or Extension Employee who is 21 years of age or older is eligible for this training. Actively enrolled youth who have reached age 14 by September 1 of the current 4-H year or approved Adult Volunteer Leaders under age 21 may participate in training as an Assistant Coach Candidate. Please see the Assistant Coach Certification section below for more information.

Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach Rules and Eligibility:
4-H Shooting Sports Coach Certification is mandatory for all adults who will lead a 4-H Shooting Sports project.

To be eligible to become a Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach and/or actively coach in your county, a coach/coach training candidate must: be a minimum of 21 years of age and be an actively enrolled 4-H Adult Volunteer Leader via 4-H Connect. Counties are responsible annually for ensuring that all coaches are enrolled/reenrolled Adult Volunteer Leaders via 4-H Connect prior to allowing participation in a 4-H Shooting Sports program that 4-H year.

Coach certifications do not expire; they are good for the lifetime of the certified coach granted the certified coach meets 4-H eligibility requirements annually. Certifications become inactive if the coach does not meet 4-H eligibility requirements annually. After a period of inactivity, a coach may request or the county may require a refresher/update from the State 4-H Natural Resources Program Office including updated 4-H Shooting Sports curriculum in the certified discipline(s). Refresher/Update requests will be handled on a case by case basis. Coach certifications are recognized state-wide and can move county to county should the location of the coach change. Adult Volunteer Registration must be transferred to the new county to be eligible to coach in that county.

Certifications are discipline specific (i.e. shotgun, rifle, archery, pistol, muzzleloading, hunting & wildlife). A coach is only certified to coach the discipline (or disciplines should the coach hold multiple certifications) in which they have been certified. Only one certification may be earned per coach training event.

Coaches who were previously 4-H Shooting Sports coach certified in other states may request a transfer of coach certification to Texas. Requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis and will minimally require: documentation of prior certification, positive reference from previous state 4-H Shooting Sports leader, training in Texas 4-H coaching rules/techniques (Green Injection), and current enrollment as a Texas 4-H Adult Volunteer Leader on 4-H Connect. Attendance at a Texas 4-H Shooting Sports Coach training may be required in addition to the above and any other documentation requested by the Texas 4-H Shooting Sports leader/Texas 4-H & Youth Development Program. At this time, no other shooting sports certifications (NRA, etc.) are transferable to a Texas 4-H Shooting Sports coach certification.

An actively enrolled 4-H Adult Volunteer Leader who is not a certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach, or any trained Assistant Coach may assist a Certified 4-H Shooting Sports coach ONLY in the immediate presence of the Certified Coach. Should the Certified Coach be absent for any period of time, regardless how short or long the absence may be, all Shooting Sports activity must cease until the return of the Certified Coach.

**Please note: Counties may have rules in place regarding requirements in addition to those listed above.**

You will be unable to register for any of the coach trainings until your volunteer screening has been approved through the YPS and 4-H Connect Systems.

  • District 9 Shooting Sports Coach Training-Brazoria County, TX (Open to all leaders statewide)
    January 19-20, 2013
    Registration on 4-H Connect
    Registration Open December 1-30 2012                   
    $120/Coach or Assistant Coach Candidate. $0/Extension Employee
    Late Registration December 31, 2012-January 6, 2013   $200
  • Hunting & Wildlife Coach/Leader Training-College Station, TX
    February 2-3, 2013
    Hunting & Wildlife Shooting Sports Discipline, no other disciplines offered.
    Registration on 4-H Connect
    Registration Open December 1-30, 2012, $50/Coach, Leader or Assistant Coach Candidate. $0/Extension Employee
    Late Registration December 31, 2012-January 6, 2013, $75
    See the Wildlife website for more information.
  • North Region Shooting Sports Coach Training-Wichita Falls, TX
    March 23-24, 2013
    Registration on 4-H Connect
    Registration Open January 28-February 24, 2013               
    $120/Coach or Assistant Coach Candidate. $0/Extension Employee
    Late Registration February 25-March 3, 2013       $200
  • East Region Shooting Sports Coach Training-Tyler, TX
    Date May 18-19, 2013
    Registration on 4-H Connect
    Registration Open March 25- April 22, 2013
    $120/Coach Candidate, or Assistant Coach Candidate. $0/Extension Employee
    Late Registration April 23-19, 2013 $200
  • West Region Shooting Sports Coach Training-San Angelo, TX
    Date September 14-15 2013
    Registration on 4-H Connect
    Registration Open July 8 – August 12, 2013
    $120/Coach or Assistant Coach Candidate. $0/Extension Employee
    There will be no late registration.
  • South Region Shooting Sports Coach Training- Victoria, TX
    Date October 12-13 2013
    Registration on 4-H Connect
    Registration Open August 16 – September 16, 2013
    $120/Coach or Assistant Coach Candidate. $0/Extension Employee
    There will be no late registration.
  • District 2 Shooting Sports Coach Training-Lubbock, TX
    June 1-2, 2013
    Registration on 4-H Connect.  Registration Open April 22-May 23, 2013 $120/Coach Candidate, or Assistant Coach Candidate. $0/Extension Employee
  • 4-H Cowboy Action Shooting Training- TBA
  • Montana Action Shooting Brochure – PDF
  • Texas 4-H Natural Resources Refund Policy

