Claybusters brighten Bean's life

It is a fairly quiet afternoon and, off in the distance, gunshots pop off one after the other. Tucked away in a field in Wheel, head coach Connie Bean and assistant coach Ray Smith are helping possible new members of the Hoodlum Alley Claybusters' rookie team prepare for the next season.

This is their fourth season as a team, after two consecutive years as third place winners in the rookie division of the Scholastic Clay Target Program's (SCTP) Trap National Championship.

Claybusters assistant coach Ray Smith goes over some of the fundamentals of trap shooting. (T-G Photo by Jasen Richardson) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"Every kid in the world can't play baseball or football, so we are trying to recruit more (here)," Bean said.

For her, this is a great for way for kids to get involved in a team and in a sport.

A few years ago Bean decided to get her grandson, Devon Casteel, a 20-gauge shotgun. He was not that interested in other sports and she wanted him to find something to get involved with. Quickly, Connie and Devon became interested in the sport and the Hooldum Alley Claybusters were born.

Bean has been battling cancer. She has support from the community and her church, as well as the chance to coach these young boys.

"I didn't know I had so many friends," Connie said. "When they hit that first target, and when they bust it, the look in their eyes is worth everything you put into it."

As well as Bean and the coaches, her husband, Jim, and the parents come out to support the kids and the team. For her, it is a wonderful way for the team to get involved in the community. They hold fundraisers for equipment that the team needs, as well as certain events to give back to their community. Connie's brother lets the Claybusters use his farmland to practice.

The team was named after the Hoodlum Alley Cruisers, a Shelbyville car club.

"They bought us our first vests, so we decided to name the team the Hoodlum Alley Claybusters," Bean said.

The name has stuck and the team has been growing bigger every year. Eleven kids are on the roster, with a possible 20 or so total coming on board by the time the season starts.

Smith has been involved with this team for three years after coaching for years in other sports, notably baseball. His son Chase Smith is on this award-winning rookie team. He is in the fourth grade and shot high score overall (87/100) in the regional championship at Big Springs.

"(This sport) teaches them a lot of discipline," Smith said, "because if you want to be good at anything, you got to practice at it. It teaches them patience, have respect of the gun, where out for the sportsmanship of it."

Besides teaching children to shoot, the main focus is safety. No one is allowed to load a shell in their gun until their turn to shoot. There is also a rubber plate with a magnet embedded in it that the kids use when they are waiting for their turn. The gun is placed on this device and then, when they move to the next position, it stays on the end of the shotgun.

Claybusters posing with their medals at the SCTP Championships are (front, from left) Chase Smith, Ronnie Haithcote, Jay Anthony, Travis Townes, Tristan Rogers, (back) assistant coach Ray Smith, assistant coach James Anthony and head coach Connie Bean. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

At the competitions, there are specified safety referees, per sa. There are very strict guidelines to make sure that no one is ever injured.

Trap shooting is one of the fastest growing sports and Bean feels the importance of it is right there with football and basketball. This is her heart and soul, and she says she could not ask for a better way to spend her time.

With the help of coaches Smith and James Anthony, she hopes to continue to compete to the same standards, if not better, than the last two years.

Practice officially starts Sept. 7. They will be held every Sunday and possibly twice a week before a competition. The season starts on Sept. 20 with 6 to 8 competitions scheduled, not including state, regionals and nationals.

GET INVOLVED

The Hoodlum Alley Claybusters are looking for young boys in fourth to eighth grades. To learn more about the sport visit nssf.com.