SCTP held its first Halloween-weekend College Regional Tournament at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, and in spite of a windy and cold first day that challenged shooters, it was no less than a Spooktacular success! A total of 212 athletes representing 14 teams from nine states competed in skeet, trap, wobble trap, sporting clays, and 5-stand, registering 65,800 targets. Seventy-five athletes competed in the Last Competitor Standing competition on Saturday evening, with two shooters earning SKB IS300 shotguns. Ladies winner was Anna Pfaff of Hillsdale College, and Men's winner was Bryce James of Lindenwood University. Lindenwood University brought the largest contingent of athletes with 81, followed by Bethel University with 32. Other competing colleges included Purdue University, Martin Methodist College, Midland University, Southeastern Illinois College, Hillsdale College, University of Kentucky, Fort Hays State University, Eastern Kentucky University, Hampden-Sydney College, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, and University of Missouri - Columbia.
Volunteer coaches are the backbone of the programs of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, as we couldn't have teams or events without them. They largely determine what kind of experience our student athletes will have in the shooting sports, and their work with teams often goes far beyond shooting instruction and conducting shoots. One way that SSSF promotes a positive coaching environment for our teams is by providing PCA Double-Goal Coach training for all our coaches. We know there are many coaches out there who deserve to be recognized for their extraordinary work in developing better athletes and better people. We would like to share a way for athletes and parents to reward these exceptional coaches -- the PCA National Double-Goal Coach Award. Each year PCA selects and publicizes 75 finalists. The 25 winners of this prestigious national award receive $250, a trophy, recognition in PCA's website, newsletters, and media campaigns, and the chance to accept the honor in California during PCA's National Youth Sports Awards Dinner and Auction Presented by Deloitte. The award also recognizes the organizations and schools of the award-winning coaches. You can show your appreciation for a coach who deserves a big "thank you!" Nominate your coach for PCA's National Double-Goal Coach Award. Click here to learn more and nominate a coach.
Amazon isn't just a seller of books and music any more; it's the world's largest online retailer and a source to purchase an endless array of items. Now, when you're making a purchase from Amazon, you can support the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation as well. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price on eligible purchases to SSSF when you designate us as your charitable organization of choice and access the site through a special URL, smile.amazon.com. The donation costs you nothing; Amazon makes the contribution through its AmazonSmile program. If you are an Amazon Prime member, don't worry; logging in through smile.amazon.com will not affect your benefits or your access to Prime links. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you are accustomed to. The first time you use AmazonSmile, you'll have the opportunity to choose the charity you wish to support. If SSSF doesn't appear in the list of choices offered, just type in "SSSF" and the name comes up for you to click on. To help you remember to use the AmazonSmile link, Amazon offers an optional toolbar button, as well as a Chrome extension called Smile Always that automatically routes you to the right place. Or, just enter it when you wish. Even if you are making a small purchase, remember that many small purchases from our supporters add up! Every amount supports the SSSF mission and is appreciated.
If your team has an endowment account with a balance of any amount with the MidwayUSA Foundation and you haven't yet received a grant this year, you have until December 15 to apply for a grant for up to 5% of your account balance. Grant funds can be used for team expenses such as ammunition, travel, uniforms, range fees, and more. The funds cannot be used for firearms purchases or political lobbying. SSSF regularly makes endowment funds available for SCTP and SPP events and contributes them to participating teams' endowment accounts at the MidwayUSA Foundation. Since 2011, SSSF has donated funding to several hundred team endowment accounts across 48 states. This year to date, we have already contributed over $1.5 million to MidwayUSA Foundation accounts. The goal of the MidwayUSA Foundation is to provide permanent financial support for shooting programs. Grants are the vehicle that makes this goal possible. Even if you have a small account balance earned at a shooting event or through your own deposits, you can draw a grant. If the funds are not needed, you can put it back into your team endowment account to have matching funds applied. Teams may apply to receive up to 5% of their account balance once per calendar year. MidwayUSA Foundation accepts grant applications in June and December, and applications are reviewed and decided upon by its Board of Directors at January and July board meetings. If you did not apply for a grant in June, you are eligible to apply by December 15. Learn more about applying for a MidwayUSA Foundation grant for your team.
Click on image to view report Among the uninitiated, there is a common misconception that where there are guns, there must be accidental discharges and deaths as a result. But the facts could not be further from the truth! Findings of the National Safety Council show that unintentional firearms fatalities remain at historically low levels. In fact, the number of unintentional firearms-related fatalities has declined by 57 percent over the past two decades. The statistics prove that firearm safety training is effective. Some of the interesting findings in the 2014 Edition of Firearms-Related Injury Statistics, compiled by the NSSF, include:
Firearms are involved in fewer than 1⁄2-percent of all unintentional fatalities in the United States. In a side-by-side comparison, firearms rank among the lowest causes of injury.
