Source: Ashley Marcum, Extension Specialist Associate, 4-H Youth Development 

Young people across the Commonwealth are invited to sharpen their shooting skills while engaging in healthy competition, service, leadership and education through the Kentucky 4-H Shooting Sports program. 

The nationally recognized program, which is open to all youth in Kentucky aged 9 to 18, focuses on fostering life skills and positive youth development through a variety of shooting disciplines, including: 

• Archery  

• Muzzleloading 

• Pistol 

• Rifle 

• Shotgun 

Each discipline is taught by a certified instructor, ensuring that participants receive high-quality education and training. Through club activities, and with guidance from knowledgeable adults, youth participants not only learn firearm/archery safety and marksmanship but also develop skills such as teamwork, self-confidence, personal discipline and responsibility.  

The 4-H Shooting Sports program provides participants with a safe environment to explore their sparks, share a sense of belonging, and form healthy relationships with caring adult mentors. In the 2023-2024 program year, more than 5,000 Kentucky youth members took part, engaging with over 1,000 certified instructors across the state.  

Enrolled youth have opportunities to participate through competitions and teen leadership roles at not only the county level but also statewide and nationally. The Kentucky program’s annual statewide competition provides a culminating event for youth to strive for each year. Kentucky teens can also hone their leadership skills by serving as Shooting Sports Ambassadors or becoming certified apprentice-level instructors. 

Since 2022, Kentucky has also taken part in the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships, hosted yearly in Grand Island, Nebraska. Two teams (muzzleloading and shotgun) have represented the Bluegrass state in the national competition, and Kentucky plans to expand its participation to four teams (muzzleloading, shotgun, compound archery and recurve archery) in the summer of 2025. 

Through participation in the Kentucky 4-H Shooting Sports program, young people can equip themselves with the tools they need to succeed—both on and off the range. 

To learn more about the program and how to participate in your community, contact the (COUNTY NAME) office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.  

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Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.          

The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment news and communications team provides monthly Extension Exclusives in the categories of Horticulture, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences. To see more exclusives, visit https://exclusives.ca.uky.edu.     

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