Tag: SCTP

SCTP and SPP Participant and Parent Survey – Your Input is Needed

Written by SSSF Staff on December 10, 2015. Posted in SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Dear Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Pistol Program Parents and Athletes, In partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is conducting a survey of Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) parents and athletes. We invite you and the SCTP/SPP athletes in your household to answer several questions regarding your and your child's / children's involvement in the SCTP / SPP. Your response to this survey is

very important to us, and it will greatly support the future of these programs by helping us to obtain sponsors and/or additional opportunities for participants and to provide meaningful statistics to recruit more teams. The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete and all eligible participants will be entered into a drawing for either at Beretta Neos pistol or a Tristar Alpha Field shotgun. With your participation in the survey we will continue to strengthen the Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Pistol Program! To start the survey, please choose the appropriate link below:

The SCTP / SPP Parents 2015 survey - http://www.nssf.org/share/surveys/SCTP_Parents_2015/

The SCTP / SPP Participants 2015 survey - http://www.nssf.org/share/surveys/SCTP_Participant/

Thank you for your time and support of our programs! Sincerely, Ben Berka President and Executive Director Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.

Scholastic Clay Target Program Seeks Regional Field Representatives

Written by SSSF Staff on December 8, 2015. Posted in SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is seeking three highly motivated individuals to assume the role of Regional Field Representative (RFR) for the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). The successful candidates will be responsible for recruiting, developing, motivating and supporting SCTP volunteer leadership within regional territory.The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), is a 501c (3) not-for-profit organization and is the national leader in youth development shooting sports programs. Using a combination of education and athletics our mission is to enhance the growth and personal development of student athletes throughout the nation through the shooting sports. Through a variety of fun, team-based shooting events in both our Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP), we provide student athletes aged elementary through college with a supportive environment where shooting sports serve as catalysts for teaching life lessons and skills that emphasize positive character traits and citizenship values. Throughout all training, practice and competitions, we instill in our participants a commitment to safe firearm handling, teamwork and leadership.Job Description Provide grassroots, locally-based team and program development and support in assigned territory by interacting with existing and prospective Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) state advisors, coaches and adult volunteers to assist them in setting up new teams and growing teams already in the program. Cross promote other SSSF programs such as the Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) when/where possible. Seek and develop leads and accurately represent SSSF programs to local shooting facilities, school systems, government organizations, and other youth organizations, providing them with information on the benefits of membership in SCTP/SPP. Recruit, develop, motivate and support State Advisors who represent the SCTP in states in assigned territory. Job Duties Serve as a knowledgeable ambassador for SSSF programs in assigned territory. Provide timely and accurate phone and email support for SCTP program volunteers in territory with current and factual program information. Assist state advisors, coaches & teams in the sign-up and registration process. Provide education, training and support on the SSSF’s SHOT registration and event management system. Teach and/or facilitate coach education schools in territory and outside of territory as needed. Work with local volunteers and through State Advisors to facilitate presentations to schools, shooting facilities, government organizations, and prospective teams to inform them about the SCTP. Setup, facilitate and/or assist with SCTP events in your territory and elsewhere as required, including Local, Regional, State and National events. Represent the Scholastic Clay Target Program at local, regional and national industry/sports shows. Participate in regional and national training sessions for Advisors and Coaches. Travel within your territory and to other venues around the country as needed. Pre-approved travel expenses will be reimbursed. Three Regions Available

Great Lakes Region (Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)
Southeast Region (Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida)
Northwest Region (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming)

Positions report to SCTP Director of Development

Desired Qualifications

4+ years’ experience as a volunteer coach or State Advisor in youth shooting sports.
Proven ability to establish and develop high quality youth shooting sports programs.
Coach/instructor or Level I credentials from NRA, USAS, NSSA/NSCA or equivalent entity.
Experience organizing and conducting high quality shooting sports events.
Working knowledge of all SSSF programs.
Ability to travel within territory & to other parts of the country as needed.
Successful completion of annual background check.
Ability to communicate with and present to large groups.
Computer skills including familiarity with e-mail, social media and shooting event software.

NOTES:

3 openings. Telecommuting is allowed.Additional Salary Information: Positions are part-time hourly (approximately 20 hours / week) with pay commensurate with experience and qualifications. To apply, send resume and cover letter to twondrash@sssfonline.com by 5:00PM CST January 7th.

