The Scholastic Pistol Program has had numerous requests for t-shirts from the 2014 National Championships, so we will be re-ordering a supply of them soon. SPP t-shirts will be available in Small through X-Large sizes for $14 and XXL and XXXL sizes for $16, plus shipping. Click here to place your order on the SSSF online store. The deadline to submit your order is September 7. Delivery will be approximately the week of September 22.
SCTP shooters got a taste of Olympic-style shooting last week, competing in the 2014 SCTP National Team Championships for International Disciplines at the International Shooting Park near Colorado Springs, CO. This year's competitor numbers doubled last year's totals. Bunker trap had 90 registrations, with 44 for International Skeet and 55 for International Double Trap. In addition to squad and individual awards for the three disciplines, four athletes earned positions on the USA National Junior Team as a result of their scores:
Roe Reynolds – Bunker Trap
Myles Walker – Bunker Trap
Nic Moschetti – International Skeet
Hank Garvey – International Double Trap
Almost 200 athletes, coaches, and family members attended the awards banquet at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, where shooters received medals and awards for their accomplishments. The four athletes winning spots on the USA National Junior Team were presented blue USA Shooting jackets by Todd Graves, former Olympian and current USA Shooting National Shotgun Coach. Also attending the banquet and recognizing the shooters were Mike Theimer, USA Shooting Director of Youth Shooting; Lloyd Woodhouse, former Olympian and legendary USA National Coach; Dave Johnson, USA Shooting Director of Operations; and USA Shooting members Nick Boerboon and Morgan Craft.
Congratulations to Rob Faeth, winner of last week’s Range Time quiz drawing! Rob answered our question correctly and was drawn as the winner of a National Championship t-shirt from the Great Outdoors Company. Last week’s question and possible answers:The top and bottom edge (in order) of a shotgun's butt plate or recoil pad are called the:
Heel and toe
Toe and heel
Cast and pitch
Pitch and cast
Top and bottom
The correct answer is Heel and toe. On a butt plate or recoil pad, the heel is at the top, and the toe is at the bottom. Watch next week’s Range Time newsletter for another quiz question and your chance to win a prize.
More than 2500 young shooters, along with thousands of coaches, family members, and supporters, descended upon the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill. last week for the largest youth shooting event ever held, the SCTP and SPP National Championships. The July 14-19 event saw significant increases in virtually every metric over 2013's record-setting Nationals. In the SCTP event alone, competitors shot 715,000 targets, a 35% increase over last year. Shooters from 175 SCTP teams came from 26 states. SPP also saw its own increases. In only its second Junior/Senior National Championship, SPP experienced an increase of 62% in participant numbers, hosting 326 shooters representing 39 teams from 15 states. Earlier this year, SPP hosted a separate Collegiate National Championship with close to 100 shooters from 24 squads.
With the largest contingency of shooters, Trap had almost 1900 participants, a 19% increase. A total of 736 shooters shot Skeet for a 29% growth, and the 677 Sporting Clays shooters represented a 30% increase. Of the 2180 SCTP shooters, 1818 were male and 361 female. "An event of this magnitude could only take place so successfully with a great deal of hard work and dedication from our student athletes, coaches, parents, team volunteers, and our own staff," said Ben Berka, President and Executive Director of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), which powers SCTP and SPP. "We are especially grateful to our many sponsors and benefactors who make it possible for us to create an unforgettable experience for our athletes. We also owe kudos to the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, a remarkable venue that hosted our thousands of shooters and spectators with ease. We look forward to hosting our 2015 National Championships there."
Those of you at the National Championships last week saw our photographers shooting photos on the ranges, at awards ceremonies, and pretty much wherever something was happening. Many of you asked how you could have access to those photos. We are still working our way through the volume of photos but will soon have them posted online where you can view them. You will be welcome to download any of those photos and may print or share them in social media. (This will not include the photos you may have arranged to have Elite Images shoot for you.) Photos posted online will be compressed into smaller sizes, but some of the photos will be available in a larger size. Once all the photos are sorted and posted, we will give you information in this space about how you may view them and request high-resolution digital versions. We will not offer printed photos. In the meantime, you can view the photos posted thus far on our Facebook pages. Keep checking back, as we will be posting hundreds more over the next several days. Any you see there may be downloaded for your personal use. By the way, you do not have to have a Facebook account to view our pages.SCTP Facebook PageSPP Facebook Page
You left Sparta without buying an official event t-shirt, or you liked them so much you want one in another color -- or even if you missed the event but don't want to miss the t-shirt -- no worries! The Great Outdoors Company at the WSRC still has a limited supply of shirts available. The black shirt has the full, colorful design on the back, with the World Shooting and Recreational Complex logo on the front left chest. Black t-shirts are available in Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL, and 3XL. The other t-shirt style has the entire event design on the front and is offered in four colors in the sizes indicated:Heather Blue - Small, Large
Heather Green - Small, Medium, Large, XL
Heather Pink - Small, Medium, Large, XL
Heather Coral - Small, XL Price for the t-shirts is $15.99 each with free shipping in the contiguous 48 states. For credit card orders, call The Great Outdoors Company at 888-529-5130.
