Post 90 in Cape Coral and the Mariner High School JROTC marksmanship team formed a partnership that’s resulted in time, talent and treasure.
American Legion Post 90 in Cape Coral, Fla., and the nearby Mariner High School JROTC marksmanship team formed a relationship three years ago that has resulted in the post supporting three Ts – time, talent and treasure – to the young marksmen, as well as a post-sponsored air rifle tournament for five high schools.
“It’s really formed this incredible partnership,” said retired Army Maj. Bryan Williams, senior army instructor and department head for the Mariner High School JROTC Leadership Academy. “We very quickly got integrated with the Legion that got both the (post) tournament and our program off the ground.”
Post 90 Legion Family supports the Mariner High School JROTC cadets by attending practices and tournaments, providing mentorship and coaching skills, presenting colors at air rifle matches, funding travel to tournaments not covered by the high school, or purchasing equipment like rifles, stands, kneeling rolls and special ribbons “that help incentivize the kids and helps us with retention of our athletes,” Williams said. And it’s not just the Mariner High School JROTC marksmanship team that Post 90 sponsors – there are four other area high schools.
“They sponsor all of the teams equally, which is really cool,” said Williams, a member of Post 90, who has sought out talent from the post to help with the team.
“There’s a lot of talent that exist from veterans of the military because almost all veterans have done some type of marksman shooting. We found a couple of guys (from Post 90) that were snipers and had a lot of extensive shooting, and we found a gentleman that used to be part of the Army Marksmanship Unit. They gave us a little bit of mentorship to get us going, some coaching ideas, some training drills and tips to get us moving.
“Coaching youth wasn't really our issue,” said Williams, whose wife and Army veteran Marybeth also coaches the Mariner High School JROTC marksmanship team. “It was, ‘What are some creative ways to teach shooting sports?’ We got some of that experience from the Legion and those same veterans would come over to meet with the kids, build some confidence in the kids with sports psychology, mental prep, things like that.”
King of the Cape. The air rifle tournament that Post 90 sponsors is called King of the Cape. During the five-week tournament, each of the five schools that the post supports host the other schools for a three-position, shoulder-to-shoulder, match. A traveling trophy with the winning team’s name engraved is brought to each competition and stays with the winning team until the following year.
“It's presented on a table for everyone to look at and admire,” Williams said. “And it gives them something to sought after that they're trying to achieve for the year.”
Points are earned each week for the teams that are then accumulated at the end. The top team is the King of the Cape.
Prior to the King of the Cape, Post 90 hosts a coach’s dinner that gives everyone a chance to talk about the tournament schedule and needs the high school teams might have, as well as the needs of the post. The cadets help post members with veteran-related events, like Memorial Day and Veterans Day, by providing color guard support, helping with parking, etc.
“It gives our kids a chance to come and give back so that it's not a one-way street,” Williams said. “The kids, they love it. They go out and volunteer, put on their cadet uniforms. They're helping veterans which they love to do. It truly is a partnership.”
Mariner High School JROTC cadet Zoe Enslin enjoys the volunteer opportunity with Post 90.
“I love giving to people. I really love going out and just being hands on with things and taking charge, and that's what The American Legion gives us a chance to do,” she said.
Shooting Sports and Beyond. The partnership between Mariner High School JROTC and Post 90 has also enabled Williams to learn about the other American Legion youth programs. “It’s gone way beyond just shooting sports,” Williams said. He has sent several cadets to Florida Boys State and Girls State over the past five years. “It's a game changer for their leadership and self-confidence.”
Williams has also entered cadets in The American Legion’s Junior Shooting Sports postal match for the past three years that has resulted in several attending the Legion’s Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship held in July.
Enslin and Jakobe Changasie, both rising seniors at Mariner High School, competed in the Legion’s Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship in Hillsdale, Mich., last weekend for sporter class. Enslin and Changasie never picked up an air rifle prior to their high school freshman year when they made the team.
“The sport has helped me so much by just getting out of my comfort zone and knowing how to handle my anxiety and stuff,” Enslin said. “Because if you're going to shoot and your heartbeat is going really fast, you're not going to have a good outcome. So it's really helped me to learn how to calm myself down and just help with my stress and my anxiety a lot.”
Enslin and Changasie appreciate the support from Post 90 both on and off the range.
“It’s great to see that there's still people out there in the world who want to see the youth develop and that's great for us to see as the youth because it means that still people care and want to see us reach higher goals than we've already achieved,” Changasie said.
Enslin agreed.
“It definitely gives us a sense of people are still believing in us,” she said. “And that's a really big, motivation thing and a confidence booster for sure.”
Get Involved. Williams encourages other American Legion posts wanting to support the shooting sports program to connect with a high school JROTC, 4-H or local club team for sponsorship.
“There’s expertise and resources in the Legion and in those local clubs to work together and enhance one another to grow,” he said. “Time, treasure and talent are the three Ts that anybody can offer. And often with resources in the Legion, there’s guaranteed to be some expertise in shooting that might help a coach that doesn't have the experience or the know-how to train in the sport of shooting, or the skill of shooting. That expertise is really what it helps get a team off the ground.”
Williams believes Post 90’s why for supporting the Junior Shooting Sports Program is “self-evident – they’re all about investing in the youth who are our future,” he said. “And that may sound cliche, but it really is the mission of the Legion. And because with JROTC our mission is to motivate young people to be better citizens, the mission statements marry up really well. So that's their motive is just to be that extra part of these kids’ village as they build up and get ready to be our future.”
- Shooting