SCTP/SASP alumni assist in rescue of two men clinging to capsized boat

The focus of the SSSF and its youth development programs is just that: to produce high quality citizens for our country and communities. We are proud of former Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program athlete, Talo Marston. Talo stepped up in a situation when needed most!

"Definitely just immediately ready to help," Marston said. "I mean, you know I'm definitely not gonna say no to helping those guys out, because fellow duck hunters, we're a big community and we gotta help each other out."

Nonresident Iowa Whitetail Tag Auction To Benefit SCTP

Iowa is considered by many to be one of the premier white-tailed deer hunting destinations in the United States. Dreams come true in the Hawkeye State every year as hunters consistently harvest mature, corn fed bucks that reach well over 200". Getting a tag, however, is easier said than done. Now you can guarantee your tag and promote state and local conservation efforts through the Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program Non-Resident Deer Tag Auction, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

This auction is for One Iowa Special Non-Resident Deer Tag, good Statewide for Archery, Gun season one, Gun season two, or the Late Muzzleloader season during either 2022 or 2023 Iowa deer season (hunter's choice). The deer tag includes 1 'any sex' deer and 1 'antlerless' deer. For seasons and hunting information, go to: http://www.iowadnr.gov/

The auction showroom is currently open for preregistration and the auction officially opens on August 1 at 12:00PM CST and ends on Friday, August 12 at 6:00PM CST. 

The winner of the auction receives a tag that includes 1 any-sex deer and 1 antlerless deer. This non-resident deer tag is good statewide; however, Landowner Permission is required before hunting on private land. The winner of the auction is required to purchase an Iowa nonresident hunting license and pay the non-resident habitat fee.

The tag may be used either in the coming 2022-2023 season, or next year in the 2023-2024 season. The hunter must declare which year and one of the following standard seasons at the close of the auction and no later than September 25th, 2022.

2022-2023 season dates can be found at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/DeerHunting.aspx . 2023-2024 dates have not been confirmed at this time but will be similar to 2022-2023 dates.

Arizona SASP Team Educates Local Community

In an effort to engage with the public about firearm safety, the The Arizona WildGats, a Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) team, put on a "1st Shots" educational event. This National Shooting Sports Foundation | NSSF-sponsored program creates responsible new firearms owners via training received from experienced coaches and athletes currently participating in the SASP. This shows our mission of youth development through shooting sports reaches beyond our youth organizations and provides positive change in local communities.

Charitable Giving for Youth Shooting Sports

SUPPORT YOUTH SHOOTING SPORTS WHILE DEDUCTING 100% OF ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ONE-TIME OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2021 THROUGH EXTENSIONS OF THE 2020 CARES ACT.

DEDUCT UP TO 100% OF AGI

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY BY ITEMIZING DEDUCTIONS WITH GIFTS TO CHARITY. PRIOR TO THE CARES ACT, THE MAXIMUM DEDUCTION WAS 60% OF AGI

THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR 100% DEDUCTION OF AGI APPLIES TO CASH DONATIONS TO PUBLIC CHARITIES.

SOME DONORS REACH 100% OF AGI BY GIVING A PERCENTAGE OF AGI TO THEIR DONOR-ADVISED FUND AND THE REMAINING AS CASH DIRECT TO PUBLIC CHARITIES. PUBLICLY TRADED STOCK MAY ALSO BE UTILIZED TO REACH 100%, SOME DONORS MAY ELECT TO GIVE 100% CASH DIRECT TO PUBLIC CHARITIES.

EVEN IF YOU DON’T ITEMIZE, THE CARES ACT STILL PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY.

EVERY INDIVIDUAL CAN DONATE $300 TO CHARITY AND RECEIVE THE CORRESPONDING BENEFIT. MARRIED COUPLES CAN DONATE $600 TO CHARITY AND GET THIS “ABOVE THE LINE” DEDUCTION. IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO SUPPORT YOUTH SHOOTING SPORTS.

STOCKS OR MUTUAL FUNDS.

BY ALLEVIATING YOUR CAPITAL GAINS TAX, THIS MAY BE A MORE ADVANTAGEOUS ASSET TO DONATE BASED ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

DONOR-ADVISED FUND

YOU CAN ITEMIZE CONTRIBUTIONS TO A DONOR-ADVISED FUND, AND DESIGNATE A GIFT TO SUPPORT SCHOLASTIC SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION

SIMPLE DONATION FROM A CHECKING ACCOUNT.

