Straight shooters

COEUR d'ALENE - The young, dark-haired girl walks straight up to Brian Ward and holds out the paper with the traditional black target rings.

In it, are tiny bullet holes.

The taller man accepts it, looks the sheet over for a few moments, then looks back to the girl.

"Good job," he says. "It's a little bit off to the right here. Might have been pulling out."

Ten-year-old Betty Mitchell nods, smiles and listens.

"OK," she says, then takes the paper target, turns and walks back toward the shooting range.

As Ward watches her go, he says "She's a pretty good shot."

The coach of the junior rifle team for kids 9 and older at the Coeur d'Alene Rifle and Pistol Club is often all smiles these days. He's overseeing the revival of the group of young guns who compete in traveling leagues and practice at the club's range on Ramsey Road.

A few years ago, it was down to pretty much zero. Not much interest. Today, the team's numbers have climbed back to 16 and interest is high.

Tuesday night's class is proof.

"Three-minute preparation period begins now," Ward yells as about 10 kids settle down in the prone position on the floor, sighting in their .22 rifles. "Leave bolt indicators in. Get strapped in. We're going to get going."

Their target is on the white wall, 50 feet away.

A few parents with spotting scopes lay next to the kids.

For a minute, the room with a low ceiling is quiet as students make last changes to their gloves and shooting coats, adjust their goggles, put in ear plugs, check their sights and take a few, final deep breaths.

Then, it is time to shoot.

Aim, ready

The Coeur d'Alene Rifle and Pistol Club has more than 300 members. It costs $60 a year, and to join you must be referred by a member. Clark Schmidt, vice president, said the club has whatever is needed to get someone started.

"We're getting more moms and dads involved now, which is really important," said Schmidt, whose been a member all told for more than 20 years.

He likes the "good, honest sportsmanship," the camaraderie and the chance to work with youth to carry on one of America's most cherished pastimes.

"I really put my heart and soul into it," Schmidt said.

In another room, while kids shoot smallbore rifles in the range watched closely by moms, dads and supervisors, Ward chats about the club and walks over to a black and white picture on the wall. It is a group of men, some smiling, some staring seriously ahead, others laughing. Guns are the common denominator.

The date on the picture is Feb. 22, 1952.

"There are the guys that started it," he said. "They started the rifle club."

It began, Ward says, in a cigar shop on Sherman Avenue. The cigar shop was upstairs. The rifle club, downstairs.

"They shot guns in the basement while people were smoking cigars upstairs," Ward said with a laugh.

"At one time, this was a really, really heavy sport," he said. "It always had a junior program."

Starting over

But while the adults remained steadfast shooters, youth were distracted by modern day entertainment.

"The junior shooting team just kind of fell prey to soccer, basketball and other sports and stuff," Ward said.

Over the years, the numbers dwindled to nothing.

Ward, an avid shooter, decided to change that. A few years ago, he volunteered to coach the junior rifle team. Next, he set out to recruit members.

"It's coming back," he said.

Numbers are climbing again, with youth in two leagues and some even competing in the senior leagues when needed.

"He's dedicated himself very well to it," Schmidt said. "We're fortunate to have him."

Kids compete with teams from throughout the region, including Montana, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Wyoming.

Kids fire single-shot .22s from three positions - kneeling, standing and laying down. They shoot for best out of 100. Only the top four scores register for the competition, and the season lasts 10 weeks.

They have improved.

"These kids watch their scores come straight up," Ward said. "Our older junior kids, they're really rocking the boat, they're doing really well. For the kids to shoot targets like this, this takes a ton of skill."

Their target is a dot, basically the size of a pin, in the center of the paper target.

"You're trying to hit a pin prick at 50 feet. There's a lot of people that can hit a pop can at 50 feet. But to try and hit a pin prick at 50 feet, that's a whole other story."

"By pulling the trigger wrong, you can put the shot one way or another."

Every point counts.

"If one kid misses a match and doesn't come that week, they're going to jeopardize an entire team," Ward said.

They practice Tuesdays, matches are usually Fridays. They'll shoot between 200 and 250 rounds per week.

There's plenty of training, supervision and talk of safety.

"There's a lot of work before we start shooting the gun," Ward said. "It's a lot of training to get these kids to this level."

The club has rifles on hand, and sells ammunition at cost to junior shooters. A junior membership runs $10 a year. Leagues can add another $20. Cost is minimal compared to other sports.

"The kids that come here and do this, they get the bug for it," Ward said. "These kids are dedicated to this sport."

And it's more than fun. It has a future, Ward said.

More than 50 NCAA colleges have rifle teams and scholarships are available.

"These kids have a lot of opportunities with shooting," Ward said.

Hit the target

Desire, concentration and position are critical, Ward said. Be steady, take aim, squeeze the trigger.

"There's actually a science to shooting," he said.

"You have to follow through with every shot. You have to make sure everything is done correctly."

His 15-year-old daughter Corina is a fine shot, she said, nearly nailing a perfect score with 98 of 100.

"I'm very proud of her. I'm proud of every kid here."

Jessica Coe, 17, is in her second season with the junior rifle team and has filled in on the senior team, too.

"I just like shooting," she said. "You have to be right on, otherwise it will throw your shot off."

She likes how everyone works together to improve.

"You have to want to win. You have to want to do better," she said.

Bryson Smith, a student at Post Falls High School, is in his first year of shooting with the team, after being urged to try by Ward.

"He wanted me to see if I liked it," Smith said.

He did, and he excelled, posting some of the top scores.

"He had never touched a firearm in his entire life," Ward said. "The kid's on fire."

Smith likes the competition, the quest for the perfect score, and competing individually and as part of a team.

Patience and controlled breathing are critical, he said.

"You have to take a good shot, not just the first one you see."

Ward is a 1988 Post Falls High School graduate. His father, Gene Ward, introduced him to the sport of shooting. They used to shoot at a gravel pit on Burlington Road, using .22s for close range and larger caliber rifles for distances up to 100 yards.

"When I was a kid growing up, it was every weekend we were shooting," he said. "Post Falls was small. There was nothing here. Every weekend we jumped in a Ford pickup and went shooting."

Today, Ward has introduced all three of his daughters to the sport.

"I can still remember the smile on dad's face when he made a good shot," he said.

Information: http://www.cdarpc.org