OUR HISTORY AND MISSION
The Barbers Hill 4-H Shooting Team was chartered in September of 2007 and is part of the Chambers County 4-H Program. Our team's mission is promoting responsibility, leadership, sportsmanship, and proper gun safety through the sport of clay shooting. In 2010 the club partnered with the Barbers Hill FFA, when the school district implemented the AG Clays 381 program. Our club has grown from 10 members to over 70. Several of our current and past members have captured champion titles in local, regional, and state levels and have gone on to compete at the collegiate level. We have also had team members represent the USA for the National Sporting Clays Association, win the 4H State Championship in their age category, and win other prestigious awards.
WHAT WE DO
Our team competes in American Skeet, American Trap, Whizbang (a version of 5-Stand), and Sporting Clays. At different events there are also opportunities to compete in International Skeet and International/Modified Trap. When you join the team, you will be required to attend a safety orientation. Even after attending the orientation, SAFETY is our main concern, and we will talk about safety before each practice. All shooters are required to wear safety glasses and ear protection at all times during practice. Members shooting at team practices will always have a 4-H Shotgun Coach present. Each shooter will be required to follow all safety rules & sign a safety agreement form prior to shooting with the club.
Although it is not required, we encourage all of our shooters to compete in Texas 4-H Whiz Bang Qualifier competitions, which include Skeet, Trap, Whiz Bang, and sometimes Sporting Clays. These events start as early as January and extend through August in some years throughout the state. These competitions are also good for preparing each shooter for the 4-H State Shooting Sports Games held in July, and the Texas State Whiz Bang Championship held in October, both at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio.
Our club is non-profit organization and we support our activities through fundraisers. If you become a member of the team, you will be asked to help with fundraisers and other events throughout the year. Our shooters and their parents are all a part of what we call our "Shooting Family". As in any team or club, we offer our members leadership and community service opportunities. We also promote a good professional attitude towards other teams and clubs, and strive to encourage and support each other while in competitions. The parents are an extension of every member, and they too promote the same type of professionalism, which makes it very easy for all of our members and parents to come together as one big family.
OUR BOOSTER CLUB
SOUTHEAST TEXAS YOUTH SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION
In the summer of 2016, the Southeast Texas Youth Shooting Sports Association (STYSSA) was formed. STYSSA is the booster club for the Barbers Hill 4-H Shooting Team and an approved 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Every dollar earned goes directly to supporting the Barbers Hill 4-H Shooting Team and the youth in our shooting sports community.
In the summer of 2019, we held the first Southeast Texas Youth Shooting Sports Association's Scholarship and Fun Shoot. With the help of supporting businesses and individuals in our community the STYSSA held its biggest and most successful fundraising event, offering right at $25,000 in scholarship awards. In 2020, we were able to partner with Cole Fine Guns and Gunsmithing, who titled the event, and surpass our goals giving out $40,000 in scholarship awards. The STYSSA is looking to try and grow this event every year in an attempt to give back to 4-H youth shooters. (See Our Scholarship Shoot)