When clay target coaches begin with a new athlete, they often begin with fundamentals of eye dominance. During the first day of St. Mary’s Trap Team practice for Emily Ferguson, she promptly told her coach she was left-eye dominant. When questioned her confidence in that answer before the drill had even begun, she playfully replied, “I only have one eye, trust me on this one.”

Fast forward to present day, Emily Ferguson’s many accomplishments include High Overall Grand Champion of the SCTP Tennessee Trap State Championship, shooting a 199/200 at Nationals 2019, and winning the Rudy Cup, an award only given to the top shooter from Tennessee at Nationals, becoming the first female in history to claim the title. These incredible accomplishments demonstrate the truly level playing field that shooting sports offers young athletes.

As a young adult trying to make sense of her interests and future career choices, she is turning to her own incredibly difficult, yet inspiring experiences. Emily has triumphantly beat cancer three times. Retinoblastoma at just eighteen-months old required removing the right eye to help prevent chance of metastasis. Later at the age of eleven, Ewing sarcoma occurred in Emily’s ribs and part of her lung, with a recurrence requiring treatment five years later. Emily is thankfully in remission and after spending an immeasurable amount of time at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, she has found inspiration in prosthetic design. “Traditional prosthetic limbs are not typically aesthetically pleasing. I found resources online that inspired me to look into unique prosthetic design. I think what I want to do is create unique designs where people want to show them off rather than wearing long sleeves and pants year-round.”

Known on the St. Mary’s Trap Team as “Ace” and team captain, Emily Ferguson embraces her role as a leader for the sport and the SCTP. “I am an introvert by nature, but with my team out on the field, I’m in my element. This is definitely what I love to do and I’m even a certified coach now. It doesn’t feel like work to me and coaching is really something I hope I can continue to do in the future.”

A younger Emily Ferguson couldn’t have known that stumbling upon shooting sports would be changing the trajectory of her life in such a meaningful way.

Derby Day, as it’s called at St. Mary’s in Memphis, Tennessee, is typical of activity fairs seen throughout the country. At a booth promoting clay target sports is where this soon-to-be champion began her path to development as an athlete and young adult.

“I came out of an all-girls middle school, as a shy, awkward thing. I couldn’t hold a conversation to save my life and wouldn’t look people in the eye. My dad hunts a lot and I saw shooting sports as something to do with dad. My dad has been my one and only financial sponsor in this game since day one. I joined the trap team and in my first year after the SCTP Tennessee State Championship, the team promoted me to varsity. Now I am the Team Captain. I feel a lot more confident in myself. Getting involved in shooting sports and the SCTP, more specifically, has definitely changed my life for the better.”

Away from the line, Emily can be seen laughing and having a good time with the St, Mary’s Trap Team, but in the moments before a shoot, she peels away to compose her mental focus. Those who observe the all-ladies trap team in a competition notice Emily’s leadership and the young athletes shooting together like a well-oiled machine. Quiet fist bumps are exchanged between each station and it’s back to laser-focused performance. Now having graduated from high school, Emily’s time on the St. Mary’s Trap Team has come to an end but she will always be known as “Ace”.

When asked what is next for the champion from Tennessee, she laughed and replied, “I’ll be taking a gap year, but when I go to college something that’s non-negotiable for me is finding college with a shooting team. I want to switch gears to bunker trap. It’s really exciting that bunker is getting more popular. The rest of the world shoots bunker, but no one else in the world shoots American trap!”

For those interested in trying out shooting sports, Emily has very simple advice. “Just try it out. Most people at gun clubs are so helpful and encouraging. You may not even have to buy a gun on the spot. Everyone I’ve met in this sport is so incredibly supportive. Although you do compete against each other, we want each other to be the best out there. I never thought that this would turn into such a big thing for me and here I am doing an interview at the National Championship with the SCTP.”

CZ-USA has renewed its sponsorship of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and bolstered its support to the Titanium Sponsor level!

Manufacturer of premium shotguns popular with SCTP athletes such as the All American, Redhead Target, and SCTP Sterling, CZ-USA is committed to advancing participation in youth shooting sports now and for years to come.

