The importance of local JROTC programs often gets overlooked by the community at large. Not only can the programs have a profound impact on the students who participate, but those students have opportunities to represent their schools on a national level. Matt Robbins and Matt Mason got to interact firsthand with the Daviess County High School JROTC program on Tuesday, when they squared off in a friendly air rifle shooting contest.
Students participating in JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps) gain skills in areas such as leadership, self-confidence and discipline, while also encouraging good citizenship and a spirit of service to family, school and country. Cadets participate in physical fitness training, academic competitions and other team-building activities.
When students join ROTC, they have the ability to join six different teams: air rifle; orienteering (described as being like cross country with a map and compass); color guard; drill and unarmed drill (with and without a rifle); and a drone team.
“It just kind of opens up a whole new world to kids who are interested,” said Tyler Goad, who serves as coach of the DCHS Navy JROTC program’s Air Rifle Team. “It’s not a recruiting program. It’s just a whole bunch of fun things to do and offers interesting ways to kind of pad a high school resume.”
Goad said the program accepts “virtually anybody.” All students have to do is sign up with a guidance counselor just like they would for a regular class. There is no military obligation.
“I’m not a recruiter,” Goad said. “I just kind of present things from a military aspect. We do wear military uniforms from time to time, but for the most part it’s just another extracurricular opportunity.”
Goad said Owensboro-Daviess County is well represented with JROTC units. While DCHS has a Navy program, Apollo High School has Air Force and Owensboro High School has Army.
“The real impact here is we keep kids on track if they’re going to have a hard time staying on track to graduate, to get to college, to to get to whatever is next,” Goad said. “We really work with kids one on one. We will work with a lot of these students for 4 years. We kind of become guidance counselors and adult people other than their parents that are interested in and helping them achieve their dreams for the future. So when you sign up for us, you kind of sign up for a little bit of life coaching and you sign up for just really cool stuff to do.”
In the “Matt vs. Matt” contest held in the DCHS Auxiliary Gym, DCHS principal Matt Mason ultimately beat district superintendent Matt Robbins.
DCHS Navy JROTC officers and cadets coached Mason and Robbins on gun safety, breathing techniques, appropriate stances and how to sight a target before the school leaders fired 10 shots each in the standing position.
“The experience was great,” Mason said. “I’m glad that I did this. These students instructed me on making each shot better. I’m so happy that Mr. Robbins also got to come over because for them to see him here means a lot. He cares about our programs, and our ROTC.”
Robbins added, “It’s really important for myself as superintendent and Mr. Mason as principal to be connected to all the programs that we have here at Daviess County and in the district where kids are doing things to represent the high school. It just gives you an appreciation of these young people to see how dedicated they are. It really is an opportunity to share the giftedness that children have in so many different areas, and to see there’s an opportunity here for them to excel. I think it’s really neat.”
