In Her Element

Written by Tom Davis on . Posted in New SSSF.

When clay target coaches begin with a new athlete, they often begin with fundamentals of eye dominance. During the first day of St. Mary’s Trap Team practice for Emily Ferguson, she promptly told her coach she was left-eye dominant. When questioned her confidence in that answer before the drill had even begun, she playfully replied, “I only have one eye, trust me on this one.”

Fast forward to present day, Emily Ferguson’s many accomplishments include High Overall Grand Champion of the SCTP Tennessee Trap State Championship, shooting a 199/200 at Nationals 2019, and winning the Rudy Cup, an award only given to the top shooter from Tennessee at Nationals, becoming the first female in history to claim the title. These incredible accomplishments demonstrate the truly level playing field that shooting sports offers young athletes.

As a young adult trying to make sense of her interests and future career choices, she is turning to her own incredibly difficult, yet inspiring experiences. Emily has triumphantly beat cancer three times. Retinoblastoma at just eighteen-months old required removing the right eye to help prevent chance of metastasis. Later at the age of eleven, Ewing sarcoma occurred in Emily’s ribs and part of her lung, with a recurrence requiring treatment five years later. Emily is thankfully in remission and after spending an immeasurable amount of time at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, she has found inspiration in prosthetic design. “Traditional prosthetic limbs are not typically aesthetically pleasing. I found resources online that inspired me to look into unique prosthetic design. I think what I want to do is create unique designs where people want to show them off rather than wearing long sleeves and pants year-round.”

Known on the St. Mary’s Trap Team as “Ace” and team captain, Emily Ferguson embraces her role as a leader for the sport and the SCTP. “I am an introvert by nature, but with my team out on the field, I’m in my element. This is definitely what I love to do and I’m even a certified coach now. It doesn’t feel like work to me and coaching is really something I hope I can continue to do in the future.”

A YOUNGER EMILY FERGUSON COULDN’T HAVE KNOWN THAT STUMBLING UPON SHOOTING SPORTS WOULD BE CHANGING THE TRAJECTORY OF HER LIFE IN SUCH A MEANINGFUL WAY.

Derby Day, as it’s called at St. Mary’s in Memphis, Tennessee, is typical of activity fairs seen throughout the country. At a booth promoting clay target sports is where this soon-to-be champion began her path to development as an athlete and young adult.

“I came out of an all-girls middle school, as a shy, awkward thing. I couldn’t hold a conversation to save my life and wouldn’t look people in the eye. My dad hunts a lot and I saw shooting sports as something to do with dad. My dad has been my one and only financial sponsor in this game since day one. I joined the trap team and in my first year after the SCTP Tennessee State Championship, the team promoted me to varsity. Now I am the Team Captain. I feel a lot more confident in myself. Getting involved in shooting sports and the SCTP, more specifically, has definitely changed my life for the better.”

Away from the line, Emily can be seen laughing and having a good time with the St, Mary’s Trap Team, but in the moments before a shoot, she peels away to compose her mental focus. Those who observe the all-ladies trap team in a competition notice Emily’s leadership and the young athletes shooting together like a well-oiled machine. Quiet fist bumps are exchanged between each station and it’s back to laser-focused performance. Now having graduated from high school, Emily’s time on the St. Mary’s Trap Team has come to an end but she will always be known as “Ace”.

When asked what is next for the champion from Tennessee, she laughed and replied, “I’ll be taking a gap year, but when I go to college something that’s non-negotiable for me is finding college with a shooting team. I want to switch gears to bunker trap. It’s really exciting that bunker is getting more popular. The rest of the world shoots bunker, but no one else in the world shoots American trap!”

For those interested in trying out shooting sports, Emily has very simple advice. “Just try it out. Most people at gun clubs are so helpful and encouraging. You may not even have to buy a gun on the spot. Everyone I’ve met in this sport is so incredibly supportive. Although you do compete against each other, we want each other to be the best out there. I never thought that this would turn into such a big thing for me and here I am doing an interview at the National Championship with the SCTP.”

