Russell County 4-H began its shooting sports program in the mid-1980s and was one of the first programs in the state of Kentucky.  Kentucky 4-H is a nationally recognized program that fosters life skill development and positive youth development through healthy competition, service, leadership, and education.  Kentucky 4-H believes that all youth should have opportunities for positive youth development in the four overarching concepts of mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity.  The program fosters mastery by learning firearm safety and marksmanship, belonging by taking part in club and community activities, independence by demonstrating responsible firearm use, and generosity by participating in community service projects.  All of the core competencies of the 4-H shooting sports program are developed under the support of caring adult volunteers which provide the youth with the opportunity to develop life skills, self-worth, and ethics.

Three Russell County 4-H youth were invited to participate with the first ever Kentucky 4-H Gold Muzzleloader Team to represent the state at the National 4-H Shooting Sports competition in Grand Island, NE.  After several practices with four other youth from across the state, a team of 4 youth were selected.  Two of team members as well as the alternate were from the Russell County 4-H program.  Additionally, one of the Russell Co. 4-H Shooting Sports coaches helped prepare the team for competition.

After many months of practice, the team competed in the national competition against 15 other teams from across the nation.  After the competition, one of the youth said, “This was the absolute best experience of my life.  I’m so thankful to have this amazing opportunity.  I had the best team, coaches, and state coordinator.  We may not have placed the best.  At the end of the week, it isn’t the scores that we will remember.  The experience as a whole and having the honor of being the first team to ever represent Kentucky on the national level is something that we will never forget.  As the competitions got tougher, we supported each other even more, and that is why it was so great to part of this team.  4-H is amazing.  Our motto is “to make the best better’ and they definitely do that.”