The initiative to support youth shooting sports is seen company-wide. CZ-USA Field Sports members, Dave Miller and Michelle Cerino lent their time as subject matter experts for the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) Coach Training curriculum that was released last spring. Dave and Michelle can also be seen alongside other CZ-USA staff at the SCTP and SASP National Championships, encouraging and helping young athletes throughout the multi-day competition.

“We couldn’t be happier to support the SCTP and its many teams and athletes,” exclaimed Dave Miller, CZ USA. “The SCTP has a proven track record of developing youth and providing a safe and sound platform of not only competing but to grow as individuals. This is something that CZ USA can get behind and I recommend that other companies do the same!”

Currently, the SCTP has about 22,000 athletes and coaches nationwide, that are part of over 900 teams in 47 states. While hosting many other regional and state events, the granddaddy of all national youth shooting events is the SCTP National Championships where over 2 million clay targets are estimated to be thrown this year alone between July 10-17 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo Ohio. CZ USA will be there as well, stop on by and take a look at all they have to offer!

“CZ-USA’s renewed and expanded sponsorship of the SCTP is very encouraging to our mission of facilitating youth development through sports,” said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. “Having such widespread industry support each season validates our efforts and assures us the future for the next generation of shooting sports athletes remains bright! CZ-USA has been a key partner through the entirety of each season and we are humbled to have their increased support in 2021.”

APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED!

What: The SCTP 2021 Olympic Disciplines & Sporting Clays Development Camp (OSCD)

· This camp will be conducted by the National SCTP Coaching Staff and National coaches designed to introduce SCTP Athletes to Olympic Skeet and Bunker Trap.

Where: The Cardinal Center, Marengo Ohio

When: May 27-31 (athletes) / May 26-31 (for coaches)

· Coaches Report on Wednesday, May 26 and leave on Monday, May 31 Coaches will need to report in by 9AM on the 26th for range training.

· Athletes need to be in for a mandatory meeting at 5PM, May 27th and depart the 31st. For athletes, the 27th and 31st are travel days. Please plan accordingly

Who: Registered SCTP Athletes, SCTP Coaches and State Advisors

Cost: Athletes – $800

· Fees include classroom materials, meals, SCTP hat, Camp shirt, targets, ammo, certified coaches and a sponsor supplied goody bag!

Coaches/Advisors – $900

· Fees include all coach materials & books, meals, SCTP Hat, camp shirt, targets, ammo, coach training by certified coaches and a sponsor goody bag!

How: Download and complete the appropriate application form. Be sure to read carefully “The Details” (below) for specifics.

The Details

Eligibility:

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) will host the camp, which is specifically for Registered SCTP Athletes, Head and Assistant Coaches, and State Advisors. Coaches, State Advisors, and all registered, active SCTP Athletes who are 14 years of age or older in the Intermediate Advanced through Varsity Division, are eligible to apply.

Program:

The National Coach Training Staff will conduct introductory training for SCTP Athletes in the Olympic disciplines of Bunker Trap, International Skeet and Sporting Clays. Lead Instructor for the International Disciplines will be former Olympian, Terri DeWitt. Lead Instructor for the Sporting Clays portion will be 2-time Guinness World Record Holder, Dave Miller! Dave also holds the titles of, NSCA Level 3 Instructor, NRA Range Safety Officer, NRA Basic Shotgun, Multi State Sporting / FITASC Champion and Master Class shooter!

Athletes will train in one discipline, bunker trap, skeet or Sporting Clays. They will be introduced to the physical training and mental conditioning processes of world class athletes in the shotgun target sports. This training will take place at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio.

SCTP Coaches/State Advisors will be immersed in a coach-training program that begins in the classroom and moves to the range for hands- on experience in how to be a more effective coach. There they will apprentice under a National Training Coach and begin to put into practice what they have learned by coaching the SCTP Athletes.