Reload For 2021- $100K For December

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

We are excited to announce additional match funding for SSSF's Reload For 2021 campaign! All donations received in the month of December will receive extra match funding from SSSF!

SSSF will provide a pool of $100,000 in match funding for the entire month of December. The ratio of that match will vary based on the number of total contribution dollars received in December for the campaign. For example, if SSSF receives $100,000 in donations in December, all donations will be matched 1:1.If SSSF receives $50,000 in donations for the month of December, all donations will be matched 2:1, etc.

This special SSSF December match will be directed to your team endowment account at the MidwayUSA Foundation. Also, keep in mind that 25% of each donation your team receives will be sent to the MidwayUSA Foundation where it will be matched under the current MidwayUSA Foundation matching program. See our official campaign page for details.  

Use Amazon Smile For A Simple Donation To Youth Shooting Sports

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Did you know that nearly $2,000 has been donated to the SSSF through AmazonSmile? When online shopping on Amazon, please consider using selecting the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation as your charity of choice!

Our supporters have selected the SSSF as their Amazon Smile Charity and continued online shopping as they normally do, with most purchases qualifying for a portion to be donated. Thank you to our community and even some of our sponsors, like America's Gunsmith Shop for selecting the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation as their AmazonSmile charity!

Here's how to shop AmazonSmile:

Simply shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/20-8484121

OR

1. Visit smile.amazon.com

2. Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials

3. Search for and select the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation Inc as your charity of choice4. Start shopping!

5. Add a bookmark for smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile

SSSF Donates Over $450,000 To Youth Shooting Sports Teams

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, Slider, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) recently donated $451,258.50 to Team Endowment Accounts at the MidwayUSA Foundation, providing assistance for youth shooting sports expenses. Teams earned funds by raising money through the SSSF’s Reload For 2021 campaign and the SSSF Member Matching Program. Teams purchasing ATA and or NSSA/NSCA memberships through the SCTP also had deposits made to their accounts.

So far, this year's donations have benefited 339 teams participating in the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) and Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), participating throughout 37 different states. The growth of youth shooting sports is apparent, as the number of benefiting teams has increased nearly four-fold since 2018. To date, the SSSF has donated over $6.9 million to SCTP and SASP team endowment accounts at the MidwayUSA Foundation.

SSSF MidwayUSA Foundation Endowment Account Donation Summary

CommunicationInfo_MUSAFDonation112420-Summary

Please contact the SSSF for more information on how your shooting team can earn team endowment funding for their account at the MidwayUSA Foundation.

The Team Endowment Program at the MidwayUSA Foundation gives a community the ability to financially support a competitive youth shooting sports program or financially assist in the start-up of a new youth shooting sports program. The team can then request a grant of up to 5% of their endowment account balance once each year, in either December or June, to pay for team expenses. For more information about how the MidwayUSA Foundation is changing the future of youth shooting sports, please visit midwayusafoundation.org or call 1-877-375-4570.

SSSF Seeks Information Technology Support Manager

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is seeking a highly motivated individual to assume the role of Information Technology Support Manager.  The successful candidate will have a broad background in IT support and be responsible for all aspects of information technology support for SSSF and its members.

The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of information technology (IT) support for the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program. The successful candidate will play the lead role in supporting the organizations’ information technology needs.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

  • Management of the helpdesk system to support and provide excellent customer service to SSSF program members
  • Working with diverse groups including SSSF/SCTP/SASP management, customers, partners, contractors and other stakeholders to provide support and enhancement of SSSF IT systems
  • Managing all aspects of SSSF internal IT and IT assets
  • Coordinating IT system training for staff members and customers in a remote environment
  • Creating and delivering support documentation, end-user tutorials, videos, etc.
  • Creating and delivering comprehensive testing and implementation plans for new software and/or enhancements
  • Ordering IT hardware, maintaining IT software subscriptions and related support for SSSF staff
  • Planning and executing both internal and end-user training Interacting with management, staff, membership, contractors and others to execute job duties
  • Constantly monitoring and evaluating technology trends and developments
  • Some on-call and weekend work will be required

Download complete position description and how to apply here…

SASP Team Introduces New Shooters With First Shots Program

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The NSSF's First Shots and +ONE initiatives have aimed to introduce new groups and individuals alike to shooting sports. With August being declared National Shooting Sports Month, these resources have been utilized by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation's SASP and SCTP members as a means to grow their teams for the upcoming season.

