The Texas State Rifle Association Foundation hosted a two-day NRA Level 1 Pistol Coach class on September 17 – 18, 2016.  The class was held at a private range in Driftwood, Texas.   Angela Gerlich, the 0perations coordinator for the TSRA, assembled a group of leaders including 11 adults and one junior interested in learning about risk management, the fundamentals of coaching, ethics and other skills that benefit them while coaching our junior athletes. After the classroom portion was concluded, the candidates spent time on the range reviewing shooting fundamentals and proper safety procedures.  These new coaches are dedicated to providing our youth with the leadership that is necessary to run a top quality youth shooting program. For more information about how to participate as a SASP volunteer or if you are a Coach that is interested in hosting a NRA pistol Coach class to support teams in your area, contact the SASP staff for the class requirements.  

Support Your Local Shooting Team and Promote Reading with OutdoorIQ’s Youth and Children’s Books OutdoorIQ is partnering with the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) and its teams for a book sales fundraiser to assist in raising money for your team's expenses.  Teams will keep 30% of their total sales.  OutdoorIQ will also contribute 5% back to the national office to be used for a scholarship fund. Additional information:

• Full Color Customer Electronic Flier.
• Additional Order Form
• Fundraising Letter to Team and Coaches
• Fundraiser FAQs
• Sales Tips and Idea Sheet

If you are interested in participating in this fundraiser, please contact OutdoorIQ for the flyer/order forms you will need for your team members.  OutdoorIQ will mail out the fliers so you can start selling.  This flier is a great tool to sell the books and products offered by this program. The deadline for orders is Dec. 10, 2016. The OutdoorIQ website address is also on the flier so customers can visit the site and view online samples of the books.  When your customers see the content and quality of these one-of-a-kind books and products, they will want to purchase them. OutdoorIQ looks forward to partnering with you to make this fundraising opportunity successful. Prize money will be awarded to the MidwayUSA Foundation endowment accounts of the teams with the top sales! 1^st place - $10,000 2^nd place - $8,000 3^rd place - $6,000 4^th place - $4,000 5^th place - $2,000 See more at: https://sssfonline.org/outdooriq-partners-with-sssf-to-assist-in-fundraising-efforts/