Firearms are involved in less than 1.8 percent of unintentional fatalities among children 14 years of age and under and are among the least likely causes of unintentional fatality.
As firearms safety education programs have increased, the number of unintentional firearms-related fatalities has decreased.
Over the past 10 years, the unintentional firearm fatality rate per 100,000 population has declined by 33 percent; since the beginning of record-keeping in 1903, this rate has declined by 94 percent!
Among fatal accidents at home, firearms rate well below poisoning, falls, natural heat and cold, mechanical suffocation, and many other categories.
NSSF has compiled statistics from agencies independent of the gun industry, such as the National Safety Council, to demonstrate the relative safety of firearms ownership and the effectiveness of firearms safety training as a deterrent to accidental discharges. We suggest that you download and print the report to keep handy for those times when you need facts to support your assertions about firearms safety training.
SCTP joined with Jacksonville University (FL) and the Jacksonville Skeet & Trap Club on October 18-19 to host the 7th annual Southeast Collegiate Invitational Regional Championship Shoot. With 131 athletes from nine universities participating, this has become one of the largest collegiate regional shoots in the country. The teams competed in American Skeet, American Trap, International Wobble Trap, and Sporting Clays. Emmanuel College was the High Over All (HOA) team by four targets over runner-up Jacksonville University. The University of Kentucky, Clemson University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University took third, fourth, and fifth places, respectively. Other colleges participating included Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Florida State University, University of North Florida, and Stetson University. $40,000 in endowment funding was provided by SCTP for the event and will be deposited into the teams' endowment accounts at MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc. HOA Trap, Skeet, International Wobble Team Results:
Fort Hays State University and Scholastic Clay Target Program hosted the 3rd SCTP Central Region Collegiate Championship event at the Heartland Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska on October 17-19. The 500-target event included 100 targets each in trap singles, wobble, skeet, skeet doubles, and sporting clays. A total of 95 student athletes from 11 colleges participated in the event. The top five placing colleges were:
HOA Champion
Fort Hays State University
Runner-up
Lindenwood University
3rd place
Midland University
4th place
Trinidad Junior College
5th place
Hastings College
Other participating colleges included the University of Central Missouri, Colorado State University, Concordia University, Kansas State University, Pratt Community College, and Wichita State University. SCTP provided $26,000 in endowment funds for the event and will deposit the funds into the schools' endowment accounts at MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc.
We recently closed our National Championships survey after several hundred of you gave us your feedback on our year's big events. As promised, we have drawn the names of eight (8) respondents to win a prize from SCTP or SPP. Congratulations to these winners:
Aiden Belongia - SPP shooter from Wisconsin
SPP water bottle, patch, and pin Houston Unsell - SPP shooter from Alabama
SPP water bottle, patch, and pin Darin Bruski - SPP and SCTP shooter from Wisconsin
SPP water bottle, patch, and pin William M. Seifert - SCTP shooter from Michigan
Case of Nobel Sport ammo Dakota Bishop - SCTP shooter from Texas
Case of Fiocchi ammo John Michael Baggett - SCTP shooter from Tennessee
SCTP hat and t-shirt Edward Rowland - SCTP coach from Tennessee
Weather Writer System Terry Brookman - SCTP coach from Missouri
SCTP lanyard, coffee mug, and hot/cold pack
Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our survey and provide us with valuable information that we will use to make future events even better.
Congratulations to Selina Larson, winner of last week's Range Time quiz drawing! Selina correctly answered the quiz question and was drawn as the winner of a set of off-eye optical filters and an SCTP lanyard. Last week's question and possible answers:Before the game of Skeet was named, another game was commonly played with clay targets. It was called:
Circle the Globe
Ring around the Rosie
Around the World
Play the Ring
Around the Clock
The correct answer, of course, was Around the Clock. Watch next week’s Range Time newsletter for another quiz question and your chance to win a prize.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation offers three important tips for shotgunners that can help you shoot better, hit more targets, and enjoy your day on the course more. NSSF Video
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.
SCTP held its first Halloween-weekend College Regional Tournament at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, and in spite of a windy and cold first day that challenged shooters, it was no less than a Spooktacular success! A total of 212 athletes representing 14 teams from nine states competed in skeet, trap, wobble trap, sporting clays, and 5-stand, registering 65,800 targets. Seventy-five athletes competed in the Last Competitor Standing competition on Saturday evening, with two shooters earning SKB IS300 shotguns. Ladies winner was Anna Pfaff of Hillsdale College, and Men's winner was Bryce James of Lindenwood University. Lindenwood University brought the largest contingent of athletes with 81, followed by Bethel University with 32. Other competing colleges included Purdue University, Martin Methodist College, Midland University, Southeastern Illinois College, Hillsdale College, University of Kentucky, Fort Hays State University, Eastern Kentucky University, Hampden-Sydney College, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, and University of Missouri - Columbia.
