The Varsity Rifle team has been a consistent success for Alden High School athletics for the past 11 years. Alden has won their division every year since 2008. With an even more impressive stat, Alden has 36 division titles since the year 1973, displaying Alden’s dedication and hard work towards Rifle. The team seems to have a great group of shooters every year on the Rifle Team.

I decided to ask Coach Eggink, Varsity Rifle coach, if I could come observe a practice and actually shoot to get the first hand experience that few people get to do. When I arrived at the practice, I first noticed all of the decorative pictures that the team has of all of its members over the years. It was a cool sight to see of all the past and current rifle stars all hung on the same wall. The first thing that I had to do in order to shoot was to put on the heavy jacket and pants. This is wear I give rifle members lots of credit because of how hot is was in the range. I ended up shooting a 52/100 which I originally thought was awful but Coach Eggink told me that was pretty good for my first attempt firing a rifle. I then observed all the members on the team shoot in all the different positions that you can shoot in. These include standing, in which you fire at a target while standing, kneeling, in which you fire at a target while kneeling, and finally prone, which you are firing at a target while laying on your stomach. I was fortunate that I was able to shoot standing because I feel my score would have been much lower if I did it kneeling or in prone.

After first hand experience, I have a huge respect for rifle members as I learned it is a very difficult to shoot consistently. Good luck to all the members of the team for the rest of their season and thank you to Coach Eggink for letting me shoot and observe a practice.