Designing and implementing a rifle shooting clinic as leisure skill development for adults with physical disabilities

Abstract

Backgroun/rationale: Adults with physical disabilities are an underserved population among Americans who participate in adaptive shooting sports. A basic rifle marksmanship clinic has potential to promote a low impact outdoor physical activity for adults with physical disabilities as leisure skill development.Methods: This grant-funded service project of a therapeutic recreation (TR) graduate student utilized program design and evaluation. The specific program design included best practices for teaching basic rifle marksmanship and measured participants’ performance outcomes related to shooting skills and knowledge. A half-day rifle marksmanship clinic was conducted as a university-funded community service grant which provided rifle instructor certification, ammunition and supplies. The clinic was a collaboration between physical therapy (PT) and TR faculty and PT, OT, and TR majors.Results: All participants gained shooting knowledge and skill through this program. A shooting clinic format with classroom instruction followed by practice on a live firing range was effective. The use of a leisure partner for each participant helped sustain interest and continued support to develop skill after the clinic. Doing an in-home exercise program prior to the clinic reduced muscle soreness from the intensity of target practice in a clinic format.Conclusions: TR specialists may promote shooting sports as treatment for functional improvement or as leisure skill development. They may collaborate with physical and occupational therapy to emphasize psychosocial aspects of shooting sports.Recommendations: Shooting skills instructors could expand live fire training time at clinics, start training with virtual shooting or air or laser rifles to assess participant readiness, promote inclusive practice specific to shooting sports, and apply empowerment evaluation as a signature program strategy.