The SASP team, WildGats at the University of Arizona got their start in 2015 thanks to an NSSF grant and have been an enthusiastic partner for NSSF initiatives ever since.

This youth shooting sports team has been focused on sharing their sport via First Shots events for several years and just put on their latest introductory event on August 22nd. Along with event partners Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range and Pima County Parks and Recreation, the WildGats put on a wildly successful event.

"We had a 127 sign up in the first hour before we could announce that it was full," said WildGats Head Coach, Bill Perkins. "Talking to our guests, I was surprised. At our first five events, we have had ~50% new shooters.  When I asked for a show of hands at our latest First Shots event, ALL the hands went up in all three groups. We also saw very high participation by women.  I would guess over 80% this year."

Event staff greeted participants, with each group signing in and going through a quick temperature check. From there, new shooters were oriented by a First Shots powerpoint, staff introductions, gun safety rules, and future shooting opportunities.

First Shots participants being introduced to gun safety and county range rules

From there, the University of Arizona WildGats athletes taught new shooters the fundamentals of grip, stance, sight alignment, and trigger squeeze with visible laser SIRT trainers. NextLevel Training, Platinum Sponsor of the Scholastic Action Shooting Program, manufactures training tools, especially helpful for new shooters.

Introducing the fundamentals of pistol shooting with training tools gave new shooters the skills and confidence to progress before hitting the range

Once given an introduction, First Shots participants were taken to the live fire range, receiving 1:1 guidance with a Coach, Instructor or RSO.

Joey Donato Wins Browning Scholarship With Performance At SCTP Nationals

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

For the last 4 years, Titanium-Level Sponsor, Browning has provided SCTP National Championship athletes with the opportunity to earn the “Browning Scholarship”. This scholarship is awarded to the high school-aged top athlete in Trap Singles (male or female) shooting a Browning Shotgun.

"The biggest supporters of our program consistently go above and beyond to give back to these young athletes, said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. "Since its inception, the Browning Scholarship has been a popular competition within the National Championship events. Every year we have athletes who shoot Browning shotguns sign up to see who comes out on top, receiving honors from one of our biggest program sponsors. This year was no different and we are very thankful to have Browning's support, creating another exciting aspect of competition for many athletes at Nationals."

Congratulations to Joey Donato of the Warren County Claybusters, shooting a 199/200 in Trap Singles! For his performance, Browning provided Joey with a Cynergy Gran Lightning!

Pennsylvania All-State Team Member and Browning Scholarship Winner, Joey Donato with his new Browning Cynergy Gran Lightning

Dream Team Prepares New SCTP International Championship Venue

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

A team of target throwing specialists, electricians, heavy equipment operators, and project managers had their work cut out for them. Thousands of pounds of concrete to be poured, hundreds of tons of dirt to be moved, and over 60 traps with supporting equipment to be installed. They have less than a month to get it done, and the success of a National Championship hangs in the balance.

On June 1st, the green light is given to proceed. It is a decision carefully considered over dozens of hours of board meetings, tense phone calls, email chains to infinity, and many restless nights. By this time last year, logistics of the Scholastic Clay Target Program's (SCTP) National Championship had in large part already been buttoned up and were in motion. 2020 was different for many reasons. The SCTP International Championship had historically been held each fall in Colorado as a separate event, whereas the National Championship is locked in for the second week of July in a 10-year contract for the Cardinal Center.

In January, the SCTP announced the International disciplines of Bunker Trap and International Skeet would be joining the National Championship events at the Cardinal Center in July. With the support of Larry and Brenda Potterfield, SSSF, Promatic, and the Cardinal Shooting Center, a project was drafted to accommodate the International events by constructing four, state of the art International Skeet and Bunker field overlays, complete with Promatic target throwing systems. Placing the International events on the front end of Nationals would give athletes more exposure to the Olympic sports as well as cutting the costs and logistics of another trip for teams and families. But as April came and went, the pandemic in America continued to send ripples through society, putting the project managers for the International Championship in a holding pattern.