Purpose:

The purpose of the camp is twofold:

1. To assist U.S.A. Shooting in its pursuit of identifying SCTP Athletes who have the potential to become U.S.A. Shooting Team members and, ultimately, Olympic champions; and

2. To provide SCTP Coaches and State Advisors with increased knowledge and skills in order to become more effective in working with SCTP Athletes.

Quota Slots:

The 2021 Camp has room for up to forty (40) qualified SCTP Athletes. 18 Bunker Trap, 12 I-Skeet and 10 Sporting Clays (That doesn’t mean all slots must be filled). For active registered Coaches and State Advisors, there are up to ten (10) slots for coach training.

Selection Criteria:

1. SCTP Athletes: Criteria for selecting successful athlete applicants include, but are not limited to:

a. School Grades & Time with SCTP

b. Character c. Maturity d. Interest

e. Questionnaire Answers f. Documented Scores

2. SCTP Coaches and State Advisors – Criteria for selecting successful coach/State Advisors applicants include but not limited to:

a. Length of Service

b. Demonstrated Commitment to SCTP

c. Embodiment of “Double Goal Coach” Principles

d. Questionnaire Answers e. Character

Accommodations:

All participants, athletes and adults, will take their meals at “The Brook”, property adjacent to the shooting fields on the west end of the Cardinal Center property. Participants will be responsible for their own lodging. We have secured rates and cabins at the Cardinal Center but these reservations must be handled by the participants after acceptance!

Travel:

Athletes and Coaches/State Advisors must travel to the Cardinal Center at their own expense and athletes should be chaperoned by a parent or guardian for the duration of the camp.

Report Dates:

Attendees must report in by 5PM on the first day or “arrival” day; and attend the introductory meeting that evening. For Coaches that is Wednesday, May 26th at 9AM and for athletes that is Thursday, May 27th at 5PM.

Application Package Process:

1. Download and complete the Application / Questionnaire Forms.

2. Submit all documents in your Application Package together at the same time, no bits and pieces will be accepted for consideration. You may e-mail, fax or mail the completed Application Package. See below…

E-mail to:

twondrash@sssfonline.com

Subject: “SCTP 2021 CAMP APPLICATION”

-or-

Mail to:

Tom Wondrash

“CAMP Application”

925 Milwaukee Ave STE #B1

Burlington, WI 53105

Deadline:

The deadline for receiving all completed application papers is Midnight, Saturday, April 10th, 2021 ……NO EXCEPTIONS!

Selection Process:

Applications will be routed to the CAMP 2021 Selection Committee. All completed applications will be screened, and successful applicants will be notified by email within 10 days after deadline.

It is vitally important that you provide a current and LEGIBLE e-mail address. Please PRINT the e-mail address where you wish to be contacted.

Successful Applicant Process:

Accepted applicants for the camp will receive a Camp Travel Form that must be completed and returned by April 30th. There are NO refunds for cancelations after May 8th, 2021. These camp spots must be paid prior to April 30th, 2021.

Forms

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), offers a scholarship program to reward deserving, graduating seniors in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) with needed college assistance. The main objective is to award as many scholarships as possible to qualifying SCTP / SASP graduating seniors.

Key points to consider before submitting -The application deadline is firm with no extensions. -All materials must be submitted as ONE pdf file. -PLEASE read ALL of the application, incomplete applications will not be considered. No blank spaces! -Applicants must be a registered and paid athlete in our program. Scholarships are open to SCTP and SASP athletes only.

For full procedure details and application document, please visit  https://sssfonline.org/scholarships/

White Flyer is announcing the continued support and partnership at the Silver Level in promoting the youth clay target shooting sports of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). The youth shooting sports program is thankful to White Flyer for the amazingly consistent clay targets that are thrown at SCTP Nationals year after year. Over 6 million White Flyer targets have been thrown during SCTP National Championship events since 2016. 

White flyer, manufacturer of clay targets for all shotgun disciplines in the US, recently announced that they are the Official Target of the ATA, World Skeet Championship, the National Sporting Clays Championships. In addition to increased program support to the Silver Sponsor level, White Flyer is now the Official Clay Target of the SCTP!

