Coeur d’Alene Trap and Skeet Club hosts Idaho youth championship

At the Coeur d’Alene Trap and Skeet Club in Hayden, Parker Martin shot a perfect 100 as nearly 150 youth shooters from across Idaho gathered May 14-16 for the Idaho State Youth Championship. The youngest competitor was 13, and the field stretched from Pocatello to Sandpoint, turning the North Idaho range into one of the state’s busiest youth shooting stages.

The turnout reinforced how firmly the club has become rooted in Idaho’s youth shooting circuit. In 2022, about 120 youths competed in the Idaho State Youth Shooting Sports Championship at the same venue. In 2025, the Coeur d’Alene Skeet and Trap Club hosted the shotgun portion of the University of Idaho’s 4-H state championships, the first time that competition had been held in North Idaho, with 73 youth from across the state taking part. The best-scoring 14- to 18-year-olds in that event could advance to nationals, adding another layer of statewide significance to the local range.

For coaches, the appeal goes well beyond scores. Brian Martin of the Coeur d’Alene High School Skeet and Trap Club said the sport gives him a chance to pay it forward as he watches young shooters build confidence and sharpen their skills. Rhonda Harvitt, coach of the Hayden Longshots, said shooting helps shape responsible adults because it teaches safety, discipline and accountability. Earlier coverage of the club has framed the same tradition as a blend of marksmanship, mentorship and family involvement, with athletes spending weekends at the range and sending hundreds of rounds downrange.

The championship also produced standout individual performances that gave the event a personal edge. Caden Hess, a senior competing with the Hayden Longshots, shot a perfect 25 during one phase of the competition. He said the moment carried added meaning because he had recently found and used a shotgun that had been purchased by his late father. Jack Grant posted a 98 out of 100 in trap shooting and 47 out of 50 in skeet, while Parker Martin said he hoped to follow in his brother’s and father’s footsteps and pursue the sport at the highest level.

Club president Tom Bosenko has said precision shooting comes down to mindset, focus and routine, a standard reflected in the steady practice culture around Coeur d’Alene and Hayden teams. With multiple state events now landing in Kootenai County, the club has become a regional destination for a disciplined youth sport that keeps growing deeper in North Idaho.