Author: SSSF Staff

Interested in Coach Training?

Do you have a need for coach certification in your area? If so, please let us know! Several of our SCTP and SASP staff are members of the NRA National Coach Development Staff and can travel to your location to conduct coach certification courses.  NRA Coach Development Schools are the heart of the NRA Coach Education Program. The instructors use up-to-date materials and multimedia presentations to present discipline-specific coach courses. The registration fee includes a copy of the discipline-specific coach school student study guide and other materials to help you with the details of coaching. Upon successful completion of the coach school you will be a Coach (Level 1) (or Youth Trainer if under 18 years old) in that discipline. Once approved, coaches may print their coach certificate and wallet card for their use. What Is Taught In The School? The Level 1 coach school is two days of sports-specific lessons and practical coaching exercises designed to teach the coach candidate the basics of coaching beginning and intermediate shooters. The following general subjects are taught:
  • Introduction to the Coaching Program
  • Safety and Risk Management
  • Competition Events
  • Rulebook use and shooting etiquette
  • Equipment and Facilities
  • Fundamentals of Shooting
  • Coaching Ethics
  • Coaching Methodology
  • Mental Training
  • Training Planning
  • Building Quality Programs
  • How To Conduct Tournaments
For more details or to setup a shotgun coach class in your area, please contact Chet Tuinstra (eastern US) or Carlton Nether (western US). For more details or to setup a pistol/rifle coach class in your area, please contact Rick Leach. For more information on the NRA Coach Education Program, please visit the NRA website.

2017 Junior Olympic Development Camp a Huge Success!

The Scholastic Clay Target Programs (SCTP) yearly Junior Olympic Development Camp (JODC) was another huge success! The camp, held this past August 7th – 13th at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado featured 24 athletes and 4 coaches from 16 states around the country who were selected to attend! These athletes and coaches were able to take part in a camp designed to introduce them to the International Disciplines of Bunker Trap and International Skeet. Athletes were immersed in the day to day work of an Olympic athlete including training at a high altitude, nutrition, hydration and some really good training tips and techniques from Olympic caliber coaches like Terri DeWitt, Joe Buffa and Lance Bade! “What an awesome opportunity for SCTP athletes to gain first-hand knowledge from the likes of these coaches!” Said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “I have been part of these camps for 8 years now and they just keep getting better and better. Thank you to USA Shooting and the summer resident athletes for also sharing their knowledge of the International Shooting sports and to the great athletes and coaches for attending!” The JODC is another example of the doors that SCTP opens for athletes wanting to excel in the clay target shooting sports. SCTP, the official youth program and pipeline to USA Shooting has also started the SCTP / USA Shooting National Team, with Terri DeWitt at the helm as the official Head Coach! Athletes earn their way on to the team by attending and placing in the top 3 spots at SCTP’s International National Championships held each year in Colorado Springs, CO around the end of July. Only members in good standing of the SCTP are eligible for this great opportunity, so why not join now?! Applications to attend this camp are available on our website around the middle of March each year. Coaches and athletes must be members of the Scholastic Clay Target Program to apply. Dedication to SCTP, attendance at state and national tournaments as well as scores shot in the American disciplines are all key factors in deciding who is picked to attend the camps.

SCTP Announces Its First SCTP College Virtual Match!

The Scholastic Clay Target Program would like to announce its first ever College Virtual match. This match will take place the week of September 11th and end the week of October 16th, running for 6 weeks. Participation is open to all registered SCTP College teams including Division I, II, III as well as 2 year college teams! Colleges can participate in Trap, Skeet or both but must be registered and scored by the end of week 1 or September 17th. Team scoring will be used for this match with the top 5 scores making up that College teams score for the week. Further information will be posted on our website at www.sssfonline.org and the Virtual match will be open for registration very soon! The SCTP College Virtual match will culminate into the SCTP College National Championships which will be held Friday, October 27 through Sunday, October 29 at the Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio. Again, open to all registered SCTP Teams and athletes. See how your College team stacks up against College teams from around the country and all without any travel expenses! Any questions, please contact any SCTP representative for help, or see our frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on the virtual series. We hope to see you all involved in this first ever event…. Tom Wondrash – SCTP National Director

Final 2017 SCTP-NSCA Tour Stop September 28/29

Join the fun at the final SCTP-NSCA 2017 tour stop at the Southeast Regional at The Fork in Norwood, NC! All SCTP shooters are encouraged to attend and experience the atmosphere of one of the top sporting clays tournaments in the country.
  • Medallions will be awarded to the top sub-juniors and juniors based on the Preliminary Event.
  • Ladies medallions will be awarded in each concurrent as well.
  • Targets will count towards new NSCA-SCTP All-American Teams!
  • NSCA RULES WILL APPLY
Contact Nathan Boyd at nboyd@nssa-nsca.com or download the event flyer for additional information!  

