PUEBLO, Colorado USA — If this were football season, Tuesday morning would have been game day for 4-H youngsters involved in general and home economics projects.

Judge Connie Cecil (left) evaluates a rocket built by Michael McDermott, 11, from Pueblo West, during the Model Rocketry competition at the 4-H County Fair.

Eleven-year-old Michael McDermott competed in several general projects, including outdoor cooking and model rocketry. He has been in 4-H for three years and participated one year as a Cloverbud.

Although model rocketry is no easy task, Michael said he enjoyed the experience. The fifth-grader at Sierra Vista Elementary School in Pueblo West built three different rockets.

The third rocket he made, a tall yellow missile, was just right. It took him five days to construct.

"It was kind of hard at times. I followed an instruction packet. My favorite part of making the rocket was the painting."

The Pueblo West Twisters Club member said 4-H teaches you how to run your life.

"I would recommend 4-H to other kids. It’s fun. You get to meet new people and do something by yourself."

Connie Cecil judged the model rocketry and financial 4-H projects, which teach youth how to manage money responsibly.

"I like seeing what the kids have learned. A lot of the time they are more critical of themselves than I’d be because they know what mistakes they’ve made. It’s a challenge. The kids do a good job and it’s neat to see what they can accomplish."