In 2016 the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation launched a campaign entitled, “VISION 20/20” with the goal to grow national youth participation in the Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program to over 20,000 student-athletes annually by the year 2020.
WITH THAT GOAL EASILY BEING MET AND SURPASSED, WE ARE RELAUNCHING THIS FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY AS RELOAD FOR 2021!
GETTING YOUR TEAM INVOLVED IS SIMPLE AND INVOLVES THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
Raise funds however your team deems most effective. This could include sending in funds from current or previous local fundraising efforts, soliciting donations with an email invitation via your team network of coaches and parents, asking local donors and/or advertising on social media.
Submit donations to SSSF either securely online or via the print-and-mail form prior to January 1, 2021. Be sure to include your SSSF team ID on ALL donations so the donations can be allocated correctly. SSSF will provide you with periodic updates about donations received for your team.
Bonus Funding Opportunity All teams participating in the Reload For 2021 campaign will have the opportunity to win BONUS team endowment funds! There are two competitions taking place:
Teams with the most dollars raised.
Teams with the most unique donors making donations via the SSSF website or print and mail form. Minimum donation is $20 to be counted as a unique donor.
For each competition, teams will be awarded team endowment funding to their MidwayUSA Foundation team endowment account as follows:
$10,000
$8,000
$5,000
$3,000
$2,500
$1,500
DONORS MAY BE SENT TO THE RELOAD FOR 2021 PAGE ON THE SSSF WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THEIR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO YOUR SCTP OR SASP TEAM AND PERKS FOR THEIR SUPPORT: HTTPS://SSSFONLINE.ORG/RF2021/
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
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.
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
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.
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.
During this year’s SASP National Virtual Championships, athletes from 17 states competed from home ranges to help their state become the top state in pistol or rifle and have bragging rights for the next year.
Athletes of their respective SASP State Championships were considered in the following disciplines:
Rimfire Pistol Iron
Rimfire Rifle Iron or Optic
Centerfire Iron
PCC
At the National Virtual Championship, the 2020 All-State Athletes not only competed for the National title with their team, but also represented their state in Rifle and Pistol teams to crown the top states in the nation.
The Missouri All-State Pistol Team, edged out Tennessee by just over one second to become the top state in the nation for SASP pistol disciplines.
Ohio All-State Rifle Team members claimed their title by over four seconds, becoming the top state in the nation for SASP rifle disciplines.
Gold-level Sponsor, Beretta expanded the support of the Scholastic Clay Target Program with the inaugural Cav. Ugo Gussalli Beretta Skeet Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to the high school-aged, top athlete in American Skeet (male or female) shooting a Beretta Shotgun at the 2020 SCTP National Championship!
"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 Beretta Scholarship has been a popular competition within the National Championship events. Every year we have athletes who shoot Beretta shotguns sign up to see who comes out on top, receiving honors from one of our biggest program sponsors. It is in an incredible honor to have the President of Beretta become personally involved in this scholarship for our young athletes. Actions like Beretta's are a strong indication that the industry recognizes the philanthropic value in supporting these kids and how that contributes to nurturing shooting sports as a whole."
Congratulations to Soren Hanson of the KCCL Orange Crushers, shooting a 198/200 in American Skeet! For his performance, Beretta provided Soren a Beretta 694. Soren will be attending Northern Michigan University this fall for Construction Management.
An additional opportunity to receive honors from Beretta at Nationals came during the Skeet Doubles Individual shoot-offs, where any athletes whose scores ending in a 4, 7, or 9 were invited to shoot a round of doubles skeet. Colin Davis of the Forest City Juniors shot the winning round of 49/50 after shooting a competition round of 97/100 and was awarded a Beretta A400 Action!
Beretta A400 winner Colin Davis
Congratulations to our winners and thank you to Beretta for supporting these young athletes throughout the season and especially during the biggest youth shooting sports event of the year!
ATTENTION ALL COLLEGES! Due to the overwhelming success of the SCTP’s virtual shoots this year, we present to you the 1st annual SCTP Fall College Virtual Competition! Colleges, come join the fun and competition without the drive and expenses this fall!