Over 16,000 SCTP athletes and coaches were eagerly waiting to hear news about Nationals. The SCTP provided resources for teams to stay sharp during the downtime but nervously watched as other sports organizations throughout the country postponed or canceled seasons. High school senior athletes were dreading that there would be no National title pursuits to close out their final seasons.

In May, the SCTP continued to hold on an official Nationals announcement, continually monitoring information from the state of Ohio, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morrow County (OH) Department of Health, and representatives from the Cardinal Center in their consideration. Additional input came in throughout the month from health professionals and feedback from SCTP coaches, helping shape the decision to go forward with the National Championship event as planned on June 1st.

This set the stage for an incredibly fast-paced timeline to execute the traditional National Championship preparations, much less integrating an entire International Style Championship into the schedule.

"Clear, consistent communication was key on this project," said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. "With the time ticking and athletes, coaches, families, sponsors, looking to see if Nationals was a go, the weight of moving the International events to the front end of Nationals grew heavier as time went on. Throughout all of this, those involved in the project remained optimistic and eager to get to work. On June 1st, everyone hit the ground running, ready to execute their piece of the project."

The Promatic team took point early on in the year, getting plans set with the Cardinal Center staff and contractors. Promatic representatives said, "Every event is important but the SCTP project at the Cardinal Center was special, knowing that all the American and International disciplines were under one roof for the first time ever in SCTP history. As soon as the Cardinal Center got enough earth moved to get the initial structure built, we were on our way with a trailer full of throwers and equipment."

With the plans dialed in, the Promatic team got to work installing Promatic Olympic Trap units into the bunkers, with the SCTP National Championship fast approaching.

Another Promatic technician reflected on the project saying, "Once we were on the ground we were all just plugging away, working with and around each other to get all of our parts of the bunkers done. With a project as important as this, you expect for Murphy's law to come into play. We were all thinking the weather would come in to wreak havoc, but not so much as a drop of water hit the ground. With so many aspects of the project happening at one time, rain would have been disastrous. We were on the ground on the 25th of June and wrapped things up by July 3rd. It could not have gone any smoother!"

Much like the installation project, the 2020 SCTP National Championship went off without a hitch, with athlete entries in Bunker Trap doubling from the previous year. The International Skeet and Bunker Trap finals closed out each event, with the top 3 male and female athletes in each discipline determining slots for the SCTP International Team, coached by former Olympian, Terri DeWitt. Familiar faces returned, along with some new athletes earning their slot on the prestigious youth shooting team. The group will be attending training camps in the fall in order to prepare for 2021's Olympic Trials. As the official youth feeder program of USA Shooting, participating in SCTP’s International Disciplines is the path for kids to reach their Olympic dreams.

The 2021 National Championships are slated for July 8-19th, with the International events taking place on the 8th-11th. An additional Bunker Trap field, complete with Promatic equipment will be completed next spring, bringing the total number at the Cardinal Shooting Center to five. This greatly expands the capabilities of hosting International Style Competitions, a rarity in the United States.

Krasulak Defends Top Gun Title At 2020 National Championships

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, Slider, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The honor of being the "Top Gun Champion" of the SCTP and SASP National Championships is claimed for the second year in a row by Jack Krasulak from the Young Guns of Quail Creek team in Okeechobee, Florida.

Since its inception in 2018, the CZ-USA Top Gun Challenge has recognized the commitment, stamina, and multi-discipline mastery of athletes who compete in both the SCTP and SASP National Championship events. These athletes challenge themselves by preparing for two vastly different shooting sports and must perform at the National Championship level over multiple days and events.

In the 2020 CZ-USA Top Gun Challenge, competitors were scored in trap, skeet, a rifle discipline of choice, and a centerfire pistol (iron, optic, or 1911), with their scores from each event being compiled to calculate the winners. Due to the unusual season, all 2020 SASP Nationals were held virtually from home ranges across the country. While SCTP National Championship events were held in-person at the Cardinal Shooting Center, the Virtual National events were scheduled in conjunction with the events in Ohio to provide flexibility for teams unable to travel.