Two Ways to Support the Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Pistol Program This Holiday Season

Written by SSSF Staff on November 25, 2015. Posted in SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

If the holiday season is bringing out your generous side, then please consider one of two ways to support the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) this season. #GivingTuesday The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) has joined many other nonprofit organizations in the fundraising campaign #GivingTuesday. #GivingTuesday is held each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to jump start the holiday season and as a way to encourage people to give back to their communities and to the organizations and causes they believe in. “This is the first year the SSSF has participated in #GivingTuesday,” Ben Berka, SSSF president and executive director, said. “We encourage those of you who want to show support for our youth shooting sports programs to donate to the SCTP and the SPP on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015. Your donations help fund our programs, which enhance the growth and personal development of student athletes throughout the nation.” Those interested in donating to the SSSF may go to https://sssfonline.org/donate/ to view giving options and make a secure, online donation. The SSSF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. Contributions are tax-deductible. AmazonSmile With the holiday shopping season upon us, many of you will no doubt be shopping on Amazon.com, the website where you can buy everything from books and music, to electronics, to automobile tires. Without spending another cent, you can support the SCTP and SPP with your Amazon purchases. When you log onto Amazon through a special link, smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase price to the SSSF -- at no extra cost to you. Use this special link to shop and support the SSSF!

Changes To 2015-2016 SPP And SCTP Handbooks

Written by SSSF Staff on October 8, 2015. Posted in SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

As well all well know, with growth and development often comes change...and the SSSF is not exempt from that process. So along with the new year of competition, there are several new items to review in both the official SPP and the SCTP handbooks.

Tammy Mowry, program director of the SPP, mentions that there are some "big" changes to make note of in the updated 2015-2016 SPP document. Some of the highlights include updates in the section on "Grouping Athletes -Divisions" (look for the details about categories) as well as in "Team Definitions" (don't miss the updated range commands). To read more and get caught up on all the new items, be sure to check out the update SPP handbook, here. Tom Wondrash, national director of the SCTP, shares that there are too many changes to post each and every one. And he encourages everyone to dig in and and read the updated 2015-2016 handbook, paying special attention to the red text, which shows where recent changes have been made. To read more and get caught up on all the new SCTP items, be sure to check out the updated SCTP Handbook here.

SCTP Featured in Washington Times News Article

Written by SSSF Staff on September 22, 2015. Posted in SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

A recent Washington Times news piece highlighting the growth of the shooting sports among high school-aged youth boasts the accomplishments of Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) team member Lindsay Martin and acknowledges the SCTP for its valuable role in recruitment of millennials into the shooting sports. The article refers to the thousands of teens who participate in competitive shooting, saying it’s one of the fastest-growing sports for high schools in recent years. The Washington Times interviewed Tom Wondrash, SCTP director, about the influx of youth participation in shooting sports in schools and the community. Wondrash told the publication he believes the growth is due to its inclusivity and opportunity for participation. He’s quoted as saying, “What separates shooting sports from stick-and-ball sports is that when it’s time for our kids to go to a tournament, all the kids can compete — heavy, thin, tall, short, fast, slow, boy or girl — it doesn’t make them any different,” Mr. Wondrash said. “That’s what really lends itself to our sport.” An Olympic hopeful, 17-year-old Martin is a member of the Dusters trapshooting team, which was established by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF). The senior at Glen Allen High School in Virginia is considered a rising star in her community. The only girl on the team, she’s becoming known as the “shotgun shooter.” Martin says she is a fan of women learning to shoot, and she even teaches women how to fire a shotgun at her local gun range in Charles City County. Martin is one of many youth featured in the media in recent years who are being recognized not only for their superb shooting skills, but for their positive character traits and citizenship values, which are promoted and encouraged through the SCTP and other SSSF programs.

See, Download & Share Photos from 2015 Nationals

Written by SSSF Staff on September 6, 2015. Posted in Events, SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Our collection of photos from the SCTP-SPP National Team Championships in Sparta and SCTP National Championships for International Disciplines in Colorado Springs have now been assembled on our Flickr page and are available for you to view, download, print, and share.

Click here to see our 2015 Nationals photos on Flickr

Even if you haven't used Flickr before, you'll probably find it pretty intuitive once you poke around a bit. However, here are a few notes to speed up the learning curve:

If you choose to share images on social media (yes, do!), please continue to use the event hashtag, #SSSF2015.

Go to our Flickr page.

Coaches: Complete ATA/NSSA/NSCA Registrations Through SHOT System

Written by SSSF Staff on August 29, 2015. Posted in SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

As a reminder, any athletes planning to compete in state or national SCTP events must be members of the respective national governing body (NGB). Athletes in SCTP trap singles events must be members of ATA and athletes competing in SCTP state or national skeet or sporting clays events must be members of NSSA/NSCA. All targets will be registered with the respective NGB for those events. Coaches: When renewing or registering teams and athletes requiring NGB membership for the new season, please complete the membership registrations and payments through the SHOT system. This will ensure that SCTP gets credit for those registrations and increase the college scholarship funding available for us to award to our graduating athletes. Please complete the registrations and payments at least 30 days prior to your scheduled competition to ensure time for processing of membership credentials through the respective NGB offices. Learn more about ATA membership for SCTP athletes.

