“If I had to choose [a quote], I would live by, [it would be]: ‘Be kind, Be smart, Be better.’ It allows for maximizing the things I work on: being kind, staying smart, and working on being a better athlete and person.”

Chappell Carter ‘25, also known to his friends as “Chap,” came to FWCD in the sixth grade from Coder Elementary in Aledo, and he describes moving schools as “one of the best decisions I have ever made.” Carter is a Stuco Representative, a member of the 4-H Club, plays football and lacrosse, does wrestling and is a friend to all in the ninth grade.

“I think Chappell is very nice to everyone he meets, so respectful and very hard working,” Lilah Firestone ‘25 said.

When Carter joined the FWCD community in the sixth grade, he became involved in Country Day’s 4-H program and has been part of it ever since. Nationwide, 4-H is a group of organizations that provide youth with programs to better their communities. Their motto is “To make the best better.” At Country Day, 4-H offers different programs in gardening, public speaking, mechanics, animal showing, and clay shooting.

In clay shooting, shotguns are used to hit incoming clay discs launched by trap machines. There are many different variations of the sport. One variation, Olympic Skeet, has been a men’s sport in the Olympics since 1968, and a women’s sport in the Olympics since 2000.

“It’s a great sport to socialize and takes a lot of practice to get good at,” Carter said. “[Clay shooting] creates a good tight-knit community of athletes and competitiveness.”

The 4-H team belongs to the Scholastic Clay Target Program or the SCTP. Last year was the first year that 4-H started the team. Now, though the majority of the team is made of FWCD students, the team also includes students from ASES and TVS. They have already won many shoots and traveled all the way to Columbus, Ohio for the SCTP National Competition. However, Carter’s connection with the sport goes on for much longer.

His grandfather had been participating for years prior, but Carter began doing it in 2019, alongside his mother, his father and his younger brother, Price Carter ‘26. He participates outside of the 4-H team in various fundraising events where clay shooting is set as an activity.

Along with others on his team, Carter has had one of the top five finishes at the State Competition in June, and then a top 20 finish at the National Competition in Columbus, Ohio in July of this year.

Carter and the team will next be competing together in January at Defender Outdoors in Aledo.