Running for 5 weeks from September 7th through October 11th, the College Virtual competition will give registered college teams and athletes the opportunity to compete in a National tournament against teams across the country! The best part, it is free for members*, with plaques and medals for top teams and athletes!
SCTP Team, coach and athlete paperwork will be available on or about August 17th. If teams need paperwork prior to that date, please reach out to Amanda Wondrash at awondrash@sssfonline.com
Athletes and teams will be able to compete in either Trap Singles or Skeet….or both! Each event will be 50 targets or 2 rounds of 25 per week. The final day to register is September 6th and scores for the first week must be sent back to us or entered by midnight of September 13th
The competition will be in 4 divisions, including Division 4 (2-year college division). A complete list of rules and information are available below.
SAVE THE DATE FOR COLLEGE NATIONALS!Dates for the in-person SCTP College Nationals are October 16-18 at the Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio. In the event that colleges will be unable to travel this fall, the SCTP will run a “Virtual” College Nationals, details to follow! Prizes, trophies, and awards will be included for that event!
*Members/Teams must be paid in full and in good standing prior to September 1st to be eligible.
Over the course of 10 days, SCTP athletes converged on the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio for the much anticipated 2020 National Championship. This year's event was different for many reasons but was resoundingly welcomed by athletes, coaches, families, and sponsors in the midst of an unusual season. After careful consideration and advisement from the Ohio Department of Health, Cardinal Shooting Center, and medical professionals, the SCTP went forward putting on the National Championship on July 9th through the 18th.
Kicking off the event at the Cardinal Center were the SCTP International Championships, which historically had been held in Colorado later in the year.
Encouraging growth and awareness for the International disciplines of International Skeet and Bunker Trap, the SCTP held the International events on the front end of the National Championship in 2020. "This gave the opportunity for more athletes to participate in the International disciplines while relieving families from the burden of additional travel costs from a separate event," said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. "By having our International events as part of the National Championship, awareness and participation for these disciplines have increased considerably. This year our Bunker Trap entries doubled and we had many athletes who were competing in events later in the week come by to watch the International competitions. Many of those athletes will be coming back to compete in the International disciplines next year! Our International Championship was a wonderful success thanks to Promatic, The Potterfield family, and the Cardinal Center staff. Everyone worked incredibly hard on a very tight deadline to construct the new bunker fields for this event."
Following the International competitions were the familiar 8 days of the SCTP National Championship, where thousands of athletes, coaches, families, and sponsors participated in and supported the disciplines of Skeet (Singles/Doubles), Trap (Singles/Doubles/Handicap), and Sporting Clays.
To accommodate teams unable to travel due to unusual restrictions in the 2020 season, the SCTP held a Virtual National Championship, which was open to all registered teams across the country. Held in conjunction with the in-person National Championships schedule at the Cardinal Center, athletes participated at their home ranges, accounting for over 1,000 event entries. "Many of our teams were very excited and thankful for the opportunity to compete for the National Championship virtually from their home range this year," said Chet Tuinstra, SCTP Eastern Director of Development. "There are many aspects of the 2020 National Championship that had never been done before. We are incredibly proud of how this all came together and are very thankful for the volunteers, sponsors, and Cardinal Center staff who helped make this such a success."
Over 2,000 athletes from nearly 300 teams participated in the 2020 SCTP National Championships, representing 37 states. Youth athletes participating in many other sports throughout the country were faced with disappointment this spring from altered and even canceled seasons. "Our team put in many, many hours considering how to handle an event as large as Nationals in the midst of an unusual season," said Jeff Morrison, SCTP Western Director of Development. "By June, we moved forward with hosting Regional events and the National Championship. As soon we put the word out, we got many excited messages from the teams and even encouragement from our sponsors."
By the close of Nationals, over one-million clays were thrown at the Cardinal Center and all over the nation from team home ranges," beamed Amanda Wondrash, SCTP Administrative Coordinator.
"The SCTP National Championship is an incredibly large and prestigious event, regarded highly by so many teams, families, and supporters who believe in the future of shooting sports.We are so thankful to have received an overwhelming amount of praise and appreciation for not just going forward with Nationals, but for also having the determination to adapt and even expand the event this year."
Media from member-submitted photo and video can be viewed on Facebook or Instagram by exploring #sctpnationals2020
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.