Larry and Brenda Potterfield, founders and owners of MidwayUSA and founders of the MidwayUSA Foundation, spent last Thursday at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex with SCTP and SPP shooters, touring the National Championship event and even taking time to shoot a round of trap with three lucky SCTP competitors. Anticipating the visit, many teams brought along autographed photos, cards, and other gifts -- including a pair of letter sweaters -- to express their appreciation for the Potterfields' generosity to SSSF programs.The Potterfields watched teams shoot, talked with shooters and coaches, posed for photos, and demonstrated the warmth and interest in young shooters for which they are known. SSSF also had a presentation to Larry and Brenda, a pair of hand-engraved leather shooting bags, in recognition of their being named "Founding Life Diamond Members" of the Champion’s Roundtable, which recognizes donors who have made major contributions to our mission. They are also Charter Members of the SSSF Legacy Society, which honors our donors who have included SSSF in their estate plans through deferred gifts. See more photos on our SCTP Facebook page and SPP page.
To honor our 2014 SSSF / NRA All-Scholastic Team, SSSF is hosting a reception on Tuesday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Main Events Building (room 143 and 144) at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, IL during the SSSF National Championships. You will be recognized and will receive your certificate, patch, and pin. We welcome your parents and/or coach to accompany you to the reception. If you would like to attend, R.S.V.P. to Jennifer Rumpf, jrumpf@sssfonline.com, with a head-count no later than Monday, July 14 at 5:00 p.m. If you are unable to attend, your certificate, patch, and pin will be mailed to you at the address listed on your application.
As if shooting in the year's biggest event isn't reward enough, Scholastic Pistol Program competitors will have the opportunity to win guns and gear in random drawings during the upcoming SPP Junior/Senior National Championships. In addition to each SPP competitor receiving a shooter's bag worth over $60 in goodies from our sponsors, SPP will draw for almost $20,000 in donated prizes! Here are some of the items we'll be giving away:
3 PARA USA Pistols
2 Beretta Neos Pistols
Glock Pistols
Mossberg 715T - .22LR Rifle
5 Americase Pistol Cases
Brownells Shooting Accessories
NextLevel – SITR Training Laser Pistol
Otis Technology Cleaning Systems
And for lady shooters - a special Browning Pink Buckmark Pistol
In addition, you could win one of four Ruger 10/22 rifles by participating in our special Rifle Side Match, hosted by Pheasants Forever. Each registered SPP athlete will receive one (1) ticket which is good for three (3) 10-round magazines for the Rifle Side Match. Additional tickets can be purchased for $5 each. The fastest time will win a free Ruger 10/22 rifle, and each entry will be eligible to win one of three (3) additional Ruger 10/22 rifles. The more you play, the more chances you have to win! Limit one free gun per person.
Coaches and athletes may think there's nothing to do at Nationals other than shoot your match for the day or watch others shoot. Au contraire! There's plenty to keep you busy and entertained -- and shooting -- all week. Here are just a few things to consider:
Rifle Side Match - This year we will offer a special Rifle Side Match, sponsored by Ruger and hosted by Pheasants Forever. Not only can you have fun shooting .22 rifles, you may even win one! The match winner will take home a Ruger 10/22 rifle, and there will be drawings to give away three more.
Special Pistol Shooting Clinic - PARA USA Professional Shooter, Travis Tomasie, will be hosting two clinics on Wednesday, July 16 at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on the pistol berm. You don't want to miss this!
SCTP Shooters: Try SPP - Give SPP competition a try. There will be loaner guns available and likely some open time slots. Check with registration at the pistol berm for openings.
Winchester Coaches' Shoot-out - Coaches and adult volunteers can shoot daily, Monday through Friday, in the skeet-trap Make-a-Break. See the event program for details.
Shotgunning Demonstration by Dave Miller - CZ-USA's Dave Miller will do fun shotgunning demonstrations on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 2:00 p.m.
And More! - Check the event program for more information on side games, demonstrations, evening events, and other activities. There's something to do every minute!
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.