Texas Get Youth Outdoors
Event A Smashing Success
A record-breaking 90 youth participants and their families gathered to learn about firearms safety, shooting sports, archery, fishing and conservation at the Sixth Annual Provost Umphrey Get Youth Outdoors Day on May 2 in Lumberton, Texas.
The free community event was a cooperative effort between the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) and its national partner, Provost Umphrey Law Firm, designed to provide a safe, hands-on outdoor experience for youth.
“The weather was perfect,” said USA Conservation Manager Cody Campbell. “We had a ton of return attendees. They could shoot sporting clays, there was an archery station, and the pond was stocked, though the cool weather made fishing a bit slow. The sporting clays were the biggest hit.”
One of the 90 youths in attendance catches a fish at One in One Hundred Gun Club.
Coaches and shooters from the Jefferson County 4-H Sporting Clays Club, union volunteers from Roofers International, and Provost Umphrey Law Firm staff instructed youth on shooting shotguns and bows as well as casting for catfish and bluegill in the pond at One in One Hundred Gun Club. Among the coaches was Corey Kruz, a professional sporting clays shooter, instructor, and two-time National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) champion.
“Having 4H coaches there, as well as professional shooters like Corey, was just great,” said Provost Umphrey Law Firm Managing Partner Joe Fisher. “Some of those kids have never shot sporting clays or even a shotgun. They would miss every clay. Then, with some coaching, they would hit one. And then they would break another one. You’d see their faces just light up. Their parents, too.”
All supplies were provided to youths at no charge, including lunch. Participants were entered in drawings for a variety of hunting gear. The most coveted prizes included a guided whitetail hunt, a guided hog and dove hunt, two fishing trips, and a lifetime Texas hunting license, donated by Provost Umphrey Law Firm.
Two youth participants take a photo in front of prizes at the 2026 Provost Umphrey Get Youth Outdoors Day.
While the fishing might have been slow, it didn’t bring down the enthusiasm.
“A young mom came up and told me she brought her daughter to this event last year. That was the first time she had ever been fishing,” said Fisher. “She couldn’t wait to come back this year. Her daughter is now obsessed with fishing. Another mom was getting teary-eyed on me as she told me that her husband had a stroke last year, and her two boys were just learning how to fish. He couldn’t do that anymore, and we were their mentors now. Being able to get kids into the outdoors is what this event is all about.”
The Provost Umphrey Get Youth Outdoors Day was part of a series of free, community-based youth outreach activities organized under Work Boots on the Ground—the USA’s flagship conservation program. Saturday’s event was also supported by USA national partner Union Plus as well as USA founding partners Union Insurance Group, ULLICO, Bank of Labor, AFL-CIO Investment Trust Corporation and Buck Knives.