MONEY SAVED IN OTHER AREAS CAN SERVE AS A GIFT FROM YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT, WHICH PROVIDES IMMEDIATE, MEANINGFUL SUPPORT TO THE HEALTH OF YOUTH SHOOTING TEAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

IRA QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS

YOU CAN GIFT UP TO $100,000 ANNUALLY FROM YOUR IRA, CALLED A QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTION (QCD) AND ARE EXCLUDED FROM YOUR TAXABLE INCOME.

ANYONE AGE 72 OR OLDER AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021, MUST TAKE THEIR REQUIRED MINIMUM DEDUCTION (RMD) BY YEAR-END. THIS INCLUDES INHERITED IRAS. IF IT IS YOUR FIRST RMD, YOU HAVE UNTIL APRIL 1, 2022.

RMDS MAY ALSO BE TRANSFERRED TO A QUALIFIED CHARITY.

INDIVIDUALS 701⁄2 YEARS OLD AND UP TO DONATE UP TO $100,000 DIRECTLY TO CHARITIES OR A DESIGNATED FUND. THIS GIFT ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO INCREASE THEIR GIVING WITHOUT INCREASING THEIR TAXABLE INCOME.

THOSE WHO ARE 591⁄2 YEARS OLD CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY BY TAKING A DISTRIBUTION FROM THEIR RETIREMENT ACCOUNT AND CONTRIBUTING CASH UP TO 100% OF AGI. THIS ALLOWS THE 100% OF AGI OPPORTUNITY TO BE ATTAINABLE FOR MANY PEOPLE.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

2021 National Championships Break Multiple Records

Each year in July, thousands of youth shooting sports athletes converge at the Cardinal Shooting Center for their National Championship. To support the monumental ten-day event, team coaches, adult volunteers, family members, sponsors, program staff, vendors, and others all do their part to ensure each youth shooting team's Nationals experience is unforgettable. Affected by an abbreviated close to last year's season, the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) both saw the prestigious National Championships come roaring back, with teams from 33 different states setting all-time records for attendance. A new bar has been set and the outlook for youth shooting sports is looking brighter than ever.

On the front end of Nationals were the international events of Bunker Trap, International Skeet, Air Pistol, Air Rifle, and Sport Pistol. As the Official Youth Feeder Programs for USA Shooting, the SCTP and SASP provide many opportunities for competition and development for athletes chasing their Olympic dreams. The American sports of Action Shooting, Skeet, Trap, and Sporting Clays followed with a 10-day event schedule.

Just over 2,700 SCTP athletes competed in their respective clay target sports, totaling 7,658 entries. These participation numbers clearly solidified 2021 as the largest SCTP National Championship to date. To put this into perspective, over 1.4 million White Flyer clay targets were thrown at the 2021 National Championship events with an additional 357,000 targets thrown during sponsor demos, shoot offs, last competitor standing, practice, and side games. That is 10 semi-tractor loads, stretching beyond the length of a football field!


On the pistol and rifle side, the SASP opened up with international events with the 2020-2021 season being the first to offer the international disciplines of 10 Meter Air Rifle, 10 Meter Air Pistol, and Sport Pistol. The expansion of shooting disciplines offered by the SASP realizes the SSSF's mission to serve as a feeder/pipeline for organized, sanctioned shooting organizations and teams. 2021 saw SASP's record for the largest action shooting event in the world definitively set for the third consecutive year. Over 700 participants competed in a staggering 2,000 entries where well over 320,000 rounds were fired in competition and over 180,000 additional rounds were fired at sponsor side matches, demos, and practice bays. To accommodate this spike in participation, the Cardinal Shooting Center expanded its action shooting facilities from eight to a total of twelve shooting bays in anticipation of another world record event taking place.

After the final shots were fired at the 2021 National Championships, it would not only set program records but it would also go down as the largest shoot in the history of the Cardinal Shooting Center. Youth shooting sports bounced back from 2020 and we look forward to the new season in August.

2021 Nationals Podcast Series

Catch up on special guests from the 2021 Nationals on the SSSF Rangetime Podcast, available on popular platforms, including Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

© Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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.
Tax-ID number 20-8484121.