NSSA-NSCA/SCTP All-American Team

The NSSA-NSCA All-American Team program is a partnership between the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) / National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA). The partnership promotes participation beyond SCTP competition and provides an easy way for youth and families to continue shooting via the multiple opportunities the NSSA/NSCA provide. Youth in the SCTP may participate in NSSA/NSCA registered competitions and compete for All-American honors. The NSSA-SCTP All-American Team recognizes SCTP athletes who compete in National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) registered events. To be eligible for the SCTP All-American Team, a shooter must be a member in good standing with NSSA-NSCA and SCTP, must shoot a minimum of 500 12-gauge NSSA registered targets, and must shoot their respective SCTP state or regional shoot or the SCTP National Championships. The NSSA-SCTP All-American Team will be determined via 12-gauge average. An athlete’s 12-gauge targets registered in the shooting year (January 1 to December 31) will be used to determine the team. The NSSA-SCTP All-American selection will be divided into six teams which include Open Sub-Junior, Lady Sub-Junior, Open Junior, Lady Junior, Open Collegiate, and Lady Collegiate. Eight shooters will be selected to each of the Sub-Junior and Junior teams. Athletes who are selected to an NSSA Sub-Junior, Junior, or Collegiate Concurrent All-American Team will not be eligible to make the NSSA-SCTP All-American Team. See the NSSA-SCTP All American Team Standings Here The NSCA-SCTP All-American Team recognizes SCTP athletes who compete in National Sporting Clays Association registered events. To be eligible for the SCTP All-American Team, a shooter must be a member in good standing with NSSA-NSCA and SCTP, must shoot a minimum of 500 NSCA registered targets, and must shoot their respective SCTP state or regional shoot or the SCTP National Championships. The NSCA-SCTP All-American Team will be determined via points earned by competing and placing against other SCTP athletes. NSCA-SCTP All-American selection will be divided into four teams, including Open Sub-Junior, Lady Sub-Junior, Open Junior, and Lady Junior. Eight members will be selected to each team. Points can be earned from January 1 to December 31, with the team being selected in the spring of the following shooting year. See the NSCA-SCTP All American Team Standings Here

Wisconsin’s Lake Country Action Shooters capture their 4th National Title

The Lake Country Action Shooters of Wisconsin website states that it “introduces teenagers 12-20 years old to shooting, and turns them into safe and experienced shooters in a season.” That just may be the biggest understatement in the history of understatements considering they just captured their 4th consecutive National Title at the 2017 SCTP and SASP National Championships held at the Cardinal Shooting Center, July 8th- 15th, in Marengo, Ohio. The 2017 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Championships brought together competitive shooters, ages 8 to 23, from 32 states to compete for national titles in the shotgun disciplines of American Trap, Handicap Trap, Bunker Trap, Trap Doubles, Skeet, Skeet Doubles and Sporting Clays. Pistol and rifle competitors competed for steel shooting titles in Rimfire Pistol, Centerfire Pistol, Iron Sight Rifle and Optics Rifle divisions. “Go545.com is our website and our motto,” said David Richman, coach of the Lake Country Action Shooters and father to two of the team’s top shooters, Dylan and Teagan. “We encourage our shooters to focus on control and accuracy in order to improve their overall speed. We want them to hit 5 targets with 5 bullets…as in Go 5 for 5!” “Our team has been very fortunate and successful over the past five years, said Richman. “Part of the foundation of each of those championship teams were Dylan and Teagan Richman along with the contributions of other excellent athletes. These athletes have graduated and are no longer with us but they were part of our success. Currently there are 3 athletes part of our team since its inception (2012-13 season) they are: Dylan Richman, Teagan Richman and Alex Matson. Two athletes, Dylan and Teagan have been part of every varsity championship win. Alex was part of the varsity team for this year’s win. We currently have new athletes that are working on building their own future on the LCAS team.” The Lake Country Action Shooters had two squads compete in four disciplines at the 2017 SASP National Championships. Varsity Squad: Dylan Richman, Teagan Richman, Alex Matson, James Van Gilder Junior Varsity Squad: Tarek Powell, Jonathan Steffel, Dylan Lenz, Jack Gerstmeier The LCAS Team results were as follows: Centerfire Pistol LCAS V CP 177.83 1st LCAS JV CP 297.21 1st 1911 LCAS V 1911 188.05 1st LCAS JV 1911 426.46 2nd Optics Rifle LCAS V OR 151.6 1st LCAS JV OR 209.75 1st Iron Rifle LCAS V IR 164.37 1st LCAS JV IR 223.07 1st Individual CP Awards/ placements: CP Men Dylan Richman - 2017 Senior Division Pistol High Male Centerfire 1st Dylan Richman 5th James Van Gilder 6th Alex Matson 36th Dylan Lenz 38 th Jack Gerstmeier 41st Jonathan Steffel 55th Tarek Powell CP Women 1st Teagan Richman - 2017 Senior Division Pistol High Female Centerfire When combined with all shooters Teagan placed 3rd overall. Individual Rifle Awards/ placements: IR Ladies 1st Teagan Richman 39.26 OR Ladies 1st Teagan Richman 39.46 Teagan Richman - 2017 Rifle High Female Overall" According to Richman, the team got together for weekly practices during the two months leading up to the SASP National Championships. “Sometimes we shoot live rounds and sometimes we get together for dry-fire practice in one of the kids basements or garages. The parents and families are as big a part of this team as the athletes themselves,” said Richman. “It wasn’t easy to find a place to get together to shoot live rounds for the first year or two,” stated Richman. “But two shooting clubs in our area took us in and gave us a place to practice. I’d like to thank the Oconomowoc Sportsman's Club and Stonebank Sportsmen's Club for giving us that opportunity.” “We’re also extremely appreciative and thankful for the major support from the ACME Bullet Company and Jagemann Sporting Group for their sponsorship and dedication towards our team year after year.” I asked Richman how he felt about his team winning its 4th consecutive National Title and what he had this to say, “I have been coaching for over 30 years in different sports. I am extremely proud of my athletes that I have been able to coach over these past five short years. Each athlete has made an impact and contributed in the direction and success of the Lake Country Action Shooting program. The hard work, dedication, and camaraderie that these athletes exhibited this year were outstanding. With all of these components together it has made this year very special for me. The results truly speak volumes of this team.”

