Participants of only one extracurricular activity at HHS are forbidden by law from bringing their equipment onto school property. That activity is the HHS Trap Shooting club, commonly known as the “Clay Crushers.”

When the club was established in 2005 by Mr. Mark Czech, Music Technology, it was the first of its kind in Minnesota.

“Back in 2005, some friends and I were discussing ways to get more youth interested in shooting sports, and we realized that the best way to access younger people was through school,” Czech said. “I had heard about some school-sponsored trap shooting clubs in other parts of the country that had experienced success, and when I got more information, I thought it would be a worthwhile goal.”

Since 2005, 184 schools across Minnesota have followed in the footsteps of HHS by establishing their own trap shooting clubs or teams, which account for over 6,100 athletes. This year alone, the state competition plans to have 4,000 participants over a three-day period.

The club practices and competes at the Park Gun Club in Long Lake, which is approximately 15 minutes from HHS. Trap shooting practices and competitions are not like those of many other sports.

“We basically compete through the Internet,” said Tony Bredemus, junior. “We go to the Park Gun Club, do our shooting, and then Coach Czech posts our scores online. The other team does the same thing, and then our respective scores are compared to determine a winner.”

This competition style allows for a more relaxed atmosphere than is usually found at sporting events.

“Most trap competitions have a very low amount of pressure, because you never even see the people you’re competing against,” said Tom Koppe, junior. “Everyone’s really relaxed, and there’s nobody rooting against you.”

Practices and competitions both include the same major elements. The shooters stand in a semicircle, facing an open range, with their firearm held at the ready. Upon the shooter’s verbal indication, a clay target, or “pigeon,” is launched into the air, away from the shooter or in a random direction, by a single machine, or “house.”

The Clay Crushers place a heavy emphasis on safe habits and the safety of members.

“Safety is paramount in our club. We have an annual mandatory safety meeting, and we have very strict safety policies and procedures when we’re out on the range,” Czech said.

Additionally, each of the club’s participants must possess a current Firearms Safety Certificate before they can register as a member of the Clay Crushers. The Certificates are only issued by the state of Minnesota upon the completion of a Firearms Safety class run by the Department of Natural Resources.

In Czech’s opinion, the trap shooting club builds skills that are important to other aspects of an athlete’s life.

“If an athlete begins a season with the ability to hit 10 targets out of 25 and finishes the season with a consistent average of 15 or 18 targets hit, that shows them that hard work does pay off. They can then apply that dedication and effort to things like their studies, and they will soon see that their grades begin to rise,” Czech said.

Athletes who participate in the club achieve a varsity letter in Trap Shooting by completing one of three requirements. These requirements include the attainment of a competitive season average of 21 targets hit per competition, a perfect score of 25 targets hit at any competition, or the completion of three full years of membership in the club with good standing.

Last year was the club’s most successful season to date. At the state tournament, the team placed second overall, and two athletes placed in the top five in the individual competition. As a result, the club continues to grow in popularity in a way that mirrors the rise of the sport’s participation numbers around the state.