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Aiming high: Kent County student sports team shooting skeet

Posted at 10:59 PM, May 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-09 22:59:11-04

KENT COUNTY, Mich. --  Kids on a Kent County sports team are getting a bang out of an old sport with a new twist: skeet shooting.

The Orange Crushers club is sponsored by the Kent County Conservation League, and targets not only skeet, but the values of teamwork, integrity and honesty, according to Head Coach David Held. He tells FOX 17 there are other benefits, as well.

"I think the opportunities that exist for the kids get overlooked. There's scholarships that are available to them...there's colleges that are looking for shooters to be on their teams."

Evan DeWard is one of the students aiming high. The young shooter is heading to Cornerstone University next year to study aviation, and he figures the thinking involved in skooting sheet will translate to the skies. "It's not as much physical activity as it is analyzing everything. And that's all shooting is. It's just a ton of analyzing."

The Orange Crushers emphasize safety, and caters to kids of all ages - some as young as 12.

The conference finals come up in two weeks.

"It means the world to me," says Held. "There are few things I enjoy more than teaching kids how to shoot, and seeing them be safe and successful with it."