Nearly 100 Tripp County youth compete in 4-H Shooting Sports and Tim Pravecek knows them all.
The Winner native has been coaching area youth since 1993.
For his efforts, Pravecek will be one of four persons to receive the Rural Dakota Pride award at the South Dakota State Fair on Sept. 3. He will be honored on Farmers Union Day at the fair at 10:30 a.m.
“Shooting sports competition teaches them that winning isn’t everything and it gives them the confidence to handle themselves well under pressure,” explains the 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator for Tripp County who has had several individuals he coached compete nationally.
Tim has been helping to organize State and National 4-H Shooting Sports competitions for more than a decade now and received his Junior Olympic Archery Development Instructor Level 2 certification in 2015.
Growing up on what is now a Century Farm, Tim has been hunting since he was a child. Today, when he has time to himself, you will find him outdoors enjoying nature and his favorite pastime. “I call it my therapy.”
Giving of his time to his hometown and county is routine for Tim who helped fundraise to build the Rosebud Arrow, Rod and Gun Club north of Winner, has served as chairman of the local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Chapter, is a member of Pheasants Forever, was on the board of directors for S.D. Bow Hunters Inc., financial secretary for Knights of Columbus, treasurer for the Tripp County 4-H Leaders Assoc. and director of the Shotgun portion of the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in Rapid City.
“Without volunteers who follow through, nothing would happen. My dad taught me the importance of following through when I was little,” Tim says.
An advocate for safety, Tim has led bow safety and gun safety classes for nearly 30 years.
“Young people need to practice and understand safety to know what they are doing before going out in the field on their first hunt,” Tim says. “Someone is going to lead them out there at some point, whether they are carrying a gun or with someone who has a gun, and they need to understand the seriousness of hunting – it’s not a toy.”
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