Assistant Shooting Sports Coach Certification

The 4-H Natural Resources Program offers Assistant Coach training and Certification in the 4-H Shooting Sports Project (all disciplines) to any actively enrolled 4-H member who is 14 years of age or older as of September 1 of the current 4-H year AND any approved Adult Volunteer Leader less than 21 years of age. Assistant Coach training is for those who will assist a Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach with a 4-H Shooting Sports project in their county. This is a great opportunity for enthusiastic persons who are passionate about Shooting Sports and Natural Resources to gain 4-H Shooting Sports coaching experience, develop leadership skills, expand their knowledge, and share that knowledge with others. To become an Assistant Coach, a participant should register for and attend a Shooting Sports Coach training. An Assistant Coach candidate less than 18 years of age must be accompanied to training either by a previously trained adult or an adult participating in the same training. An Assistant Coach Certification can be upgraded to full 4-H Shooting Sports Coach Certification with no additional training once an Assistant has reached 21 years of age and is an approved Adult Volunteer Leader via 4-H Connect.

***Please note: An Assistant Coach may assist a Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach ONLY in the immediate presence of the Certified Coach. Should the Certified Coach be absent for any period of time, regardless how short or long the absence may be, all Shooting Sports activity must cease until the return of the Certified Coach. Assistant Coaches are NOT certified to coach outside the immediate supervision of a Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach.

Please see the Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coach Rules and Eligibility section, and the Training Opportunities section above for more information.

Forms

  • Metallic Cartridge Reloading Data Form – PDF
  • Shotgun Shell Reloading Data Forms – PDF
  • Pistol Permission Cards ten per page – PDF
  • Adult and Minor Waiver Agreements – PDF

Texas 4-H Natural Resources Program Refund Policy

4-H Connect has a general NO REFUND POLICY. However, for Texas 4-H Natural Resources events, written/email refund requests received prior to two weeks from the event start date will be granted minus a 15% processing fee. Written/email requests received later than two weeks prior to event start date will be granted minus a 50% processing fee. All refund requests should include whom the refund check should be written to (County/Club/Individual) and a mailing address. Requests must be emailed to: tx4hnaturalresources@tamu.edu Please note: Refund requests may take up to 6-8 weeks for processing and delivery of check.

Ambassadors

Texas 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassadors represent the Texas 4-H & Youth Development Program and specifically Texas 4-H Shooting Sports for public relations purposes at special events such as donor/supporter functions and with the general public, peer groups, 4-H groups, community service groups, schools and media contacts. They serve as spokespersons for the 4-H Shooting Sports program, helping to make 4-H Shooting Sports programs more visible. The Ambassadors further develop their skills in leadership, public presentation, citizenship, community service, public relations and team building. Applicants must be senior 4-H members (14 or older as of September 1 of the current 4-H year) to be eligible. Applications are due annually in August or September. Please see the application file below for details.

  • Current List of Texas 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassadors – 2013 List Coming After November 1, 2012
  • 2013 Ambassador Application – PDF
    Applications are due September 23, 2012. Please see attached file for details. Do not mail you application to the State 4-H office. There are two openings each in North, East and South regions and one opening in the West region.

National Invitational & Texas Teams

Any active 4-H member, who is 14 years of age or older on September 1, 2012, and who meets all requirements including but not limited to information below is eligible to apply for 2013 Texas Teams to participate in the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Match. Eligibility for membership on any Texas Team requires experience at the state level in all of the events that compose any given discipline. That experience must be documented by scores from within the past two years in each of the three areas comprising the set of events fired at the National Invitational. Team members will be selected from the pool of individual applicants for each discipline. Please see the application instructions below for details.

  • 2013 Texas Teams – PDF
  • 2013 Texas Teams Applicant Information – PDF
    Participant Application – link
    Coach Application – link
  • National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Website – link
  • National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Results – link

Rules

For event specific information, rules, and procedures, go to Shooting Sports Events & Event Results and view the detailed event information.

Related Activities & Events

  • Roundup Wildlife Challenge-Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
    June 13, 2013
    Registration on 4-H Connect via general Roundup Registration
    Registration Open April 10-May 10, 2013—$TBA/Participant
    Late Registration May 11-24, 2013—$TBA/Participant
    See the Wildlife website  and the Roundup website for more information
  • Outdoor Challenge Camp-Texas 4-H Conference Center, Brownwood, TX
    June 23-27, 2013
    Registration Open April 29-May 26, 2013—$TBD/Participant
    Late Registration May 27-June 2, 2013—$TBD/Participant
    See the Outdoor Challenge website for more information
  • Outdoor Challenge-Texas 4-H Conference Center, Brownwood, TX
    June 29-30, 2013
    Registration Open May 6-June 2, 2013—$TBD/Participant
    Late Registration June 3-9, 2013—$TBD/Participant
    See the Outdoor Challenge website for more information
  • Burdett & Son Outdoor Adventure Shop Summer Hunter Education Camp, 2013 dates TBD, youth ages 14-17, For information visit: http://www.burdettandson.com/ or 979-695-2807
  • Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society Wildlife Conservation Camp—July 14-20, 2013 at Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, TX

Contact Information

Mr. Larry Hysmith
Extension Program Specialist
4180 S Highway 6 S
College Station, TX 77845
Phone: 979-845-1214
Fax: 979-845-6495
Email: tx4hnaturalresources@tamu.edu

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