Women are darn good with a gun so why don’t we have more women shooters and what should we do to attract them?
Starting before Annie Oakley, women have always excelled at all disciplines in shooting sports; from pistol to rifle, shotgun and hunting, their names are engraved on the big trophies. In Australia we know how good they are at taking club medals, but we forget how many achieve “Games” glory.
For Australia, there’s Patti Dench who won Australia’s first shooting medal when she became the oldest medallist at the 1984 Los Angeles Games by winning bronze in the inaugural women’s sport pistol event.
When Suzy Balogh won the women’s trapshooting event at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, she became the first female Australian shooting gold medallist in history. Having won 2010 Commonwealth Games trap pairs gold in Delhi she returned to win individual gold at Glasgow 2014. In the same Games, Laura Coles won gold in skeet and Laetisha Scanlan won gold in trap.
Then at the 2016 Olympics Catherine Skinner won gold in Women’s trap. She started shooting when she was 12 and here’s a common thread. So many of our champion shooters started shooting when they were young.
How many of us have daughters and grand daughters who, with a little encouragement, would take up the sport and go on to win? Let’s include sons and grandsons here.
Give the Mums, girls and boys in your family a present of a shooting licence starting with the safety course and club membership. Queenslanders just need to phone of email Shooters Union for more information. You’ll find us at 0409 701-109.
Follow the advice of Catherine Skinner who wants shooting taught in schools because the sport “teaches respect” and “demystifies the use of firearms.” Has your club made overtures to your secondary school yet? A special juniors’ or family day would set them off with a sport they can continue with until the end, and the takers will become members of your club. Encourage the kids to bring their parents along so they can experience the discipline and safety of our sport.
The advantages.
- Your sport will become your family’s sport.
- Few sports bond a family as well as shooting.
- Shooting teaches respect and discipline.
- Your kids will help fill the meat section of your deepfreeze.
- Shooting offers a host of opportunities. Your club can introduce your family to the many events in pistol, rifle and shotgun.
- Your club will become an important social centre for your family.
And a last word from a Suzy Balogh interview with Stronger Daily, “How did you start your career?
– Sharing in something that my Dad loved to do.
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