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Female Sharpshooters
Phase II: Welcome
Context
Shooting sports have been a popular pastime since the first marksman clubs formed in Germany in the 14th century. Throughout time as firearms evolved and technological advances developed, different types of shootings sports emerged. The most popular sports include still target shooting and moving targets such as skeet or trap shooting to demonstrate hunting skills.
Skeet is a game that requires a minimum of two players and can have up to as many players in a round as needed. The skeet field is in the shape of a semicircle with two houses positioned on each side, and seven of eight stations placed around the arc. The house on the left side of the field by station one is the high house, and the house on the opposite side by station seven is the low house. Station eight is midway between station one and seven. As you follow around the arc counterclockwise starting at station one, the stations are in chronological order with station four at the furthest curve of the arc.
A shooter begins at station one and works their way through the rest of the stations. When the shooter calls “pull”, a clay disk is launched from each house into the air. Each station poses a different challenge as it positions the shooter at a different angle to stimulate hunting a bird.
Men and women can compete in the same game, however, there are not nearly as many women on the skeet field as men. A survey reported by the NRA in 2019 showed that 37% of certified target shooters are female, which was a significant increase from around 10% in 2009. With small representation of women on the skeet field, women tend to be sparse in shooting clubs and ranges.
In my experience, there have been times when I was the only woman at the range if my mother was not with me. Many times I would feel the stares when we walked in as if I did not belong there. This was a range that I grew up going to-- I’ve been here for over a decade-- yet the stares I got would make me feel uncomfortable. I felt pressure to show that I can hit a target like anyone else there.
Phase II: Work
While on my search for a more practical holster tailored for a woman, I came across an article about an organization, Shoot Like a Girl, that offers many different levels of training and firearm courses for women in a safe and uplifting environment.
"Shoot Like a Girl focuses on training women across the country, by giving them the opportunity to shoot a pistol, rifle or bow in a fun environment.”
Shoot Like a Girl also acknowledges the fact that more women are purchasing firearms now than ever before, and they took into account what women want in a training environment and for products.
'It is a known fact that women have been the fastest-growing demographic for several years now, and we continue to grow,' said president and founder Karen Butler. 'There is a chance that our data is a course correction for the industry, too, based on the responses received after our query of a sizable number of women. We have the unique opportunity with our social media and email lists to reach over 146,000 women who participate and/or are interested in shooting sports, and they were enthusiastic to provide their input.'"
Phase II: Quote
I have to be strong for the women that are joining the shooting sport community and show that I can hold my own and deserve to be a part of this sport just as much as any man there. Hopefully, my confidence can help other women be confident and maybe the vendors would look past the stereotypes of femininity and make real products for women.
Phase II: Quote
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