Well, some of you may recall I coach a local High School Rifle team, we did a raffle last year to help with some funding. Well, the kids placed in their section and will going to the Western PA championships Tuesday! This is the first time they have qualified since 2005, and our team has NEVER won this championship. My shooters are pumped!

We have had a great many successes over the last few years. Notably, the desire to be part of this team is spreading like wildfire through our school. This team has grown from a club like environment with 14 kids, to an respected entity in the school. I ahd 72 kids come out for the teram this year, I kept 40, which was 15 more than any other years, and I still had to cut 32 kids. We now have 20 JV and 20 Varsity. I was at the PA NRA banquet last night dsicussing ther possibility of funding a new range that could accomodate all the kids that want to shoot on our team.

We have a solid Parent Booster organization, and they purchased high quality embroidered warm-up jackets for the kids with their names on them, and get this, an embroidered Rifle on the front (a gun picture in school is not allowed). The kids where these through school, and they are cooler that the Varsity football team! (whoi had only 36 kids and lost every game).

We are hosting a "Shoot Out Cancer" event for a local woman an d friend who is terminal. All faculty and staff from all 7 of our schools can pay $20, put teams together from their buidlings, my shooters give them several relays of training doing what they do each day. We are holding a match and the winning team will be recognized in the paper as well as throughout our school district. Most importnatly, all the money goes to the family. This will also aid in breaking new ground with faculty and staff that have no idea what we do as a sport. Two years ago, this would never have been approved

I could not be more proud of these kids, and most importantly, I believe I (we), have succsefully changed the culture in a very large public school. Sorry for the rant, Im a little excited.