FAQ’s

1. Who is eligible to participate?
   1. You must be a member of the Gowanda Central School District, minimum age of 12 and in good academic and behavioral standing.
2. Is this just for boys?
   1. Absolutely not, we have several female trap shooters on the Gowanda Team! We are always looking for more female shooters!
3. What if I have a medical condition or I am in a wheel chair?
   1. Then you just found the perfect sport to participate in! Our league allows students to participate, even with limited assistance. Children who are in wheelchairs, children with other medical needs as well. We can recommend modifications to the gun, ammo, etc to make this work for you or your child! We currently have 2 children with special medical needs on our team!
4. Do I need a shotgun to participate?
   1. NO…. But, We strongly encourage you to have your own. We do have 7 team guns that students may use while at the gun club. We have 6 CZ-USA Model 612 Target guns in a 12 gauge. We also have a partnership with CZ-USA and can get you special pricing, below dealer cost. You pay CZ-USA directly, pay sales tax and FFL transfer Fee and they ship the gun. You may purchase any brand of firearm you want but, the team encourages for you to buy trap specific guns.
5. What is the difference between a Trap Shotgun and a Hunting Gun?
   1. A hunting gun shoots what they call flat. A trap gun will shoot high. A trap gun is typically an 80/20 or 70/30 where skeet is usually around 60/40 and a hunting gun is 50/50. Meaning if you were to paper shoot at a target and you had a pie plate circle with a horizontal line in the center 80% of the shot would be above the line and 20% below. A hunting gun would be 50% above and 50% below. The reason a trap gun shoots high is so you do not have to cover the target with your muzzle loosing sight of your target when you pull the trigger, a trap gun allows you to always see the bird and not loose sight of the target. Some people have a hard time transiting from a flat shooting gun to a high shooting gun.
6. What are the costs to join the team?
   1. We have 2 distinct seasons and are funded completely different.
      1. Spring season This is our district sponsored season, it is also the mandatory season by the league. The team will be paying for ammunition and club fee’s for the 2019 Spring Season. You will have to pay for the league registration, supply your own safety glasses and ear protection, and if you choose to attend the state championship pay the registration, travel, lodging and shooting costs.
      2. Fall Season All costs fall on the parents or students. We do try to fundraise and get sponsors but, there are no guarantee’s along with the number of shooters that could either decrease or increase your costs. No Championship
7. Is this a team competition or individual competition?
   1. Team. Individual performance contributes to the team’s performance. Upon completion of the league, high gun averages for the top male and female in each conference based on average score are recognized. Otherwise, all scores contribute to the team’s overall performance and Team Conference Champions are recognized at the end of the League’s season. This is why it is important for you to attend all practices and competitions.
8. Do I have to travel to other shooting ranges to compete?
   1. No. All shooting is done at the Evans Rod and Gun Club in Angola, NY and scores are submitted by the coaches via their TMS website and compared to other schools’ scores within our conference. The only exception to this would be the State Competition which is optional. Parents would have to fully cover all costs to attend the State Championship.
9. Are participants insured?
   1. Yes. Each student athlete registered with the league is provided an Accident Insurance Policy and each coach and volunteer is provided a Liability Insurance Policy from the League. There is no cost to the student, coaches, or volunteers for this insurance.
10. Can my child shoot more practice rounds on their own?
    1. Yes!!!!!!!! It’s no different from a member of the golf team going to the driving range and hitting a bucket of balls or a member of the baseball team visiting the batting cage. The more they put into it, the more they’ll get out of it.
11. Can I play in other high schools sports?
    1. The short answer is yes but, we are now encouraging you to concentrate on 1 sport. We find that Varsity Sports conflicts with almost all trap shooting events. It is not fair to either team or coach or teammates for you to miss to participate in either one. You are also missing playing and practice time in both sports making you less successful. For this reason, we encourage you to choose 1 sport or work out the details with both coaches. There is a team policy on missing scheduled shoots
12. What else do I need to provide?
    1. Your own transportation to and from the Gun Club for practices and competitions. You must have successfully completed either a Department of Environmental Resources sponsored gun safety course (Hunter Education in NYS) or the league’s S.A.F.E (Student Athlete Firearm Education) course​. The NYS Hunter Education Safety Course is the only free option. I am a certified Hunter Education Instructor but, typically offer this class in March March 4th and 5th 2019). Please see me for specific concerns on finding a class.
13. How do I register?
    1. I need a parent to e-mail me at my school account mrschwarzott@gcslearn.org. I will have the league send an invitation to that e-mail address. Please check your spam Folder. Invitations are only sent after the league opens registration.
    2. Pay registration fee’s
    3. Attend student/parent meeting
    4. District provided drug and alcohol forum.
    5. Must be in good academic and behavioral standings
    6. For the Fall season you only need to do what is above.
    7. How can I stay informed of updates and follow the team?
       1. You can follow this website and get emailed updates. Go to the homepage and at the bottom right you will see a “follow” button. Click on that, put your email address into it and anytime I update the website you will receive an e-mail.
       2. We have a private Facebook page for students and parents only. It is the “Gowanda High School Trap Team”
       3. If you are someone interested in just following our team we have the “Gowanda High School Trap Team Public Page” that anyone can follow.
       4. Like the leagues Facebook page “New York State Public High School Clay Target League”
       5. Like the gun clubs Facebook page “Evans Rod and Gun Club”