Moeller Launches A New Club: Trap Shooting

Spring is in the air and so is a new sport being developed by faculty and students. Here to introduce, Moeller High School’s Spring Trap Shooting Club.  

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Soldier Spc. Jeff Holguin competes in the final round of the Men's Double Trap event at the 2009 International Sport Shooting Federation

For starters, trap shooting is the sport of shooting at clay pigeons released from a spring trap. The players’ objective is to break the clay pigeons with a shotgun using 20-gauge or 12-gauge bird-shot rounds.

Trap shooting originated in England in the 18th century to help men improve their hunting skills. In 1831, the first recorded organized trap club took place right here in Cincinnati, at the Sportsmen’s Club. Presently, there are over 5 million Americans who participate in trap shooting and there are a variety of sportsman clubs established for the pursuit. Fortunately, Moeller High School is here to bring opportunity to its student body once more as the 2018-2019 year marks the beginning of the Moeller Trap Shooting Club.  

Here’s the details 

This spring, The Southwestern Ohio Conservation Club will be hosting an Instructional High School Trap program. This course offers firearm safety, basic shotgun knowledge such as how to assemble, reload and safely discharge a firearm. More in depth procedures will be mentioned like patterning, which is a method of figuring out the spread of the bird shot when fired. In addition, students will be taught trap terms and trap procedures while learning how to play the sport itself. Along with that, students will be participating in live trap shooting with a safety coach.  

Mr. Dave Faller and Mr. Bob Wynn are the two brains behind the construction of the school’s newborn sport. Mr. Wynn commented on this process saying, “We want to introduce the sport of trap shooting to Moeller and teach students the right ways to handle firearms and to be responsible”.  Mr. Wynn has been shooting trap for many years and is the right guy for the job. Down in the ITC, Moeller’s Communication Director, Tara Grewe, for trap shooting. Ms. Grewe appreciates the the goals for the club. She went on to say, "This goes to show how Moeller's faculty and staff go above and beyond to educate our young men. Trap shooting as a sport teaches mental discipline, etiquette and the responsibility of being a firearm handler."

Many students have shown strong interest and appreciation for the formation of the Moeller Trap Club. Students like senior Blake Wallace, “Its progressive to see guns being introduced in a safe and responsible manner, and it's going to be fun.” He went on to say, “It adds to Moeller’s diverse extracurriculars”.  

There are many ways for students to get started. An interested student will need to attend one of the four instructional nights. Once completed, students will be given the opportunity to compete with schools around the Greater Cincinnati area.  

Let the games begin!  

May 1st marks the first competition night. There will be several schools participating including Seton and Elder.  

Delving into the 2019-2020 year, the Moeller Trap Club will continue and be better than ever! Moeller will hopefully see itself competing all around the Cincinnati area and students will be given the chance to win it all! 

Participating in The Moeller Trap Club is a great way to escalate your spring!