“Over the past 20 years, the SCTP program has opened up many opportunities for student-athletes, including those that had never participated in team sports,” stated Robert Crow, White Flyer National Sales Manager. “SCTP provides a supportive environment where shooting sports serve as catalysts for teaching life lessons and skills that emphasize positive character traits and citizenship values. White Flyer is proud to support this mission and we sincerely appreciate the countless hours that coaches and parents put into this successful program,”

“We are very excited to have White Flyer as the official clay target of the SCTP,” stated Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “White Flyer has been a sponsor and supporter from day 1, when the NSSF introduced the first youth shooting program sponsored and supported by Industry! To this day, almost all of the shooting industry remains in support of the program they helped start back in 2001 and we couldn’t be more grateful!”

About White Flyer

White Flyer has been committed to quality since its first day of business in 1892. This dedication continues with every target and every shipment that leave our five state of the art U.S. manufacturing plants.

Our philosophy is simple: “Always produce the best clay target possible and deliver a consistent quality product that meets or exceeds our customer and gun club needs. We will continually strive to improve the quality of our targets and service through our Quality Assurance Program.”

Whether it is Trap, Skeet, Sporting or International targets, White Flyer insures that each and every target manufactured meets standards and weight specifications required by the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA), National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA), National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) and the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

We are pleased to announce the SCTP is running the National College Championships on March 18-21 at the Cardinal Center, Marengo Ohio. Our original plan was to host this last fall, as we normally do, but with consideration of participation, this very important event got pushed back to the spring. We appreciate your patience and feedback. We wanted to make sure our college teams got the Nationals they deserve and we believe we can accomplish that in March.

New for this year, we will be inviting high school athletes to join, allowing them to compete in a separate high school competition. We believe this will be a useful opportunity for coaches who are interested in meeting the next class of shooters pursuing their sport in college. Additionally, this will give those rising athletes an opportunity to learn from college-level athletes and become familiar with college shooting programs throughout the nation.

Registration will open in the SHOT system Monday, February 15th for all events. *High School athletes/teams will have a separate tournament registration portal named 2021 High School Tournament @ College Nationals

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Just a few house cleaning items and general information to help you get registered and set for the tournament being held March 18-21 at the Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio. Please remember, social distancing and hand washing is highly recommended while attending this event. In areas where there might be a little more congestion, please be thoughtful and wear a mask. Your safety is our number one concern as we hope you have a great time competing this year. Shoot offs only for perfect scores and we will try and have them shoot an extra few boxes immediately after they complete that event. Reverse long run will determine individual ties, shoot offs for team ties will be conducted at the grandstands. Cost of events are as follows: Trap/Skeet = $90 per person for the 200 target events. Sporting Clays = $115 per person for 200 target event. Bunker Trap = $50 per person for 100 target event.                                                                                                       5 Stand = $40 per person for 100 target event. HOA will include 200 target Trap, 200 target Skeet and 200 target Sporting Clays. As always, team scoring will be used for HOA and Team awards in these disciplines! We cannot allow 200 targets to be shot in the same day, all 200 target events are shot over 2 days! We are expecting the events to be shot in consecutive days, like a Thursday/Friday…..Friday/Saturday……Saturday/Sunday. When teams register to shoot on Thursday or Friday for their first 100, they will shoot their 2nd 100 that next day at the same time and same location. Please only register your athletes 1 time for each event. If they register for Trap or Skeet on Saturday, they will shoot that 2nd 100 the next morning as we want to be done with most shooting by noon/1pm on Sunday. Please see attendant when checking in your team for the Sunday morning time and location.   Thursday/Friday – Options available include Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays Friday/Saturday – Options available include Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays Saturday/Sunday – Options available include EITHER Trap or Skeet   Optional side events available Thursday, Friday or Saturday include: Bunker Trap (100 targets), 5-stand (50 targets).   What an almost perfect schedule might look like is this: Team comes in on Thursday, They shoot 1st 100 of Skeet on Thursday (and maybe a side event of 5-stand or bunker)    Friday, they shoot their 2nd 100 of Skeet and maybe their first 100 of Sporting Clays    Saturday, they shoot their 2nd 100 of Sporting Clays and their 1st 100 of Trap    Sunday morning, they shoot their 2nd 100 of Trap and all done!   Teams can add the side events of Bunker or 5 stand any day (except Sunday) but need to allow time to do that…… Due to current mandates in the state of Ohio, we will be unable to have an awards ceremony. All awards may be picked up at the registration building approximately 2 hours after that discipline has been completed. Please only allow for a coach and maybe one other person to pick these awards up to keep congestion to a minimum in that building!