Originally published in Oldham Era Four years may seem well in the future to some, but it’s the target Sam Blevins has set his sites on. What is the significance of 2020? The Summer Olympics held in Tokyo. Blevins, a freshman at Oldham County High School, received word from the Amateur Trap Shooting Association (ATA) that he made the All-American team after a grueling schedule of events to qualify for the honor. He was also the only shooter in Kentucky to make the 2016 Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation and National Rifle Association All-Scholastic Team. Over the span of eight months, Blevins shot in nearly 40 ATA competitions, winning 18 times and finished second on 17 occasions. Trap shooting is different than other forms of competitive shooting like precision rifle competitions or Fullbore target shooting. Instead of a rifle, a shotgun is used which fires a wide pattern of projectiles at a moving target. In ATA trap, the machine that throws the clay targets oscillates back and forth, so the shooter knows the point of origin and the height, but doesn’t know the angle of the target until it emerges from the house. Until recently Blevins has shot primarily American Trap, where targets will travel 42-43 miles per hour with limited angles and at the same height, but he is now making the transition to Bunker Trap, which is the official Olympic competition. In August, Blevins attended the Junior Olympic Development Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado and shot his first round of Bunker Trap, which is much more difficult because the clays are thrown at varying speeds upwards of 80 miles per hour and at wider angles. Spending a week in Colorado Springs, Blevins met with Olympic coaches to learning about Bunker Trap shooting. By the end of the week, Blevins realized he liked Bunker Trap shooting and wanted to pursue an opportunity at the upcoming Olympics. He also had the opportunity to spend time with many of the Paralympians preparing for their Olympic games. “It was really cool to see, I was nervous at the beginning of the week, but by the end I wanted to stay there because it was an amazing experience,” Blevins said. Once Blevins returned from the Junior Olympic Training, his father, Joe Blevins, and he decided to try for the 2020 Olympics. Some people questioned the goal, but Joe Blevins called it optimistic and didn’t see a reason to set a goal eight or 12 years down the road. Former Olympic team member Terry Dewitt is Blevins’ Olympic coach, and Blevins travels to Fairfield Sportsmen’s Club, just outside of Cincinnati, for his regular practices and to work with her when she can make it in from her home in Missouri. Coach Dewitt also mentors Joe Blevins in coaching Olympic trap so he can work with Sam when she is not available. Joe Blevins said Bunker Trap will magnify any weaknesses that shooters have in American Trap, something that Sam is going through as he transitions. “In American Trap you don’t really have to stress yourself very much, you want to do your form and you want to do it correctly. You want to do it correctly every time because consistency is key. But when you shoot Bunker Trap it is different,” Sam Blevins said. “I am starting all over again. I have to relearn my form and do things a little differently. Instead of leaning forward where I felt comfortable I have to get out of my box and do things a bit differently.” With a change in stance and adjustments to be made, Blevins also decided to add a new element to his training, which includes live firing and a DryFire simulator. To improve his core strength and balance, Blevins has begun taking taekwondo. “It is different, but it will help me with my balance,” Sam Blevins said, adding that he had fun in his first lesson last week at Brown’s Traditional Taekwondo in Louisville. Although the prospect of the Olympics lies ahead, the process to this point wasn’t easy. Blevins was eight years old when he first shot a rifle, but didn’t connect with shooting until he received a shotgun from his grandfather. He thought rifles were boring and enjoyed the action of shotguns more. Working on his craft every night for years, Blevins improved as a shooter and nearly earned All-American status last year. After missing out on the honor a year ago, Blevins and his father dedicated themselves to earning the title. With the season running from Sept. 1 2015 to Aug. 31, 2016, Blevins won 37 different events in seven different states. The constant travel schedule was demanding for Joe and Sam Blevins, but the dedication eventually paid off.  The younger Blevins said the long road trips helped him learn how to be patient. The experiences also allowed him to realize he wouldn’t win every single time, which helped him handle competitions better. “We were road warriors,” Joe Blevins said. “There wasn’t very much time at home.” As a pre-shooting routine, Blevins will drink a Coke before competitions to give him a rush of energy while trying to avoid large meals hours leading up to it. Though the score is the deciding factor on where he will place, Blevins doesn’t go into a competition with a goal based around scoring. “I don’t try to make goals based on scores. I make goals about my form. If you make goals about your scores then that is all you can focus on,” Sam Blevins said. “The only thing you’re thinking about is not the thing that is going to get you your score. It is the end. You can’t think about what is going to happen, you have to think about what is going to make it happen.” Sam was the first member of the Kentucky Clay Busters, a team started in 2013 by Joe which practices at the Jefferson Gun Club in Brooks. In four years, it has grown to 25 members and recently won the Kentucky State AIM Shoot, including the highest team score in the state in all categories. Joe Blevins said the team is transitioning this year from ATA to more focus on Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). To reach the 2020 Olympics, Sam will first have to compete in up to five national competitions this year and hopefully at the USA Shooting Junior Olympic Nationals competition, if he qualifies. He will also have an opportunity at a state shoot in Cincinnati because there isn’t a Bunker Trap qualifier in Kentucky. With 125 targets in a competition, Blevins expects hitting 115 or more should get him an invitation to nationals. If interested in joining the Clay Busters, Joe Blevins can be reached at (502) 551-7940.

Tucson hosted a two-day NRA Level 1 Pistol Coach class on October 15 - 16, 2016. This class had 16 individuals from several different programs including leaders from the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), the Boy Scouts of America, a collegiate pistol team and a high-school team. The NRA Coach program teaches risk management, the fundamentals of coaching, ethics and other skills that will benefit them while working with these competitive athletes. The candidates took a break from the classroom to spend time on the range reviewing shooting fundamentals and proper safety procedures. These new coaches are dedicated to providing the leadership that is necessary to run a top quality youth shooting program. For more information about how to participate as a Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) volunteer or if you are a coach that is interested in hosting a NRA pistol Coach class to support teams in your area, contact the SASP staff for the class requirements.  

On October 1^st, 2016, Carroll County Shooting Sports Park hosted the Scholastic Action Shooting Program's 2016 Southeast Fall Regional.  The event included 101 entries from eight teams representing Alabama, Illinois, Michigan and Tennessee. There were 45 rimfire pistol, 11 centerfire pistol, 15 rifle iron sight, and 30 rifle optic entries.  It was a gorgeous fall day in west Tennessee. The athletes got to be the first to shoot on four brand new bays with cowboy town facades that Carroll County had just built for SASP athletes.  Carroll County now has eight cowboy town bays set up for SASP. Coaches if you want your team to have a great time and shoot at a beautiful range, plan to attend one of the matches at the Carroll County Shooting Sports Park in Tennessee.

