Trap team: drug tests needed
Firearms mean extra precautions for this activity
STORY BY OLIVIA PACHECO
Cardinal Clays, Eudora’s trapshooting team, is honoring their third year of being a sport/club this year. Coaches Officer Caleb Lewis and EHS automotive instructor Chris Paxton are proud of the team and its growth throughout the past three years. One unique aspect of this team (in addition to the fact that team members routinely carry loaded shotguns) is that students who participate are required to take and pass drug tests.
Mr. Paxton has strong feelings on the subject.
“When you are dealing with firearms, safety comes first,” Paxton said, “in the past four to five years trap shooting has been the safest high school sport in the country.” The Eudora School District contributes to the national safety record by enforcing a rule regarding any sport that requires the use of firearms. Drug tests are for safety reasons and are extremely important.
Mr. Paxton also explained that the sport forces students, or any person for that matter, to learn respect and responsibility. Part of that responsibility is staying safe. He also explained that the importance of drug tests is not to anger students but to keep them out of harm’s way for themselves or others.
“Normally an accident involving a firearm is not an accident,” Paxton said.
Junior Lily Bucholz agrees. From her point of view, the drug tests are important.
“It’s mainly a safety thing for the coaches, other team members, and anyone who may be around the shooting field,” Bucholz said. Like most people on the team, Bucholz sees the team as family and would hate to see anyone get hurt, which is why the precautions the team takes involving drug tests are valid.
“I can get along with everyone on the team so well and the shooters from other schools are like my siblings… it’s so fun when we all get together,” Bucholz explained. “We can all do what we enjoy.” Bucholz likes that trapshooting isn’t technically a school sport. “We can go to the range and have fun outside of ‘school sports.’”
Junior Kyle Devore is also a shooter for Cardinal Clays. Devore says he is very passionate about this sport and enjoys taking the time to get better at it. He and Bucholz have similar responses to the issue of drug tests.
“I think drug tests are important,” Devore said, “because you are handling firearms which are very dangerous so the shooters and coaches around you need to be sure that you are not under the influence of anything.” Devore also explained that he feels rather comfortable around the range, and also always feels safe. “I know everyone and I know everyone’s comfort levels with firearms.”
Devore brought an additional opinion to the table regarding various sports that may include a risk of getting injured.
“I think all sports should require drug tests,” Devore said, “to make sure that they are in tip-top shape and are living a healthy lifestyle and to be able to compete fairly with everyone else.”
A sport as enjoyable as trapshooting is only fun when the students participating know that they are safe while at the gun range. Safety comes first.
