Hmmm , matchbox thinking..

 Hmmm, now here’s an idea…

A slinger's career started very young, and involved some rather spartan training during their upbringing. One notable method involved placing a child's food out of reach, which left the child with two options: knock the food down with a slingstone, or go hungry. 
Later on they would graduate to sending stones through small hoops placed at various distances.