WOODVILLE &045; In 20 years of coaching youngsters in the sport of shooting, Jack Withers has never met a loser.

In fact, the 59 year-old Woodville native thinks winning is over-valued in American sports.

&uot;Winning is emphasized way too much.

Coaches are destroying the psyche of some kids by teaching them they are worthless if they don’t win,&uot; Withers said.

&uot;The emphasis should be on developing kids by teaching them discipline, work ethics and sportsmanship.&uot;

A father of two boys, Bill, 14, and Thomas, 7, Withers has seen those values instilled in the young men and women he works with as an instructor for National Rifle Association and USA Shooting competitions.

&uot;We’ve had kids who have come to us and lowered the scores we gave themŠTo tell us, ‘I didn’t earn that’ŠThat’s very impressive to me to see kids do that.

We want to develop honesty and ethics,&uot; Withers said.

And for Withers, who also teaches science and technology at West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, La., there is no other sport that so evenly allows everyone to compete.

&uot;The beauty of the shooting sport is the fairness of it.

Everybody is on a level playing field.

It doesn’t matter how big you are, or how fast you can run.

If you can pick up the gun, stand still and hold it steady, you can compete,&uot; he said.

And Withers said females hold a physical advantage over their male counterparts in the shooting world.

&uot;Women have shorter waists.

From a standing position, they can usually rest their elbow against their hip and steady a rifle better,&uot; he said.

Withers just returned from Raton, N.M., where the top shooters from 4-H programs across the nation participated in the USA Shooting Nationals.

&uot;About 20 years ago, we started the original 4-H shooting competition in Mississippi.

I was on the committee that set up the light rifle competition,&uot; Withers said.

There are several categories of shooting competition available &045; including open sights, peep sights, scopes, precision rifles and international levels &045; which help make the sport accessible to everyone.

&uot;That way, a kid can shoot his grandfather’s old .22 caliber rifle.

You don’t have to be able to afford an expensive rifle.

Success in any category depends on training.

If you are willing to work, you will do well,&uot; Withers said.

Withers has coached several champions in USA Shooting competition and seen many of his students go on to compete in the Olympic Games.

&uot;Shooting is the third largest Olympic event in the world.

In Europe, people ask for shooters’ autographs.

Over here, they are not even recognized,&uot; said Withers, who blames the American media for unfairly politicizing gun violence.

&uot;I deplore crime, but it’s in the heart and mind of a person if they want to do a crime.

If Mothers Against Drunk Drivers took the same tact as the anti-gun media, they would ban cars,&uot; Withers said.

Still, the shooting sport is gaining popularity in America, Withers said.

&uot;There are many colleges that have shooting teams now.

There is a women’s shooting team at Ole Miss.

Two of the five shooters on the team are from Mississippi.&uot;

Hopefully, with programs like 4-H, more kids will get involved, he said.

A member of the National Shooting Coaches Development Staff, Withers teaches other experts how to coach young shooters.

&uot;Shooting is 95 percent mental.

We teach the techniques, but every shot has to be planned from the ground upŠ.As a coach, you’ve got to know the basics and realize that you have to adapt those techniques to each shooter,&uot; Withers said.

And Withers said seeing those young shooters develop their skills and confidence is a great reward for any coach.

&uot;If a kid works hard and continues to improve, but doesn’t win the match, can you call him a loser?

No &045; that kid is a winner,&uot; he said.