MOULTRIE – Mike Simpson has every reason to be excited. So he never allows frowns on any of the faces that come to the Bridge Creek Clays shooting range.

There are several reasons to be down all across the nation and the world, which is gripped by a COVID-19 pandemic with all of its traveling restrictions and social distancing requirements. Even the sport of clay target shooting – one that has brought international renown to Simpson and his base in Colquitt County – is feeling the pinch with cancelled and/or rescheduled competitions. The biggest one of all is the Summer Olympic Games for 2020, which was moved to 2021 in Tokyo.

“I think it’s a good thing right now to help curtail the spread of the virus,” said Simpson about the postponement that was long called for by several USA based sports governing bodies. “I feel like it was the right thing to do. It will give our athletes time to train.”

And training is what is continuing at Bridge Creek even though it’s been roughly two weeks since schools in Colquitt County and all over Georgia were closed first by recommendation and then by order of Gov. Brian Kemp. The coronavirus concerns also stopped organized training for such Colquitt programs as Moss Farms Diving and the YMCA gymnastics.

At Bridge Creek, Simpson said training in target shooting allows these young people to get out in the sunshine and fresh air.

“We have our doctor here every day,” he said, referring to Dr. Robert Spruill, whose sons Charlie and Ben are Bridge Creek shooters and is a recently-certified coach. “He kind of monitors everything. We’ve had no problems here. One thing I’ve noticed, (the virus) is basically attacking the elderly people more so. That’s why these kids stay out in the sunshine and outside, and they have a really strong immune system. What would you prefer? A kid to be shut in all day with siblings and parents in a room or to be outside in the fresh air? That’s just my personal opinion.”

“We’re pretty well protected here because shooting sports are out in the open,” said Dr. Spruill. “We’re not necessarily grouped together in a bunch. Each shooter is standing on their station. Thankfully there’s enough space and fresh air between that we are still practicing social distancing. Just between the shot and target is the only contact we have.

“It has rescheduled a lot of our competitions through SCTP this month and some into next month. In those instances, we have 300 to 400 kids. It’s hard to keep social distance when there’s that many people at a venue. For practices, it’s smaller numbers, trying to keep our skills up while we wait to compete again.”

Dr. Spruill took the course for NRA level 1 shotgun certification last year, and he led the shotgun team through Colquitt Christian Academy last fall.

Already in 2020, Bridge Creek Clays shooters have won several competitions, and Simpson isn’t holding back praise on his current group. It’s one he believes is as talented, if not the most talented, he’s had in nearly three decades. They went to major shoots in both Jacksonville for international Olympic skeet and the Miami Cup, where one finished in the top six.

“We’ve won three gold medals, a second-place finish and two fourths,” said Simpson. “I have some athletes here that’s some of the best talent I’ve ever had. I got high hopes for them.”

Perhaps the leaders of that group are Jaxon King from Thomas County and Jay Cooper from Cairo, gold-medal winners in ACUI collegiate events, Jay in skeet and Jaxon in trap.

“We hosted the collegiate match here (in February),” said Simpson. “We had schools all the way from the University of Arkansas here. We had a lot of colleges here. Three-day event. It turned out real well and they’re coming back next year. It had been every year at Fort Benning. They asked if we’d do it. Now, they don’t want to go anywhere else. They liked how the people treated them in Moultrie. Everybody was so friendly and nice. That speaks accolades for our community.”

But the part about gold-medal winning shooters is nothing new, for Simpson’s had pupils go as high as No. 5 in junior world rankings. He’s put shooters on USA teams to compete in various countries such as Russia.

“We’ve won one of the biggest matches in Italy,” said Simpson, whose daughter Michelle Wright is also a certified coach and granddaughter Brooke Wright is a Bridge Creek student. “We were competing against the best of the best in the world. One of my 17-year-old kids won it. At that point, I gained respect from all the foreign federations as a coach. It’s been a special ride.

“I’ve been blessed to consult with the Georgia (Department of Natural Resources) and get a shooting sports program started in GISA schools as a letter sport. Last year, we had 700 to 800 kids competing in the state championship in the clay target shoot in Savannah. I would like to see it go into our public schools.

“These kids grew up with a shotgun in their hands out on the farms shooting birds. It’s a family heritage. I’m trying to keep that heritage going. This gives (the kids) an opportunity to excel and realize a dream. This is a learned process. They don’t have to have a God-given talent to do it. I’ve had kids who couldn’t walk and chew chewing gum at the same time. They had a passion and made it all the way to the world level.”

“I haven’t received a lot of coaching from anyone else, so there’s nothing really to compare it to, but I would say by far it’s the best coaching I ever received,” said King about being under Simpson’s tutelage. “It’s like my second home. Everything’s repeated about 15,000 times. It’s just remembering it.”

“One thing you’ll find about the coach is he has the patience of Job,” said Simpson, something with which King agreed.

“Keeping your head down, simple things like that,” said King, who began his training just three years ago. “When you are in the moment focused on shooting, you’re not thinking about every single little thing you have to do.”

“The biggest thing is trying to get these young people to believe in themselves,” said Simpson. “And to be motivated to be the best. I give them one question to ask themselves. What am I willing to give up to have it?

“Typically it takes me anywhere from two-and-a-half to five years to get an athlete on top in the United States. As the old saying goes, they get out of it what they put in. It teaches them to concentrate, focus and be composed. Safety is first and foremost here, and next is fun. I only deal with smiles. I don’t deal with sour faces.”

With that developed reputation as a coach, shooters from all over the world (long before there was the current virus outbreak) found their way to Bridge Creek on Dunn Road in the Hartsfield area to train and learn from Simpson. And Simpson found himself a globetrotter as well. In 2013, he was named USA Shooting Coach of the Year, the same year he was named Assistant National Team coach, leading a Junior Team to medals in Germany.

“Kids call me weekly, who came through this program, and say ‘Coach Mike, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me. You will never know how you impacted my life,’” he said. “We’ve turned out doctors, lawyers, engineers. All these kids are great kids. They don’t get in trouble. They don’t cause me any problems. It’s been about molding lives.

“We will weather this storm and move forward.”

The ultimate stop in the 2020 calendar is the SCTP National Team Championships July 9-18 in Marengo, Ohio. Before that is the SCTP Georgia State Championships at the Forest City Gun Club in Savannah June 5-7.