Wright Earns Junior National Team Invite at SCTP Internationals

Written by SSSF Staff on August 7, 2015. Posted in SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program recently completed its National Championships for International Disciplines at USA Shooting’s International Shooting Park near Colorado Springs, Colorado. In all, 147 athletes from 46 teams in 21 states competed in the International event, registering for a combined 239 events, a record for the tournament. International Skeet National Champion Trey Wright (Brookline Top Shots/Albany, Georgia) earned special distinction for his win by being invited to be a part of USA Shooting’s National Junior Team. The other two event winners including Hank Garvey (Minute Man Sharpshooters/Newburyport, Massachusetts) in Double Trap and Dustin McGowen (Arkansas Raze Shotgun Team/Greenwood, Arkansas) in Trap already have team status, with Garvey a member on the Junior Team and McGowen a National Team member. Colton Evans (Bridge Creek Clays/Crawford, Georgia) and Katie Jacob (Lake Oconee Shotgun Team/Rochester, Michigan) joined Wright on the Skeet podium. Jesse Haynes-Lewis (Minute Man Sharpshooters/) and William Faeth (Midland University Shotgun Team/) joined Garvey on the Double Trap podium. Two shooters from CTC-Tennessee in Spring Hill earned podium honors alongside McGowen in Trap, including Grant Porter and Caleb Lindsey. The five-day tournament was capped off with an awards ceremony and dinner at the beautiful Cheyenne Mountain Resort. As is traditional, a Shamrock Leathers shooting bag was given to an athlete through random drawing during the banquet. Speakers included Mike Theimer, youth program director for USA Shooting; Myles Walker, newly appointed member to the USA National Team and last year's USA Junior National Team appointee via the SCTP Nationals; Hank Garvey, Jr., last year's SCTP double trap gold medalist and Junior National Team appointee via the SCTP Nationals, and Lloyd Woodhouse, former USA national shotgun coach during six Olympic games. See all the scores and winners. Next year’s SCTP National Championships for International Disciplines are scheduled for July 24–30, 2016. Special thanks to USA Shooting for event reporting and photography.

Young Women Make Up 18.4% Of Athletes At Nationals

Written by SSSF Staff on July 18, 2015. Posted in Events, SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

A 2013 research report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation entitled Analysis of Sport Shooting Participation in the U.S. 2008-2012 found that not only were new shooters likely to be younger with 66% falling in the 18-to-34-year-old age group, but they were also likely to be female. NSSF’s findings showed that 37% of new target shooters were women. Looking around the grounds of the World Shooting & Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois, it’s clear that young women are a fast growing segment of both the Scholastic Clay Target Program and the Scholastic Pistol Program. At this year’s National Team Championships those young ladies with shotguns slung over their shoulders, and those with a pistol tucked away in their range bag, make up 18.4% of the total 2,800-plus athletes in attendance. Among the 2,466 shotgunners they are 17.6% while on the pistol ranges they account for nearly a quarter (24.3%) of the 345 competitors.

If the broad smiles exhibited during Wednesday night’s Opening Ceremony are any indication, the number of young female athletes participating in the shooting programs of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is likely to grow.

Trap, It’s A Family Thing

Written by SSSF Staff on July 18, 2015. Posted in Events, SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Carter Kramer only started shooting trap this past October. But the 12 year old from Quincy, Illinois, was already an active hunter. And while he hunted duck, dove and rabbit whenever the opportunity arose, he has fallen hard for those small orange clay disks. “I love it because it’s a challenge,” said Carter about his foray into trap. And it’s a challenge the young shooter continues to rise to. Though very new to trap he has already logged his first 25 straight, and yesterday, armed with a Remington 870 Wingmaster, Carter added another 87 targets to his career total when he and the rest of his Quivering Clays team shot their first 100 of the SCTP American Trap Team Championship. Though his first 50 still alludes him, Carter is determined to reach that next trap milestone and move on to his first 100 straight this year.

Young athletes like Carter don’t get into trapshooting, and all the way to Sparta, Illinois, and the National Team Championships, without some family support. And for the Kramer family, it’s not just some support but a lot. Carter’s father Dan started shooting clay targets at the age of 9 using an old spring loaded hand trap and is happy to see his oldest son getting into the sport. Younger brother Austin, 10, is ready to join Carter on the shooting line next year while 5 year old brother Kayden is still a couple years away from joining the Kramer squad. The Kramers road tripped south to Sparta in force. Joining dad and the boys are mom, granddad and, of course, grandma Donna Lohmeyer who helps herd the boys when Carter isn’t shooting and the sights and sounds of a bustling national championship venue seem to pull them in every direction all at once. Clearly trapshooting is, indeed, a family event.