Coach Rick Leach of the Ozaukee Scholastic Shooting Sports (Wisconsin) had a lot to be happy about this morning. Coming off the Scholastic Pistol Program ranges his team of 13 shooters finished the match strong. Real strong. After going over the times, and double checking his math, Coach Leach confirmed that 10 of his 13 athletes had shot new personal records, and at the best possible time too, during the National Team Championships. While each was a significant accomplishment both for the team and its coach, Leach couldn’t conceal his pride in the fact that one of those record times was that of his daughter Mikaela, who three years ago shot over 400 seconds at her first Nationals and was hoping this year to just break 100. She finished this morning’s match with a time of 87.95 seconds. Mikaela, who had already competed in the Sporting Clays and Skeet Nationals – where she also shot a personal best – is out on the trap fields competing in her fourth Nationals this week, the American Trap Team National Championship. She freely admits to having what she calls “a gun powder addiction.” Of course she couldn’t leave the pistol range without first reporting in to Ed Fitzgerald of Glock. Fitzgerald was there in 2013 when she first shot the Nationals and jumped in with some much needed shooting advice when Mikaela was struggling and missing more than she was hitting. So you could say he’s a little invested in Mikaela’s success and was happy to hear how her match went today…and it didn’t hurt that she blew through her sub 100 second goal with a Glock model 34 pistol.
Participation at the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation's 2015 National Team Championships is broad reaching with 28 states represented. Nearly three quarters (74.1%) of the 2,800+ shooters come from just five states. Here's how athletes from the SSSF's Big 5 break out. Tennessee (25.3%) The Volunteer State accounts for 25.3% of all athletes with 601 competing in SCTP (24.4%) and 109 (31.6%) in SPP. Illinois (18.6%) The home of the World Shooting & Recreational Complex, the Land of Lincoln sent 484 (19.6%) of shotgunners and 40 (11.6%) of the pistol competitors. Wisconsin (14.9%) The Badger State athletes came to shoot with 371 (15.0%) in SCTP and 47 (13.6%) in SPP. Iowa (8.1%) The Hawkeye State rolled in with 200 (8.2%) of the SCTP athletes and 29 (8.4%) of those in SPP. Missouri (7.2%) The Show-Me State showed up with 202 (8.2%) SCTP competitors, and despite not having any shooters in the SPP Nationals they still hold down fifth overall on this list.
Getting a shooting team up and running can take a bite out one’s wallet. But the cost isn’t much different than what families with competitive football, baseball or soccer players face. They all have equipment costs, training fees and, of course, travel expenses. Fortunately for those competing in the shooting sports there is help. Through the MidwayUSA Foundation, which was started by MidwayUSA owners Larry and Brenda Potterfield, several teams have built up small war chests to fund their shooting. In fact, you’d be surprised how much some have raised. To make it into the top ten teams based on the amount raised you’d have to start at the $400,000 mark. The top five all have over a half million in the bank. And most amazing of all is the amount the Massachusetts Shooters Foundation Junior Programs has raised. Their account is in excess of $1.2 million. Larry Gay, who coaches the Oskaloosa Shooting Team from a small faming community in Iowa, has 43 kids on his team with 20 of them competing in the 2015 National Team Championships in Sparta, Illinois. He also has over $515,000 in his endowment fund. It took the team only about a year to raise $480,000 and now the size of the team’s fund allows them to draw as much as $25,000 annually to help cover travel expenses, which has been crucial to their ability to compete at competitions like the Nationals and the upcoming International Trap Nationals in Colorado Springs. In addition to their draw the team raises another $15,000 to $20,000 each year thanks to the strong support of their community where several business and individuals step forward to assist the team. But it’s the endowment structure that has been the key to maintaining the team. “The MidwayUSA Foundation’s endowment program is extremely important to us because travel is ungodly expensive,” explained Coach Gay whose team competes two to three times a month during the season. “Our endowment helps underwrite those costs so parents don’t have to carry the full burden of sending the team to Nationals or Colorado.” To find out more about the MidwayUSA Foundation’s programs visit www.midwayusafoundation.org.
