Claybreakers -- Fallon's Youth Trapshooting

By Susan Weikel -- The Lahontan Valley Claybreakers, Fallon’s Youth Trapshooting Club, was started through the efforts of local trap shooters to teach youth about the sport and gun safety. In 2006, Marty and Leslie Paul, Darren and Misty Allegre, Virginia Fowler, and Melinda Sammaripa started the club with 25 members. Soon, Pat and Wayne Whitten joined the group, and they are still today supporting the members of the club. Providing a safe and positive experience with firearms and shooting sports is the main goal of the club. Shooters may join the club as early as 4^th grade and continue with the club until the  age of 24 if they are in college, a trade school, or an alumni. Members are taught by NRA certified coaches about firearm safety, responsibility, teamwork, and sportsmanship. According to Pat Whitten, coaches volunteer their time to provide instruction as well as encourage good sportsmanship and personal responsibility while building competitive skills and the foundations to make shooting a lifelong sport. “I still get goosebumps when I recall Derek Sammaripa, a youth who started shooting with us as a kid, came back as an adult and asked to work with the kids as a coach. We have also been very lucky to have the support of NAS Fallon with volunteers who support the program,” she said. The Fallon Trap Club provides the facilities to practice and shooters will occasionally travel to other youth shoots to compete. The Youth Club also belongs to the Nevada Youth Shooting Sports Association (NYSSA) which includes clubs at Yerington, Reno, Carson City, Elko, Ely, and Las Vegas and the Pacific International Trapshooting Association (PITA). Each shooter is responsible for their membership fees while the club pays for the ammunition, target fees, t-shirts, hats, safety equipment, and the shooters’ registration to attend the state competition. All shooters sign a code of conduct and must maintain the same average in school as required of other sports. Last year, 37 youth participated in the program and the club sent 34 shooters to compete at the state tournament in Carson City. The 2020 state competition is scheduled for May 15-16 in Fallon, and will draw over 100 shooters and their families, from across the state.       Never miss the local news -- read more on The Fallon Post home page. If you enjoy The Fallon Post, please support our effort to provide local, independent news and make a contribution today.  Your contribution makes possible this online news source for all things Fallon.