Last Updated on October 12, 2022 by Ellen Christian
I received an all expense paid trip to cover the Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match in Arkansas. All opinions are mine and mine alone.
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You may remember that last fall, I wrote about my son’s love for his new Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun. He’s been getting pretty good at hitting the target. I’ve even had a chance to shoot a few times with him myself. Of course, I’m nowhere near as good as he is but I tried. I love that it is something we can bond over which is not easy to do with a 15 year old boy. It’s not like I can wrestle with him or play soccer and I don’t really enjoy the same music or movies that he likes.
The Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun is intended for kids that are ages 8 to 15 so it is the perfect BB gun for all the kids in the family no matter how athletic they are or how much experience they have.
When my son was younger, he loved playing baseball and other sports at school. He was enthusiastic and friendly… but honestly he wasn’t very coordinated.
It used to break my heart to see him try so hard and never catch the ball or make the goal. You don’t have to be an athlete to use a BB Gun. No need to be the strongest or the fastest to enjoy it and even win.
Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match
I was very excited to be asked to cover the Daisy’s 48th National BB Gun Championship match in Arkansas June 27th to 30th. The Daisy Nationals is the largest national 5-meter BB gun match in the nation.
Fifty-four teams from all over the United States registered to compete this year. I was very excited to cover this match.
These teams earned the privilege to compete by placing first, second or third in a state match. Daisy presents a $1,000 award to each team who qualifies for, attends and competes in this match.
What happens at a Daisy National BB Gun Championship?
The teams began to arrive on Thursday to practice. You could hear the buzz of excitement as the children had their equipment checked and registered that morning.
The children were all very professional and respectful during the match. Everyone had a great time.
It’s not an easy task to remain calm and focused among that many different kids, especially at such an exciting time. There were two days total of practice – Thursday and Friday. During that time, the kids also had a chance to visit the Pro Shop and the Daisy Museum if they chose.
Friday ended with Opening Ceremonies that were conducted like a mini Olympic opening event. The teams all marched into the ballroom wearing their team colors and carrying their state flags.
You could see how proud they were to be there. There were over 1500 people attending including the athletes, coaches and families.
Saturday and Sunday were the official 5-meter Daisy National BB Gun Championship Matches. The kids participated in matches in the morning and tests in the afternoon.
These written tests were a significant part of the overall team score. After two days of matches, closing ceremonies and award presentations happened on Sunday. The championship matches weren’t all work though.
In between the matches, the kids had a painted gun competition and attended a barter bar where they traded items from their state. Some even went to a water park!
My review
Attending the Daisy National BB Gun Championship matches was truly an eyeopening experience. At most sports competitions, you see the biggest and strongest and most physically fit children attending.
I loved seeing boys and girls of all shapes and sizes competing and getting along together. If you are looking for a family activity that everyone can enjoy, BB guns are definitely something I recommend.
Medals were awarded in each of the four shooting positions (standing, prone, kneeling and sitting) to both individual competitors and alternate team members. These teams won medals.
The bronze team medals were presented to members of the MarshallCounty 4-H Sharpshooters from Britton, South Dakota, coached by Mike Draft and Harlan Hilleson. Their teams score was 2335.02.
The silver team medals were handed out to the team members of the Highmore Jr. Shooters team from Highmore, South Dakota, coached by Larry Kerr, Matt Kutz and Colleen Harris, with a team score of 2373.05
Earning the gold medals and a prestigious traveling trophy at the 2013, 48th annual Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match, with a score of 2374.08 was the Palmyra BB Gun Team from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, coached by Frank Pulli and Doug Hetrick.
Give it a try. If I can do it, you can too!
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
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