Of the 15 athletes vying for the title of Top Gun, Jack Krasulak once again came out on top.

In the SASP events, Jack went back and forth for the fastest overall scores in the Centerfire and Rifle disciplines with 2nd place Bailey Lueders of the Arnold Junior Shooters/Brass Bandits. Tied with Bailey in the SCTP Trap events with 189's, it was Jack's strong score of 190 in Skeet that allowed him to pull away from the competition and secure the title of Top Gun for the 2nd year in a row.

Graduating in 2021, Jack will be defending his title of Top Gun one more time at the 2021 SCTP and SASP National Championships next July.
Thank you to CZ USA and our other generous SCTP/SASP program sponsors for their support of our Top Gun competitors!

1st Place Jack Krasulak shooting for the Young Guns of Quail Creek of Florida repeats as CZ USA Top Gun Challenge Champion. Jack wins a CZ USA Drake shotgun, a RUGER 10-22 Rifle, and a Browning Buckmark Camper pistol.

2nd Place Bailey Lueders of Arnold Junior Shooters SCTP /Brass Bandits SASP in MO finished just 12 points behind to be the highest finishing female ever in the CZ USA Top Gun Challenge. For her efforts she wins a CZ Drake shotgun.

3rd Place Wyatt Young of the Muskego Warriors of WI wins a certificate for a GLOCK of his choice for SASP Founding Partner Sponsor GLOCK

4th Place Jordan Zeircher of the Arnold Junior Shooters SCTP/Brass Bandits SASP in MO. Jordan wins a Mossberg Blaze rifle.

5th Place Ethan Michek of S.E.a.L from WI. Ethan wins a case of Winchester Shotgun shells and 1000 rounds of .22LR CCI Mini Mags.

6th Place Alex Parker of Dewey, Hittem and Howe SCTP/ Holyoke SASP in MA. Alex wins a RE Ranger shooting glasses and Walker’s Hearing protection.

SASP Breaks Records Again with 2020 National Virtual Championship

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in New SSSF, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The sound of bullets ringing steel were heard all over the country over a three week period in July, during the 2020 SASP National Virtual Championship. Over 248,000 rounds were sent down range as SASP athletes competed virtually from their home ranges in the midst of an unusual season.

Just last year, the SASP National Championship surpassed the Glock Shooting Sports Foundation (GSSF), to become the largest Action Shooting Match in history. Despite a heavily altered season, the SASP community continued to break records for participation with 1,656 event entries for the National Championship in 2020.

Traditionally held at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, OH, the decision to hold Nationals in a virtual format for 2020 came as a difficult but necessary decision by the SASP national staff. "In order to protect the safety of our athletes, coaches, and families, we had to proceed with a virtual format for the National Championship this year," said SASP National Director, Rick Leach. "The nature of our sport puts athletes and range officers in close proximity, which we could not in good conscious do with thousands of athletes in Ohio this year. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful community and are constantly inspired by the SASP athletes, adult volunteers, and families. We received hundreds of photos and videos from teams competing in Nationals from their home range. Almost all gave shootouts to our program sponsors and our National staff on social media and thanked us for giving them the opportunity to compete."

The silver lining of moving the in-person event to a virtual format was accessibility. "This year we saw participation grow to states that are not always able to make the journey to Ohio each year for Nationals," said SASP Director of Development, Kelvin Walton. "Although the spectacle of teams converging on the Cardinal Center to compete is part of the Nationals experience, the SASP community made the most out of an unusual season. The ability to compete at Nationals from their home range gave teams all over the country the opportunity to finish the season as a team, competing for the national title."

Media from member-submitted photo and video can be viewed on Facebook or Instagram by exploring #saspnationals2020

For scores and leaderboard information from the 2020 SASP National Virtual Championship, please see the following link:

https://app.sssfonline.com/nationals/sasp
 

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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.
Tax-ID number 20-8484121.