Join the 4-H Firing Fanatics
Shooting Sports Club

Want to join the fastest growing segment of 4-H? Want to learn about archery? Want to learn how to handle and shoot a gun safely? Then join the 4-H Firing Fanatics. Shooting Sports is a year round sport for all ages. Boys and girls can learn how to responsibly handle firearms and compete against other youth in our area and around the country. Come and see what all the fun is about.

The 4-H Firing Fanatics Club is a brand new 4-H shooting sports club in Allegany County, Maryland. Shooting sports is the fastest growing segment of 4-H nationwide. Since 1980, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program has introduced over 2.3 million youth and adults to shooting and hunting sports. Shooting sports encompasses archery and several firearms disciplines. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Program is active in 46 of the 50 states throughout the United States. The 4-H Firing Fanatics Club is proud to bring this fabulous program to the youth and teens of Allegany County.

All 4-H programs focus on youth development as individuals and productive and responsible citizens. Youth and teens in the 4-H Shooting Sports Program learn marksmanship, safety and responsibility around firearms, principles of archery, and good sportsmanship through education, recreation, and competition. 4-H strives to enhance the development of a participant's self-esteem, sound decision making, leadership, teamwork, and ethical behavior. Shooting Sports strengthens families through this life-long recreational activity. Shooting Sports also encourages 4-H'ers to learn and understand natural resource concepts through the participant's interest in shooting and hunting.

At the forefront of the 4-H Shooting Sports Program is safety and education. About 2/3 of all U.S. homes have firearms. This program exposes youth to safety and responsible handling of firearms to prevent accidents in the home or next door. The 4-H Shooting Sports Program has an impeccible safety record and statistically is much safer than the organized team sports kids play, such as football, baseball, and soccor.

Shooting ranks third in popularity among international sports behind track and field and swimming. There are seventeen Olympic shooting sports events, which continue to draw the third-greatest number of countries. 4-H members have opportunities to test their shooting and sportsmanship skills in club, county, regional, state, and national competitions. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational is held annually and includes over 400 youth participants from around the country. 4-H youth participate in air pistol, air rifle, archery (compound and recurve), hunting skills, muzzleloading, shotgun, smallbore pistol, and smallbore rifle.

The 4-H Shooting Sports Program has something for everyone. Boys and girls, teenagers and youth, young and old, can all participate and develop a respect and admiration for the sport. Whether you want to try your hand at archery with a recurve bow, a silhouette shoot with a rifle, or a try at hitting the bullseye with a air rifle, we have a program for you. The 4-H Firing Fanatics Club invites you to come out and try your hand at one or more shooting sports disciplines. We also invite interested adults who would like to become a 4-H volunteer to come out and share their love and knowledge of this lifelong sport with a 4-H'er.