Congratulations to these enthusiastic SCTP members for completing a three-day training session, becoming our newest Texas SCTP Field Day trainers!

• Jason Anderson – SCTP Lower Midwest Regional Advisor
• Johnny Martinez – Assistant Coach, Allen Eagles Competitive Shooting Team
• Mark Ansley – Head Coach, Legacy Christian Academy
• Dave Lyons – Assistant Coach, Allen Eagles Competitive Shooting Team
• Jonathan Shirley – Assistant Coach, Katy Dusters
• Shyuemin Pang – SCTP TX State Advisor, Assistant Coach-Katy Dusters

Guest blog written by Shyuemin Pang

The new SSSF Basic Shotgun Coach Training Program consists of a well-designed online training module that is open to anyone who wishes to learn how to be a youth shotgun coach. Depending on the individual, the online module can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours to complete and is available 24/7/365 on all of your favorite devices.

Upon completing the online training module, a half-day “field day” training must be completed in order to complete the certification process. Field days are administered by SSSF certified Field Day trainers, who then prepare students through a comprehensive curriculum, instructing and certifying new youth shooting sports coaches throughout the nation.

The Texas Field Day trainer’s training session was conducted by SCTP Director Of Development and certified trainer, Jeff Morrison. This three-day session took place at the Ellis County Sportsman Club in Waxahachie from January 8th through the 10th. During the first two days, the weather couldn’t better! The Field Day trainer candidates learned several important lessons including how to actually break some clay targets! On the 3rd day, however, when these new trainers were scheduled to actually run a field day to certify 6 new SCTP coaches, the weather took a turn for the worst, the temperature dropped to low the 30s, snow started to fall at around 9am, and didn’t stop even when the training session was concluded at around 1pm!

The good news is, despite all the challenges laid upon these new trainers they managed to complete the very first Texas SCTP Field Day training in history, and delivered top-quality coaching techniques to the SCTP coaches who were certified that day!

For more information about the SCTP field day training, see https://www.shootingsports-ed.com/coachtraining/

Outdoor retailer SCHEELS has agreed to another 3-year sponsorship at the “Red Diamond” level in support of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), a youth development program of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF).

“SCHEELS is honored to be a proud supporter of the SCTP as they continue to grow and develop the sport of competitive shooting at the scholastic level,” said Marcus Thornton, VP of Marketing. “We are excited to help play a role in the mission of the SCTP and to aid in the further development of our youth through the excitement around shooting sports.”

“This consecutive 3-year commitment will mark the first-ever continued sponsorship at this level from a large sporting goods retailer for the SCTP and we are most grateful to them,” commented Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “The SCHEELS team understands how important our youth are to the shooting sports and has reset the bar in support of the youth shooting sports and youth development! We look forward to working with them for years to come!”

The SCTP is excited to be working with SCHEELS, with a focused partnership between SCTP teams and their respective community’s SCHEELS retail locations. The opportunity to start new teams in areas as well as grow in communities with current team/store overlap will prove to be a win-win scenario for some time!

About Scheels
SCHEELS is an employee-owned, privately held business that owes its consistent success to its empowered associates, leaders and partners who think and make decisions for their individual stores and the entire company. Today, SCHEELS is a 28-store operation with stores in 13 states including Colorado, North Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Texas, Nevada, Utah, and Kansas. Providing SCHEELS’ customers with first-class customer service and the world’s largest selection of sports, sportswear and footwear are the priorities throughout the organization.

