Albion school district very close to adding trap shooting team
Photo by Tom Rivers: Five members of the Orleans County Clay Crushers take turns on April 22 at one of the two traps at the Barre Sportsmen’s Club on Gray Road. Bryce Wilson, center, readies the shot. The Clay Crushers started 13 years ago with six youths and it grew to 57 kids last year ages 12 to 18.
ALBION – The school district is very close to approving a trap shooting team, which would make Albion the third district in Orleans County with a team. Holley was the first with trap shooting in Orleans in 2017, and Kendall added a team last year.
The district will allow a team, using insurance through the Barre Sportsmen’s Club. The club has approved added the team to its insurance policy. The Barre Sportsmen Club is just waiting for that paperwork and will then hand it off to the district, to satisfy its insurance carrier.
Albion nearly had a team last year but the insurance proved a sticking point. That issue is resolved. The district just needs a copy of the insurance policy.
“Thank you for your patience,” Margy Brown, president of the Albion Board of Education, told Chris Rice, president of the Barre Sportsmen’s Club. He has been pushing the district to add a team, which would compete at the Barre Sportsmen’s Club on Gray Road.
“We look forward to a great season for you guys,” Brown said.
The new team will compete as Albion Purple Eagles and will be open to students in grades 9 through 12.
They would compete against others schools who do their trap shooting on their home trap fields. They compare their scores online. Shooters get 50 targets to hit, that are sent out of a machine at 43 miles per hour.
Last year, when there was talk of starting an Albion team, 38 kids signed up in three days. The team wasn’t able to compete for the school because the insurance issue couldn’t be resolved in time of the season starting on March 31.
There were, however, 57 kids in the Orleans County Clay Crushers and they did their target shooting outside of the school league.
Rice said the signups this year go until March 22. The Albion team hasn’t started registrations yet and won’t until the insurance policy is presented to the school. Rice said there is still plenty of time for the registrations.
The team could have up to 50 participants, or 10 per coach. Jeff Atwell will serve as the head coach with four assistants – Chirs Rice, Mike Donahue, Tim Brien and Ryan Uderitz.
