Their targets: Safety Focus Skill Sport

Tiny airborne targets aren’t the only things coach Brian Verheyen has his athletes aiming for.

Verhayen’s focus for the Ozaukee Scholastic Shooting Sports trap shooting team is centered on a couple of other elements.

“Safety is our top priority. For me being in the construction industry, safety is always No. 1. It’s the same thing being in trap. I preach it almost every day,” he said.

“A common misconception is that it’s just about shooting, when in reality it’s a very disciplined and safety-driven sport,” he said. “It requires focus, patience, and consistency.”

Then comes learning the skill to hit a clay pigeon barely 4 inches in diameter in the air nearly 50 feet away.

Verheyen teaches the fundamentals of stance, the gun mount and tracking targets.

“A good trap shooter is consistent and mentally focused. This is a very mental game,” he said. “Staying composed, being patient and trusting the process are key skills in this sport.”

The OSSS trap team is open to anyone in fifth through 12th grade who either attends a school in Ozaukee County or lives in the county.

Verheyen is in his second year as coach. The Port Washington native who lives in the Town of Farmington would go hunting with his father at his family’s cabin in Hurley but didn’t get into trap shooting until after high school. He shot with some friends and quickly came to enjoy the sport. Twenty years later, he still shoots competitively.

“What drew me in was the challenge and the level of focus it requires. It’s a sport where small adjustments can make a big difference,” he said.

Verheyen is trying to pass on his passion for the sport. His 13-year-old son is one of the team’s 41 members, and he wants to get his 10-year-old daughter involved.

“What I enjoy most is seeing athletes improve and gain confidence, especially the athletes who are new to this and have never shot before,” Verheyen said.

“You can have athletes their first time in shoot a 5 (hitting five of 25 targets), and by the end of the season shoot in high teens. It’s rewarding to watch the athletes set goals and work toward them and support each other along the way.”

Everyone participates, another draw for Verheyen.

“There is no bench. It doesn’t matter what your averages are, the athletes are still going to shoot,” he said.

Shooters’ concentration is intense for short bursts at a time. Each shoots one clay at a time at one of five stations, then waits for the other four to shoot. After five shots, competitors rotate to another station until they’ve shot at each for a total of 25 shots.

Shots could be five to 10 seconds apart. Two rounds—50 shots—take about half an hour.

Athletes must provide their own shotgun, ammunition, safety glasses and hearing protection.

The club’s $185 registration fee covers travel to conference shoots and the state and national events, vests, team jerseys and hats. They also get a punch card at the Ozaukee Fish and Game Club in the Town of Fredonia.

“I’m trying to bring the cost down,” Verheyen said.

All OSSS first-year trap shooters compete in their own events separate from the returning shooters, with all their meets at their home club.

“We want to make sure they’re comfortable,” Verheyen said.

He holds dry fire training exercises using lasers for first-year competitors before using live rounds in January.

All shooters must complete a hunter safety course. Verheyen said he enforces safe gun handling and range procedures at every practice and competition.

Teens handling firearms, he said, are taken seriously.

“I know there can be hesitation around youth with firearms. But organized shooting sports like trap are among the safest when it comes to responsibility,” Verheyen said.

Many team members go hunting, and some are involved in the National Wild Turkey Foundation mentoring program.

For some of the shooters, the trap team is their only athletic activity.

“Students of all experience levels can participate, and many find it to be a great fit if they’re looking for something outside of traditional sports,” Verheyen said.

This season, the team has 13 first-year shooters, including five girls.

“It’s growing. I’ve actually gotten a lot of interest,” Verheyen said.

The six-month season starts in January with Kettle Moraine Trapshooting Conference events ending in May. The state shoot is in July, followed by the national one in Ohio.

For Verheyen, the activity is more than about seeing athletes succeed.

“For me it’s about the team, the environment, being a team player and having fun,” he said.

“It’s not just a sport. I look at it as a small family. You get to know everybody and it’s just a great environment to be in,” he said.

The OSSS program also offers a pistol and rifle shooting team. Both are part of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, which provides oversight and insurance.

For more information, visit the team’s webpage at https://oztrap.com. The Kettle Moraine Trapshooting Conference website is at https://tinyurl.com/29xmbmvc.