According to a 2022 analysis by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Violence Prevention, gun injuries are the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens ages 1-19. With that in mind, it is imperative that gun safety is a priority to teach our youth. With that goal in mind the Washington County 4-H Shootings Sports Coaches collectively committed over 250 volunteer hours to the county shooting sports program in 2022. Monthly safety meetings alongside weekly practices within youth’s disciplines allowed youth and their families to learn from experienced and certified coaches about safety, improving skills, and sportsmanship. 44 4-H’ers and their families spent the summer in the Washington County 4-H Shooting Sports Program. Fun, success, and safety was the focus of the summer. At the end of the summer, 23 members would advance to compete at the Kentucky 4-H State Shoot, resulting in 17 trophies and 8 personal bests. One parent reported,  “Getting my kids involved in 4-H was important to me when they showed an interest in firearms. While I grew up around guns, I wanted to make sure they knew the safest way to enjoy the sport and I knew 4-H would do that.”