For many college bound competitive shooters, finding a school with a collegiate shooting sports program can be a challenge, let alone one offering scholarships. Finding lists of the top football programs, top engineering schools or which small liberal arts college has the most graduates in public service is easy. Hunting down a list of schools that are actively recruiting into their shooting programs is a bit tougher. However, for the last five years the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation has been working to bridge the gap between its 12,000 plus high school shooters and collegiate programs around the country by including a college recruiting component at the National Team Championships. At this year's Nationals in Sparta, Illinois, there are easily a dozen colleges and universities on hand talking to kids in the language they understand – the language of guns. "With so many high school athletes coming through the ranks of the SCTP and SPP, it's only natural for them to seek out shooting sports opportunities at the collegiate level. Parents and athletes meet face-to-face with recruiters here at Nationals, helping them find a school that best fits their educational needs while allowing them to continue their shooting career," said Ben Berka, executive direct of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation. In attendance at this year's collegiate recruitment day are Arizona State University, Hillsdale College, University of the Ozarks, Midland University, Missouri S&T University, Hawkeye Community College, Fort Hays State University, Concordia University, Jacksonville University, University of Iowa, Bethel University and Lindenwood. If you would like more information on these and other schools with collegiate shooting programs, please contact SSSF.
For those shooting in the Scholastic Pistol Program Nationals this week, program sponsor and firearms maker Glock brought in one of its big guns – Shane Coley. Fresh from a six-year stint in the U.S. Army where he served with the famed U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Shane joined Team Glock earlier this summer taking on the role of team captain. This week the 24 year old Mississippi native is working the pistol match helping the young shooters and along the way hopefully shedding some light on the secret ways of going fast for those looking to post personal records on the pistol ranges of the World Shooting & Recreational Complex here in Sparta, Illinois. One secret Shane shared was on the subject of math, which probably wasn’t what most of the young shooters expected, or wanted now that school is out. But it is understanding the timing on each individual component of a shooting run and how they add up that he stressed. As well as the importance of working with an electronic shot timer. For the parents watching Team Glock’s new top gun the questions during his morning seminar focused on reloading ammunition and whether or not an up and coming young shooter can make a living in the sport. For Shane Coley the answer to that question is most definitely ‘Yes.’
Lacey Lane of McKenzie, Tennessee, just might be the most important woman in youth pistol shooting sports today. The 24 year old works for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, the non-profit arms of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, where she oversees the Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) in the Volunteer State. So, why is this young lady so important to youth shooting sports? Well, with somewhere around 135 SPP shooters hailing from Tennessee, her kids make up 11.7% of the 1,150 participating nationwide, and at this year’s SPP Nationals, taking place at the World Shooting & Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois, her squads account for 31.6% of those competing for the national titles. Working with young shooters comes naturally to Lacey since she grew up in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) when it was first founded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Today it’s the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation which serves as the national governing body of both SCTP and SPP, and is running the National Team Championships this week in Sparta. With several years background competing in the programs, and armed with a degree in Natural Resources Management and Wildlife Fisheries from the University of Tennessee, she signed on with TWRF after they created the position of Tennessee State Director for SPP last November, putting the responsibility for promoting the state’s youth handgun shooting sports participation squarely on her shoulders. Considering the prominent role her home state plays in SSSF’s youth shooting sports, and the ease with which she interacts with the staff and volunteers tasked with overseeing the national match, most of which are male and in many cases significantly older, it’s pretty clear that Lacey’s shoulders can handle the burden.
The Main Events Building is where you'll find Registration and the answers to your questions. If you're going to Sparta, Illinois for your first SCTP-SPP National Team Championships, your head may be spinning with questions. While we can't offer you a secret for taking home a medal, we can offer you some tips to enhance your enjoyment of Nationals.
Read the program. Almost anything you need to know can be found in the Nationals program. You will be able to pick up a printed copy when you arrive at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, but you can also view it online anytime.
Do it all! Participate in as many activities as possible, including the side games. Cover the grounds to see what's going on, see the exhibition shooting events, and watch anything you aren't actively engaged in.
Stay for the after-hours activities. If you shoot your event and leave every day, you'll be missing out on fun activities like Last Competitor Standing events, opening ceremonies, the pizza party, an ice cream social, and more.
Sign up for text messaging. We'll pass along information about activities, schedule changes, and other things you need to know to those who opt in. Sign up here.
Visit the vendor mall. You'll have the unique opportunity to visit with many manufacturers of shooting equipment in their own stores at the WSRC. Even if you aren't buying, it's the perfect opportunity to work on your wish list.
Take photos. Shoot as many photos as you can to help you remember this wonderful experience. Share them in social media with hashtag #SSSF2015, and when you get back home, share them with any sponsors, businesses, or civic groups who support you or have interest in your team.
Meet new people. While you will be there with your own team, don't miss the opportunity to make new friends from all over the country. Be bold and introduce yourself.
If you have questions or don't understand something, just ask. We won't remember to tell you everything you need to know, but we're happy for you to ask us. Catch a staff member anytime you see us, and if we aren't convenient, just head to the Main Events Building. You can get an answer or help there for anything going on at Nationals.
Remember that many others are also new. It's easy to feel intimidated when we enter a new event this large, and we all tend to think we're the only ones who don't know how something works. But that isn't the case at Nationals. You'll see hundreds of new people all over the place, figuring things out for the first time. You aren't alone!
