FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Northwest High School students in the Alliance area attending a pep rally Thursday met a team many may not have been aware of.

“And it’s called the Northwest High School Clay Target Team!” an announcer bellowed into the microphone as the students yelled enthusiastically.

Yes, a gun club at a school.

But their club practices competitive clay pigeon shooting at trap and skeet ranges.

“We practice a couple of times a week on the weekends or after school on Thursday or Friday,” said club member Christian Fezatte.

“There were little posters around the school and I saw my friend was like ‘Hey, let’s go to the meeting!'” Said Lucy Henry, one of several female members of the club. “And I was like okay! And we went to the meeting.”

Nearly a dozen clay shooting clubs like this one have popped up in North Texas school districts like Southlake/Carroll, Flower Mound and Argyle. Organizers say they expect the number of clubs in North Texas schools to double or more during the school year.

They have a sponsor at the school but all gun activities strictly off-campus. Instructors say the students learn a lot shooting.

“It teaches discipline,” said volunteer shooting coach R. D. Reynolds. “It teaches respect. And just a love of the game. Safety? Absolutely! Safety is the number one thing out here. You’re not saying you’re not shooting.”

“I mean, it takes stress off,” Henry said. And you’re with these awesome people!

And Northwest High School’s principal says he’s had no negative feedback from parents.

“No, no, no. Obviously, it’s voluntary if the student wants to join that team it’s more power to them,” said principal Jason Childress. “They go through the sponsors as far as permission and things like that go. But no.”

And Northwest High School students learned the new club brought back a national honor to add to the schools accolades.

“They won first place national championships in all three shotgun categories!” the pep rally announcer yelled over a roaring cheer.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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