Earlier this month the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) announced its Vision 20/20 campaign. The emphasis of the campaign is to swell the ranks of youth membership in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) to over 20,000 children and young adults annually by the year 2020. As part of the Vision 20/20 campaign, SCTP and SASP teams are being invited to participate in a special fundraising effort from October through mid-December to provide support to existing teams AND provide SSSF and its programs with the support required to recruit new teams where none exist today. Fundraising startup kits were sent to SCTP and SASP head coaches last week via email and they will also be receiving the information as hard copy this week via USPS mail. In addition to direct funds for teams to use, teams will receive one set of Rudy Project XX2i glasses kit for every $250 raised. The glasses kit retails for $100 and includes three lens sets, hard case, screwdriver, blue and red temple tips and nose pads and microfiber lens cloth. Teams are encouraged to use these glasses sets to raise more money for their local SCTP or SASP team! As a bonus, the top six fundraising teams will earn funding for their Team Endowment account at the MidwayUSA Foundation with a championship prize of $10,000 in Team Endowment funds! If you are a head coach and have not yet received your Vision 20/20 fundraising information kit, please contact Ben Berka at bberka@sssfonline.com.  

Please join us in welcoming the following Supporting Members to the SSSF 500 Club of inaugural supporters: Gerry Wade Graham, AR James E. Rasmussen, AZ Michael James Bonner, AZ Timothy Fred Marquardt, AZ Brandon R Fisher, CA Raymond Otto Dorpfeld, FL Samuel Raymond McFaddin, GA Rick Wilson, HI Thomas James Griffiths, HI James Jason Smith, IA Todd Michael Gammon, IA Derek Marshall, IN Fredrick Lewis Dunlevy, IN Nick Mason, IN Paul Gordon Blair, IN Ron Mason, IN Mark R Kahler, KY Michael Scott Jolly, MI Walter Engle, MI Kevin D Boyer, MO Richard Leeper, MO Roy Philemon, NC Bryan L Eastman, NY Lori Rammel, OH Robert Kinsella, OH W Hays Gilstrap, OK Andrew Emmet Guy, TN Tabbetha Tanner Muller, TN Tara Rowland, TN Terry Lee Hallum, TN Timothy L Mickel, TN Victor Frank Andrews, TN John Leach, WI John P Biever, WI Mikaela Leach, WI Scott Schumacher, WI For more information and to become a Supporting Member plus part of the elite SSSF 500 Club please visit www.sssfonline.org/donate  

Save the date! The Scholastic Action Shooting Program College Nationals will be held March 11-12, 2017, at the Talledega Marksmanship Park in Talledega, Alabama. Match registration will be held through the SHOT System. Both pistol and rifle disciplines will be available for teams to compete in. Contact Rick Leach, Rleach@sssfonline.com, or Tammy Mowry, Tmowry@sssfonline.com, for additional info.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is kicking off a new membership campaign titled “Vision 20/20”. The emphasis of the campaign is to swell the ranks of youth membership in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) to over 20,000 children and young adults annually by the year 2020. “Achieving Vision 20/20 will require many coordinated efforts between our board, staff, state and local leaders as well as our partners in the industry” said Ben Berka, executive director for the SSSF. “In addition to these efforts, Vision 20/20 will require donations from local team supporters and many others who believe in providing youth development through the shooting sports.” As part of the Vision 20/20 campaign, SCTP and SASP member teams are being invited to participate in a special fundraising effort to provide support to existing teams AND provide SSSF and its programs with the support required to recruit new teams where none exist today. Others wishing to contribute to this worthy cause can make a tax-deductible donation online at www.sssfonline.org/vision2020. Current annual youth membership for the SCTP and SASP is nearly 15,000 student athletes being led by more than 3,000 responsible, adult-volunteer coaches all across the country. Through organized shooting teams, these young guns are provided with firearms education, valuable life skills and the opportunity to practice and compete in the clay target and action shooting sports at the local, state, regional and national levels! SCTP and SASP teams help young families develop a “shooting sports lifestyle” giving kids opportunity to participate in organized programs from elementary school through college and creates pathways to continue shooting well beyond their scholastic careers.    

The SASP is again planning for its National Raffle to be drawn at the 2017 National Championships in July.  Tickets will be available for teams to start selling in February.  Like last year’s raffle, the team will be able to keep half the cost of the ticket to use for the team, and will return the stubs and half the ticket price to the SASP. Make sure to plan for this fundraiser as you plan your season fundraising!