Trap shooting is an individual and team sport where you use a shotgun to shoot clay pigeons, or bright orange clay disks, and try to score a perfect 25/25. The setup of trap shooting is simple; there are 5 stations for every house and each station is at a different angle from the house. There is one shooter at every station and you shoot fives time and then rotate, completing a round of 25. The scorekeeper keeps track of the clay pigeons that are hit and missed, gathering a total score at the end. Trap shooting is a sport that involves patience, skill, and perseverance.

In order to join the team you must have a gun safety license. This course can be completed online or in person. You can visit the MN Department of Natural Resources website or use this link https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/firearms/index.html for more information about how to register for gun safety training. The Holy Family trap team takes safety very seriously; compared to other highschool sports, trap shooting is the only sport that has never had any injuries. 

The second requirement to join the trap team is a 20 or 12 gauge shotgun. You can contact Couch Maus or Coach Rutz for more information about purchasing a shotgun.

You DO NOT need any trap shooting experience! The trap team is lucky to have coaches that are willing to show players everything they need to know to be great shooters. Every year the team has students join the team who have never shot trap before, so don’t let lack of experience stop you from trying trap!

The trap team meets every Tuesday at Watertown Rod and Gun Club in Watertown. This year, the season begins on April 13 and ends June 15. At the end of every spring season more than 330 high schools compete in the Trap Shooting Championship in Alexandria, MN, which is the largest trap shooting tournament in the world and the highlight of every year. Holy Family also has a trap shooting club during the fall which is a great time to practice for the spring season.

If you aren’t a fan of physical activity or are looking for something new, consider joining Holy Family’s trap shooting team!