If you're between the ages of 8 and 18 and you're looking for a fun but challenging sport, check out the Junior Air Rifle program. A new session of classes will run on Saturdays from Oct. 14 through Dec. 16 at the Mount Joy Sportsmen's Association, 85 Range Road. The program will begin at 9 a.m., with the potential for separate sessions from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to noon, depending on the turnout, said instructor Tom Amlie.

The club provides .177 caliber target-grade air rifles to participants, although youths may bring their own air rifles, provided they have iron sights. Air rifles, Amlie explained, shoot projectiles by compressed air. "People should be aware that the club rifles are likely to be more appropriate for target shooting," he said. "Air rifles are quiet, but if a participant is especially sensitive to noise, they're encouraged to bring some sort of ear protection." Participants are required to use eye protection.

The program introduces youths to the sport while helping experienced shooters hone their skills. "First and foremost, we cover firearms safety," Amlie remarked. "Even though these aren't firearms in the strict sense of the word, they're still potentially dangerous if mishandled, and the basic safety rules are the same and strictly enforced."

Participants will learn the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship, with smaller kids shooting from supported positions on sandbags and older kids encouraged to shoot using a sling.

"It's not meant to be a competitive program, except to the extent that people compete against themselves, trying to improve from week to week," Amlie shared. "Air rifles are very quiet and have little to no recoil, so this is a great low-stress, well-supervised way to introduce kids to firearms safety and marksmanship."

Amlie noted that although the program begins on Oct. 14, participants are welcome to start at any time. "If someone wants to start after the 14th, they're asked to come 30 to 45 minutes early that first time so that we can go through the safety orientation before everyone else arrives," he said.

He hopes anyone who is interested will try out the sport. "I always encourage people to participate in the shooting sports by noting that it's a year-round activity which is fun for people from ages 8 through 80," he commented. "Physical strength and size are not as important as they are in other sports, and boys and girls participate shoulder to shoulder. In fact, the young ladies often have a better aptitude for this than the young men."

The Junior Air Rifle program also sets people up for success outside of the range, he said. "The shooting sports really do require participants to learn to focus very attentively on the task at hand," he explained. "Developing and practicing that ability is helpful in other areas of life, like school."

There is a small fee to participate in the Junior Air Rifle program. For more information or to register, contact Amlie at 717-342-4484 or tta2@psu.edu.