Training youth under 16 years

This page is always under maintenance. Rules change regularly and it can always be improved. And I am not a saint as a trainer/coach.
No wisdom is absolute, but with this website you should be able to do pretty well at a competition.

First and most important rule in sport shooting

Weapons should NEVER be pointed at anyone under ANY circumstances.

SAFETY must be the highest priority when handling a weapons, air or firearms.
The weapons MUST ONLY be loaded with ammunition on the range, with the weapon pointed down and when it is ready to fire.
Each weapon must be handled as if it is loaded at all times, even if you are certain that the weapon is not loaded.
The weapons must be transported safely both on and off the range.
When resting during a series, the weapon must have a flag in the chamber and for air weapons a cord through the entire barrel.
When transporting, a bolt-rifle must the bolt be removed and weapons without a bolt must have a flag in the chamber with the slide closed.
A trigger lock is recommended for ALL weapons.
Keep your finger of the trigger when not aiming.

Training for youth, but some parts are also suitable for novice shooters.

Training

To become a good sports shooter, a lot of training is needed. Most junior shooters train once or twice a week at their club. All materials are available here, such as a weapon and targets. The club trainer is also important: he or she ensures that you learn to shoot safely and that you keep getting better!

On this page you can find more about three different types of training:

Physical training: with these training sessions you try to make the muscles and tendons in your body strong and flexible and to improve your condition, so that you can shoot for as long as possible.

Mental training: you train yourself to keep your heart rate under control and to concentrate as well as possible.

Technique training: this is actually everything you do on the shooting range to shoot a '10'. You will find a few ways to train and also games to use on the shooting range.

These are just a few exercises that are easy to use for you and your club trainer. Need more information about the trainer? Then consult your club trainer or ask fellow shooters at competitions.

Game types

Young sports shooters like to shoot at the club every week, and preferably in a different way every time. On this page you will find a number of games that you can print out on A4 paper. In consultation with your trainer, you can then use these during a training session.

You can play a few games alone, but there are also games that you can play together with your fellow shooters. This makes it extra exciting!

Preparation

For some games, the trainer must provide extra materials, such as bottle caps, a deck of cards, a notepad, laptop, a calculator or a flip-over.

There is also a document available with additional training for juniors.

Because young people also like to play, this can be combined very well with shooting exercises, and they will enjoy that too.
The Dutch shooting sports association KNSA has set up a good training program especially for young people.
But it does not stop anyone from doing this with beginning senior shooters as well.

If you have developed fun games yourself and would like to share them, please send them to us and we will add them to the other games.