DeWitt named as SCTP National Team Head Coach

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) has formalized an agreement to name Terri DeWitt as the 2017/2018 Head coach of the newly developed SCTP-USAS National Team! DeWitt, a 20 year member of the US Army Marksmanship Unit’s shotgun team and 1996 Olympian in Woman’s Double Trap has agreed to head up the 12 person team (6 men / 6 ladies) that formally starts September 1st 2017 and runs through August 31st of 2018. Team members must earn their way on to the team by placing in the top 3 positions in Bunker Trap and International Skeet at the SCTP’s International National Championships held at the US International Shooting Park in Colorado Springs, CO. each year. “The SCTP National Team will provide young shotgun athletes an amazing opportunity to enter the Olympic pipeline with support and guidance!” Said Terri DeWitt, Head Coach – SCTP National Team. “I’m tremendously excited to be a part of this program and look forward to working with these talented and highly motivated athletes. Congratulations to the SCTP, its sponsors, and to USA Shooting for making their shared Olympic vision a reality.” Terri’s 4th place finish in the ‘96 Olympics, 5 time National record holder, earner of 6 National Championship Titles and 16 World Cup & World Championship medals certainly make her more than qualified to lead this team! “We couldn’t be more proud to name Terri as the head coach!” Said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “This opportunity for SCTP athletes has been in consideration for several years now and with the help from USA Shooting we are extremely happy to get it off the ground. Opening doors and helping define a clearer path to the Olympic dream is what the SCTP is all about!” Terri is also a Level 3 NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor and is finishing her Master’s degree in sport coaching as well as attending the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) Coach School to attain international certification. Most recently, Terri served as the MidwayUSA Foundation Program Manager for the eastern U.S. SCTP National Team Sponsorship opportunities are also available, if interested please contact Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director at twondrash@sssfonline.com

Basic Equipment Needs for the Scholastic Action Shooting Program

Thinking of starting or joining a youth action shooting team through the SASP? If so, watch Tom Yost as he outlines the basic equipment needs of a Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP). This chapter comes from a two-hour educational video geared toward coaches, parents and athletes interested in getting started in the SASP. The video covers all aspects of the program including safety, equipment selection, action shooting fundamentals, coaching new athletes, the SASP competition format, season planning, and much more! Watch this chapter on the SSSF YouTube Channel… Order the DVD from the SSSF Online Store…

RE Phantom Glasses – Free Gift for SCTP Members!

SCTP members receive a free RE Ranger lanyard with purchase of RE Phantom glasses! Stay protected and laser-focusedon your way to becoming a pro! RE Phantom Glasses Feature • Ballistic-tested lenses produced by Carl Zeiss Vision • Non-slip temple tips • Eliminates glare • Revolution™ Technology • Lifetime warranty on frames Use code SCTP17 at checkout & receive a FREE RE Ranger lanyard

Featured All-Scholastic Team Member – Drew Beeler

Name: Drew Beeler State: Tennessee Program: SCTP and SASP Team: McKenzie Shooting Sports How the SCTP and SASP have helped me as a young person: Both the SCTP and the SASP have helped me learn to focus and have more self discipline to achieve personal goals and accomplishments. About the NRA/SSSF All Scholastic Team The All-Scholastic Team recognizes the top student athletes in the SSSF’s Scholastic Clay Target and Scholastic Action Shooting Program for their achievements in the classroom, on the range and in their communities. Through an application process, 2017 All-Scholastic Team Members have proven academic excellence by posting 3.0 or better grade point averages, shooting excellent scores in recent competition (95% in trap or skeet, 85% in sporting clays, 88% in international trap/skeet or 75 seconds or less for SASP) and by demonstrating outstanding community involvement. See profiles for the 2017 SSSF/NRA All Scholastic Team Members

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The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to providing shooting-sports education and opportunities to school-age youths around the United States to encourage young athlete personal growth and development.
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