Tag: SPP Gear

2015 Nationals

See, Download & Share Photos from 2015 Nationals

Nationals_cover 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:
    The album will open to a collection of images on one page. If you want to look at an image in full-frame or to share or download it, just click on the image to open it. With any image opened, look for these icons in the lower right corner: Flickr icons If you wish to download the image, click on the icon on the right, the "down" arrow. What you're seeing on the page will usually be a much smaller version of the image, with several larger sizes available to be downloaded. You'll see some options: Flickr image sizes Just choose what you want. For a social media icon - or postage stamp - you might choose the 150x150 option. For a large print, go with the largest available size. To submit to your newspaper, download the largest available size to allow them to re-size it as needed. If you want to share the image in social media, click on the center icon, the "right" arrow, and again you'll have options and some choices to make: Flickr share For most purposes, such as sharing on Facebook or Twitter, you'll need to select "Link" as the Code option. If you want to embed the photo into your blog or website, you can choose "HTML." When that is the case, you will also have a choice of sizes.
If you choose to share images on social media (yes, do!), please continue to use the event hashtag, #SSSF2015.

Go to our Flickr page.



SPP / NRA Hold First Pistol Camp and Level 1 Coaches’ Class

SPP-NRA Camp Illinois State Rifle Association in Bonfield, Illinois hosted the first SPP/NRA athlete pistol camp and Level 1 coaches' certification on August 7-9. Eight athletes participated in the camp and six SPP coaches were certified as NRA Level 1 pistol coaches. Daniel Subia, NRA National Trainer, Rifle and Pistol, and Bill Perkins, SPP Regional Field Representative from Arizona, conducted the class for the coach certification. Rick Leach, Wisconsin State Advisor and head coach for the Ozaukee Scholastic Shooting team, as well as John Leach, assistant coach for the Ozaukee Scholastic Shooting team, and Tammy Mowry, Program Manager for the Scholastic Pistol Program, conducted all of the range time instruction for the campers. SPP extends its thanks to Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) for the invitation to host this year's camp and to all the ISRA range safety officers for their support during the weekend. SPP and NRA are planning a second camp in Arizona in December.
The camp was a wonderful success. Not only did the campers have a great time, they made new friends from across the country. We hope the camp continues to grow both in size and locations. The camp is a great place to spend some time learning new skills and making new friends." --Daniel Subia, NRA National Trainer, Rifle and Pistol
The SSP/NRA Pistol Camp was one of the safest, best organized, and well-run camps I have ever been involved with. The Illinois State Rifle Association is looking forward to hosting the camp again next year." --Richard A. Pearson, Executive Director, Illinois State Rifle Association
SPP/NRA Pistol Camp

SPP Teams Earn Endowment Funds in Virtual Match Series

Congratulations to Scholastic Pistol Program teams who have submitted entries into the 2015 Virtual Match Series and been drawn as winners of team endowment funds. Recent winners of $1,000 contributions to their endowment accounts are:
    Straight Shooters Tucson - April Michigan State Shooting Sports Club - May Crew 401 - June
Each month through December, SPP will hold a random drawing among teams who submit SPP Virtual Match scores that month. Winners receive a $1,000 team endowment account contribution. Don’t forget to submit your team's scores into the virtual match series. All you need to do is send your scoresheets and $1.25 per athlete (via USPS) to Tammy Mowry. Learn more.

Young Women Make Up 18.4% Of Athletes At Nationals

SSSFd1-Open-65 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. Gender Participation 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.  

A Personal Best…10 Times

SSSFd3-16 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. SSSFd3-17

Top Five States At The 2015 Nationals

SSSF-States 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. SCTP-SPP States
Shane Coley

Coley Holding Court

Shane Coley 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

Tennessee’s Real Pistol Powerhouse

Lacey Lane 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.

NRA / SPP to Host Pistol Camp and Coach Certification Class

The National Rifle Association and Scholastic Pistol Program announce the inaugural Scholastic Pistol Program Pistol Camp. The camp will take place August 7 - 9, 2015 at the Illinois State Rifle Association Range at Bonfield located in Kankakee, Illinois. Registration deadline is July 31. The unique camp, sponsored by the NRA, will be limited to 32 athletes and will feature both range and classroom training aimed to take an athlete to the next level. The camp will be using .22 LR ammo, which is included in the cost of the camp, and pistols will be available for those who do not have a suitable gun. If an athlete prefers to use his or her 9mm pistol, they will be required to furnish their own ammo (650 rounds). Please complete the Registration Form and Health History Form and return it to Tammy Mowry. Registration fee for the pistol camp would normally be $300 per camper, but due to a special grant by the NRA Foundation, the cost per camper will only be $150! In addition to the athletes' pistol camp, a Level 1 Pistol Coaches Certification Class is being offered at the same time. The coach certification is offered to adults and is a separate program, not part of the curriculum for the athletes; however, anyone over 15 can attend the coach class. Individuals 15-17 can be certified as a Junior Pistol Trainer, and those 18 and up can be certified as Coach. The coach school is the heart of the coach education program. The instructors use up-to-date materials and PowerPoint presentations for the discipline-specific coach course. Registration fee includes a copy of the discipline-specific coach student study guide and other materials to help you with the details of coaching. Participants complete an open-book test as homework during the first evening of the course. Cost is $160 for SPP coaches/adult volunteers and $190 for non-SPP individuals. Please complete the Level 1 Pistol Coach Registration form and return to Tammy Mowry. If you are in need of a hotel, we have made arrangements with the Hampton Inn Bradley/Kankakee:
    60 Ken Hayes Drive Bourbonnais, Illinois 60914 815-932-8369; Ask for Kyrstin Stephens Rate is $99 per night (plus tax)
SPP 4-H Demo

SPP Hosts Special Demo at 4-H National Shooting Championships

The Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) was recently invited to host a demonstration during the prestigious 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships in Grand Island, Nebraska. SPP 4-H DemoThe event was held at the Heartland Public Shooting Park on June 25, with 4-H coaches and competitors spending the afternoon testing their skills on the SPP GO FAST stage. Joining SSSF staffers Ben Berka and Scott Moore were industry partners Ed Fitzgerald of GLOCK and Tom Yost of Smith & Wesson, who supplied the firearms. Also on hand from Vista Outdoor was Ryan Bronson, who supplied CCI rimfire ammo for the demo. The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation would like to thank Conrad Arnold, Program Coordinator, 4-H National Shooting Sports, for the invitation. Thanks also to Bill Starkey and Jacob Schwan of Heartland Public Shooting Park for supplying a great range and staff to make the event a success. For those in Nebraska (4-H or not) who are interested in starting an SPP team, Bill and Jacob have offered Heartland's support. If you are interested in starting an SPP team in Nebraska, please contact Scott Moore, jsmoore@sssfonline.com or Tammy Mowry, tmowry@sssfonline.com.

© Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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.