In the current political climate, gun control is a very divisive issue, with gigantic organizations such as the National Rifle Association advocating for Second Amendment rights, and those on the other side, such as the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, arguing for stricter gun control. In the wake of recent tragedies in Parkland, Florida and Las Vegas, students on the Edina Trap & Skeet team continue to use guns in productive, positive ways.

Trap & skeet is the shooting of clay pigeons (clay discs flown in the air which simulate the flight of a bird. However, the Edina Trap & Skeet team, contradictory to their name, only practices trap. They differentiate themselves from skeet by having only one machine flinging the pigeons in the air, instead of two. The athlete must then successfully shoot the pigeon, which will travel in a direction unknown to the athlete, out of the air. Athletes use either 12 or 20 gauge shotguns, which are commonly used in hunting various types of birds.

After recent gun violence episodes, stricter gun control is likely. That being said, is the sport in danger? “Yes and no. Part of me wants to believe that our sport will not be affected because we are using shotguns, not semi-automatic rifles, which are the type of gun typically used in these mass shootings. However, I do realize that there could be some backlash because of our ages and because a portion of people want to end the use of all guns,” Dailey Thorud, EHS senior and Captain of the Edina Trap and Skeet Team, who is also an employee at Stock and Barrel Gun Club said.

Safety is a concern when you have so many teenagers using deadly weapons in close proximity, but Thorud says that the team is doing everything they can to make sure the sport remains safe. “There have never been any injuries or issues on our team or I believe, on any high school team, this includes our state tournament in Alexandria that is the largest shooting competition in the world, made up of roughly 7,000 teenagers. To ensure safety, we are all required to have taken a gun safety course, attend a preseason meeting with a police officer to discuss the laws and we always have a Range Safety Officer at our practices.”

Being a participant in any sport means representing it in a positive light. This becomes difficult when the sport that you are trying to represent includes the use of guns. “I was promoting safe gun use before I was on the trap team and will continue to long after I graduate. I truly believe that guns have changed my life in a positive manner and that the horrific actions of a very limited number of individuals should not have an impact on both my sport and my second amendment right,” Thorud said.