The purpose of the Arizona 4-H Shooting Sports Program is to promote positive youth development through the safe and responsible use of archery equipment, pneumatic arms and firearms.  Education is the foundation of our program.  4-H Shooting Sports strives to integrate education, recreational and competitive program elements by working with families to develop a passion for the sporting traditions of archery and marksmanship. The most visible aspect of our shooting sports program, but not the most important, is the element of competition that allows youth to exhibit their skills, develop goals, and engage in a social environment where they can interact with other youth and caring adults.

The 4-H Shooting Sports Program seeks to create a “spark” within Arizona youth to increase their opportunities to participate in STEM-oriented lessons, develop healthy lifestyles, as well as engage in civic life and leadership roles through participation in classes taught by highly qualified, caring, certified adult volunteers. Arizona 4-H Shooting Sports projects vary by county and availability of certified instructors, however, courses currently available in Arizona include:

• Archery (recurve and compound)
• Hunting Skills / Outdoors Exploration
• Muzzleloader
• Pistol (air and smallbore)
• Rifle (air and smallbore)
• Shotgun
• Western Heritage
• Program Coordinator / Organizer

Youth ages 8-19 years old are eligible to participate in our program.  Junior (8-10 years old) and Intermediate (11-13 years old) 4-H members are eligible for all in-state instructional, recreational and competitive events except Western Heritage matches.  Please see the Western Heritage discipline page for additional information.  Senior members (14-19 years old) are eligible to participate in all in-state events, as well as National events, if they place in the top four of the specified discipline during a state Nationals qualification match.

For questions about Arizona 4-H State Shooting Sports contests, volunteer certification/training, or shooting sports policy and procedure, please contact: Erik Schroeder, State Shooting Sports Coordinator, at [email protected].

For questions about how to join 4-H in order to participate in our shooting sports program, please contact your local county 4-H professional office.