“[Not too long ago] it was not an exaggeration to say parents were happy to see kids walking down the street with their shotguns because it meant we were staying out of trouble. We were safe. There wasn’t a problem with it.”
Although such ideas seem unbelievable today, Wayne Wagner, member of the Glenridge Trap Club in Mundelein, remembers when he attended Lake Zurich High School (Ela Vernon High School at the time) and guns were a part of daily life. Since then, the public’s perception of guns had changed quite a bit, and guns seem to be associated only with the bad, never the good.
When a topic comes up that is very controversial, like guns, a lot of people immediately put up their defenses and are so stuck in their preconceived ideas they forget to open up. They forget to listen, and in the process, miss out on opportunities.
“I’ve been shooting for 60 years,” Wagner said, “and I have never seen anyone try shooting who said they didn’t like it. There’s always an automatic smile.”
Last April, I went trap shooting for the first time at the Glenridge Trap Club with some members of the Bear Facts staff. Trap shooting is a sport where one shoots at a flying clay target with a shotgun. Even though I missed every single target, it was one of the best days of the year.
Before we actually went shooting, the students and parents met with Wagner to hear a general plan for the day. He explained to us what trap shooting was, how shotguns work, and all of the safety procedures, along with his personal experience with the sport. Plus, anxious students and parents were reassured by the safety rules and meeting experienced guides who would be helping us newbies. This was especially good for me because unlike my dad, my mom was very worried I would end up shooting myself by accident.
Wagner has not only been shooting for more than 60 years, but he also coached the Arlington High School trap shooting team until the school closed in 1984 and made it to Nationals three years in a row. Times were very different back then, according to Wagner.
“Everyone would bring their shotguns and 100 rounds of ammunition to school,” Wagner said. “There were five boys on JV, five on varsity, and plus my shotgun, which would make 11 shotguns in the closet of my English room every week and 1100 rounds of ammunition. There was never a problem. There was no misuse, no shootings. It was alien to us for people to do that, but that was in 1975.”
After the school closed, Wagner tried to continue his team at Rolling Meadows High School, but not enough students were interested, so they could only make a club.
“Eventually the culture changed and the school didn’t want to be associated with guns,” Wagner said. “I became a Boy Scout instructor. I had a great time shooting and hunting, and wanted to pass it on, so I passed it on to the Boy Scouts.”
On an April morning, seven Bear Facts members and I met at the club with experienced trap shooters of all ages to teach us the basics. We learned how to safely hold, load, and shoot shotguns, broke into groups, and tried out our new skills. We spent the morning trying to shoot clay disks that machines hurled into the sky. We had the chance to try a new activity and to bond with each other and our mentors, who were other members at the club.
“That is a unique thing about shooters. They want to share,” Wagner said. “[They’ll let you know if] you were too low or too far to the left. They want to tell you so they can help you. The camaraderie and helpfulness among shooters is really amazing.”
I thought I was going to be nervous when we started, but being surrounded by supportive, hilarious, experienced people relaxed me completely and made the day memorable. My dad later told me he was jealous and had wanted to try for himself.
Next time someone talks about an activity you have never tried, do not automatically assume it is scary. You never know until you try it for yourself. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed trap shooting, and we were lucky to be given an opportunity to step into another person’s shoes and see from their point of view. That view may just be a clay target exploding in the air on a crisp Saturday morning.
Story about John Helminski, beginner to gun enthusiast in two years
John Helminski tried skeet shooting two years ago for the first time ever. Now, he is an associate member at the Glenridge Trap Club, owns rifles and pistols, reloads his own shotgun shells, goes hunting, and participates in combat shooting. He is a perfect example of how trying a new hobby can lead to an amazing amount of opportunities.
“Guns were never a part of my life,” Helminski said. “I wasn’t against them, I just never had the opportunity. When I was at my cousin’s farm when I was 15, I took one shot, but there were no formal lessons. My dad hated guns, but I was always intrigued.”
Helminski believes a lot of the attitudes towards guns, good or bad, have to do with where a person comes from.
“Like other metropolitan areas, I was taught to fear guns,” Helminski said. “I was taught they can’t do good. Now I understand the enjoyment and fun of shooting. In rural areas, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s all in your perception.”
Wayne Wagner brought the idea of coming to the Glenridge Trap Club to Helminski about two years ago, who took the opportunity even though he had basically no experience with guns. Wagner also encouraged Helminski later to take various classes to become better acquainted with his firearm.
“My first thought was ‘absolutely.’ I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot before,” Helminski said. “Wayne walked me through it and I learned….I was so enthusiastic. It was so frustrating to miss and so encouraging to hit. Everyone wants to help the next person. It wasn’t intimidating at all, no one made it that way. The first time it went pretty well. I think I shot 17 out of 25 on skeet. I enjoyed every minute of it. Later, Wayne showed me how to use a pistol, which was quite intimidating at first, probably because I watch too much TV. But I learned to respect the firearm.”
Helminski later has brought his daughter to the club, where members helped her learn how to shoot as well. He said it is very hard to explain how it feels to shoot and successfully hit a target.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” Helminski said. “You’ve done everything right. Everything came together just right to make that hit. It’s kind of like hitting a baseball. You can feel the contact.”