Have fun! After being safe, the most important thing for you to do at Nationals is enjoy yourself. Shooting is fun, being there with your friends is fun, making new friends is fun -- everything at Nationals is fun! Go for it!
Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation contributed $181,400 to the MidwayUSA Foundation on May 31, benefiting the team endowment accounts of 88 scholastic shooting teams from 21 states. The funds were awarded to teams at SCTP and SPP shooting events this year. A total of $109,800 of the donated funds went to 40 SCTP teams, while $71,600 benefits 48 SPP teams. SSSF will make endowment funds available for teams to earn at numerous other tournaments this year, including the SCTP-SPP National Team Championships next month. A total of $468,000 in endowment funds will be on the line at that event, July 13-18.
Teams are awarded endowment funds through their participation in sanctioned shoots. SSSF, which administers the SCTP and SPP, contributes the funding to the MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Account Program on behalf of the teams. Active teams, like the 88 that will benefit from this donation, are eligible to draw a grant each year to assist with team expenses, such as ammunition, range fees, travel, uniforms, and more. The MidwayUSA Foundation helps communities and organizations raise funds to support their high school, college, and other youth shooting teams and activities. This donation brings youth involved in shooting sports closer to sustainable support. For more information on the MidwayUSA Foundation or to set up an account for your team, visit www.midwayusafoundation.org.
Whether you're planning to compete with a shotgun and/or pistol at Nationals in July, this year you will have one more option -- rimfire rifle -- in a side match sponsored by HiViz Shooting Systems. Many of our SPP teams have enjoyed shooting this popular side match at some of the SPP state and regional matches this spring. The HiViz Rimfire Side Match will consist of two stages but will otherwise be basically the same as the Scholastic Pistol Program with a .22 LR semiauto box-fed rifle. Rules will be the same as with SPP, including five strings per stage and low ready. The rimfire rifle match will take place at the pistol berms. For the HiViz Rimfire Side Match only, scoring will be on an individual basis and not count toward a team score.
The top three (3) athlete scores will win a Mossberg Blaze .22LR rifle! Also, just for participating, you’ll be entered to win one of five (5) HiViz $100 gift certificates through a random draw.
Coaches and adults can also join in the fun. The top three (3) adults will win a donation to their teams' MidwayUSA Foundation endowment accounts: 1st place - $750, 2nd place - $500, and 3rd place - $250.
The entry fee for the HiViz Rimfire Side Match is only $10! So bring your semiauto rifle with a detachable box magazine chambered in .22 LR, plus some extra magazines and ammo, and we'll see who is the fastest rifle shooter at Nationals!
The HiViz Rimfire Rifle Side Match will be open Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July 16 with 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. slots. A limited number of slots will be available, so sign up now!
For sign-up information or to lock in your time slot, contact Tammy Mowry at tmowry@sssfonline.com.
You can keep up with all the news and action during Nationals in Sparta via text messaging on your cell phone. The updates will provide timely announcements about weather delays, schedule changes, reminders about evening events, and other important information. The service is optional, and messages will be sent only to those who opt in. You can opt out at any time. We respect your privacy and will only use your number for Nationals information. All phone numbers will be deleted on Monday, July 20. This is a free service from SSSF, but standard text messaging rates for your account may apply. To sign up, go to:
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.
Coach Rick Leach of the Ozaukee Scholastic Shooting Sports (Wisconsin) had a lot to be happy about this morning. Coming off the Scholastic Pistol Program ranges his team of 13 shooters finished the match strong. Real strong. After going over the times, and double checking his math, Coach Leach confirmed that 10 of his 13 athletes had shot new personal records, and at the best possible time too, during the National Team Championships. While each was a significant accomplishment both for the team and its coach, Leach couldn’t conceal his pride in the fact that one of those record times was that of his daughter Mikaela, who three years ago shot over 400 seconds at her first Nationals and was hoping this year to just break 100. She finished this morning’s match with a time of 87.95 seconds. Mikaela, who had already competed in the Sporting Clays and Skeet Nationals – where she also shot a personal best – is out on the trap fields competing in her fourth Nationals this week, the American Trap Team National Championship. She freely admits to having what she calls “a gun powder addiction.” Of course she couldn’t leave the pistol range without first reporting in to Ed Fitzgerald of Glock. Fitzgerald was there in 2013 when she first shot the Nationals and jumped in with some much needed shooting advice when Mikaela was struggling and missing more than she was hitting. So you could say he’s a little invested in Mikaela’s success and was happy to hear how her match went today…and it didn’t hurt that she blew through her sub 100 second goal with a Glock model 34 pistol. 