More often than not, young athletes take a sense of responsibility to enthusiastically introduce their peers to their favorite shooting sport. By sharing the skills, values, and passion instilled by their own coaches, mentors, and teammates, the next generation of shooting ambassadors begin to make their mark on the shooting sports community as a whole.

Guest blog written by SCTP athlete, Amy Cawley. Amy can be found on Her Shooting Journey Youtube channel, Instagram, and Facebook

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As ambassadors for our sport, I believe it’s our job to continue to introduce others into the game as much as we can. Many of us remember when we were the ones being taken out for the first time and if that experience was a positive or negative one. My first experience was not the most positive which unfortunately led me away from the game for a few years.

Thankfully, a few years later I decided to try it again, I absolutely fell in love and want to help others bring people into the game the right way. Here are some ways we can make sure that we facilitate a positive first experience:

1. TALK THEM THROUGH SAFETY. Explain the top 3 rules to firearms safety: ALWAYS keep your gun pointed in a safe direction. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. This is also the time you should explain how the gun works to them. The more they understand and feel comfortable with the gun and safety, the more comfortable they will be out on the line
2. FIND A GUN THAT FITS THEM. There are a lot of well-meaning individuals who want to take people out for the first time and automatically put a really light gun in their hands with the thought being that they will be able to handle it better. Anyone who has shot one of those guns knows that they will more often than not kick the snot out of you. I was definitely a “victim” of this when I first started shooting and we want to avoid that. Do some research, bring a variety of guns to the range, check how each of the different guns fits the person and talk them through the experience explaining how things should feel.
3. SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS. No one wants to shoot if they keep missing targets. Take the individual over to a target like low 7 on the skeet field for their first few shots. There is not a lot of gun movement, they don’t have to worry about lead and you can get them to break that target relatively easily and quickly. This will build up their confidence and start off their experience on a really positive note. Another option is to take them halfway to the trap house, lock the machine down to throw straight out and get them breaking targets there. Once they feel confident breaking targets there, you can ask if they want to try something more difficult.
4. INCORPORATE BREAKS. Understand that if this person hasn’t shot before, their body is not used to using the muscles we use, and they feel recoil much more than you or I might. Encourage them to take breaks and ask questions so that they don’t hurt themselves and decide they don’t want to shoot again. Something we did while I was getting certified as an NRA Level 1 Shotgun Coach was shoot a round on our non dominant side. This allowed us all to understand again just how awkward things feel when you have never shot before. I highly recommend doing this or something similar before you take someone new out so that you have a better understanding of what they might be feeling.
5. COMMUNICATE OPENLY. Understand how they are feeling before they start shooting, while they are shooting and after they finish. Offer constant encouragement and remind them of how awesome they are throughout the entire day.

This is a fantastic sport and we want to make sure every time we take someone new out that it’s a positive experience! For more tips check out my Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts by searching “Her Shooting Journey”.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) is thrilled to announce its continued support from SKB Shotguns out of Omaha, Nebraska. SKB, known for its side by side, over/under, and single barrel competitive shotguns, will continue its support of the SCTP as a Gold level Sponsor in 2021. 

“SKB realizes the importance of supporting youth programs like the SCTP,” said Rob Johansen, Owner and CEO of SKB Shotguns. “Attracting and retaining youth athletes is crucial to the future of this sport. We are very happy to support a program that understands this and works hard every day to ensure tomorrow’s shooting athletes have an opportunity to participate in this great sport!”

“Rob Johansen, along with the entire SKB team has been a strong supporter of the SCTP, our coaches, and athlete families for years,” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “They offer quality competition shotguns at a great price for our youth shooters. Their historic support of our program has grown beyond a sponsor. In fact, we are honored to consider them a valuable partner in our mission of youth development through shooting sports! We appreciate their support throughout the years and trust in making the SCTP the number one youth shooting organization in the world!”

Rob and the SKB team will be at SCTP Regional, State, and National Championship events during the 2021 shooting year. Athletes at the SCTP National Championships will be able to try a suite of SKB offerings in the grandstands area for no charge.