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Author: SSSF Staff

SCTP Junior Olympic Development Camp Is a Hit

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SCTP has just completed its second Junior Olympic Development Camp of the year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The camps are held in conjunction with USA Shooting to help USAS identify SCTP athletes who may have the potential to become USA Shooting team members.

Both athletes and coaches participate in the Junior Olympic Development Camps. Athletes learn about the international shooting disciplines, engage in a little friendly competition, and enjoy rubbing elbows with Olympic athletes and coaches while living for a few days at the Olympic Training Center. Coaches gain the experience they need to train athletes in the international disciplines.

Athletes, coaches, and parents have nothing but glowing reviews of the camps:

    “I can’t say enough about how great this last week was. It really did exceed my expectations from every angle. I learned a bunch about my personal coaching style, about how to motivate these kids and how to ‘fill the hopper’ for USA Shooting. I doubt I’d be able to even say the one thing that was best about this week.”

    “Getting to know [the SCTP staff] only reinforced what I knew: that SCTP is a first-class organization with first-class people, and I’m proud to be associated with it. My personal confidence in being able to help these athletes has increased, and I know I’ve got a backup team to help when we hit a wall.”

    “Just wanted to thank you and the rest of the coaches for a great experience for the kids in Colorado Springs. What a fantastic program and opportunity for the kids to get the Olympic training experience, as well as try something new. We really appreciate the work that went into setting up and running this camp. Would not change a thing. Nice to have some new drills to take home to liven up practice.”

    “Your efforts are very much recognized and appreciated. [My son] has not stopped talking about the camp (which is unusual for him as he usually doesn’t say much in general).”

    “Thank you so much for all the work that went into holding the SCTP camp for the kids! I know how much goes into the planning and logistics, so we just wanted to let you know how much it is appreciated. [My son] had a great time and got a lot out of his time with the athletes and coaches at Ft. Carson.”

If you didn’t make it to one of the Junior Olympic Development Camps this year, plan to participate in a camp next year. Dates will be May 21-25 and August 9-16, 2015.

We’ve posted some photos from last week’s camp on our Facebook page.

Sporting Clays Shoot to Benefit Habitat for Humanity

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If you’re in Middle America this weekend, here’s something you can do that is fun and benefits a good cause.

SCTP shooter Corey Spruill and his father, coach James Spruill, of the Gateway Claybusters in Missouri, are hosting their annual sporting clays shoot to benefit Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, August 23.

Shooting for the 100-target event starts at 8 a.m.

Team entry is $300, and individuals may shoot for $75.

Click on the links below for more information and registration.

Event Flyer

Sponsor Information

Registration Form

Save the Date: College Regional Tournament, Oct. 31-Nov. 2

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The Scholastic Clay Target Program will be hosting a College Regional “Spooktacular” Tournament on October 31 – November 2 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois. The tournament is open to any and all colleges registered with SCTP. Plans are still coming together, but for now, save the date. You don’t want to miss this! Details will follow soon.

Scholastic Pistol Program teams: Do you want to be included in this fun event? If so, contact Tammy Mowry or Scott Moore to let us know.

Video: Shotgunning Advice from Skeet Legend LP Giambrone

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World Champion skeet shooter, instructor, and Hall of Famer Paul “LP” Giambrone III recently took time for an interview with Dan Hathaway, SSSF Director of Development, for the next issue of Inside SSSF e-magazine. But we’re giving you a preview now!

At only 28 years old, Giambrone has already won 15 World Skeet Championships and has been inducted into NSSA’s Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame. He continues to compete — and win — and operates a shooting school. He offers SCTP shooters and coaches his best tips for more shotgunning success:


Thanks to Paul ‘LP” Giambrone III for his time and advice. To learn about lessons or having LP to conduct a clinic in your area, visit his website at breakmoretargets.com. Special thanks also to Brent Edwards for editing this video.

SSSF Home Office Has Moved to San Antonio

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National Shooting ComplexIt’s moving day!

Effective immediately, Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is relocating home-office administration and financial operations from the current Maumee, Ohio office to the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas.

Plans for the move were originally announced in March, with a long time-frame for the move to allow for new staff to be hired and trained and to ensure there was no interruption of services to our program participants.

“As the Headquarters of the National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association, the National Shooting Complex is a natural choice to house the SSSF’s operations,” said Louise Terry, Chairperson of the SSSF Board of Directors. “Since we are the largest feeder program for youth shooters to NSSA-NSCA, we envision this as a win-win relationship.”

Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director, added, “We are pleased to call the National Shooting Complex home for our headquarters operations. Housing our key administrative and financial operations alongside an established and mature shooting sports organization such as the NSSA-NSCA will help us grow and give our home office perpetuity into the future.”

For most of your contacts with SCTP and SPP, nothing has changed. For program-specific requests, continue to contact the program staff as in the past. Contact for all of those staff members remains unchanged. Only for those reasons you might have contacted the Maumee, Ohio home office in the past will you now need to contact us in San Antonio.

You can find contact information for our home office and each program on every page of our website. Just scroll down the page, and you’ll find those contacts on the lower right side.

Our new home office contact information is:

SSSF
5931 Roft Road
San Antonio, TX 78253
210-448-8946

SCTP Athletes Dominate Top Scores at Junior Olympic Nationals

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Scholastic Clay Target Program athletes have long made their mark in national and international competition, but perhaps in no year has SCTP produced as many of the top shooters in the Olympic development program as in 2014. In every discipline, SCTP was well represented among the medalists in USA Shooting’s 2014 Junior Olympic National Championships held in Colorado Springs last month.

In International Skeet, four of the top six women’s scores were shot by SCTP athletes, while 11 of the top 16 men’s scores were recorded by SCTP shooters.

Among Bunker Trap shooters, nine of the top 16 women were from SCTP. Men’s shooters had a similar top-16 count, with all of the top six athletes and eight of the top nine being SCTP shooters.

SCTP almost made a clean sweep in Double Trap. Nineteen of the top 21 shooters and all of the top 10 are from SCTP.

“We’re very proud of the achievements of these SCTP members, and we’re anxiously watching their progress as they follow in the footsteps of such SCTP alums as Olympic gold medalists Kim Rhode and Vincent Hancock and bronze medalist Corey Cogdell,” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “The state, regional, and national competitions provided by SCTP allow athletes to learn their sport, improve their skills, and gain the competitive experience they need to move on to the world stage.”

SCTP is an official feeder program to USA Shooting for shotgun disciplines. The National Junior Olympic Program serves as an important element of USA Shooting’s pipeline development system in promoting the shooting sports. The goal of Junior Olympics is to allow skilled junior athletes to obtain national competitive experience for future development. The program also serves as an opportunity to appoint the top finishers to the National Junior Team. Click here for more information on the National Junior Olympic Program.

SSSF Extends Agreement with WSRC to Host Nationals Through 2017

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Art Ashbrook, Ben Berka
Art Ashbrook, left, and Ben Berka

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation has contracted with the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) to hold its National Team Championships at the Sparta, Illinois facility through 2017. Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director, and Art Ashbrook, WSRC Executive Director, signed the agreement recently to formalize the three-year extension of the foundation’s relationship with the complex.

“We are pleased to call Sparta ‘Home of the SSSF National Championships’ and look forward to meeting our SSSF extended family there each year during the second full week of July,” said Berka. “The Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex are great to work with and are committed to working together with the SSSF to accommodate our growth, both in numbers of participants and in the diversity of events we are offering.”

WSRA’s Ashbrook echoed those sentiments. “The World Shooting and Recreational Complex and the IDNR are extremely pleased by the commitment of the SSSF to hold its National Championships here for the next three years, and hopefully for the next 100,” said Ashbrook. “We think we work very well together, serving the community and young shooters alike.”

More than 10,000 people came to Sparta for the 2014 SCTP National Team Championship and SPP Junior/Senior National Championship at the WSRC in July, including approximately 2500 shooters plus coaches, family members, and other supporters.

SCTP Shooters Compete in International Disciplines

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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:

National Junior Team
L-R: Nic Moschetti, Hank Garvey, Myles Walker, and Roe Reynolds. (Perry Hintz Photo)

  • 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.

See Photos from National Championships for International Disciplines

Gold Medal winners include:

International Skeet

Squad – OpenTampa Bay Clays (FL)
Squad – SeniorDes Moines Clay Crushers (IA)
Individual Men’s CollegiateClayton MoniotKansas City Crushers (KS)
Individual Boys SeniorNic MoschettiTSSC Bears (CO)
Individual Boys IntermediateDillon RomeroCody Clay Crushers (WY)
Individual Girls SeniorMolly SheehanMinute Man Sharpshooters (MA)

International Trap Doubles

Squad – OpenArizona Outdoor Sports (AZ)
Squad – SeniorMinute Man Sharpshooters (MA)
Individual Men’s CollegiateJordan HintzBHS Demons (WI)
Individual Boys SeniorHank GarveyMinute Man Sharpshooters (MA)
Individual Boys IntermediateSam LamaCenterburg Youth SS (OH)
Individual Girls SeniorMadelynn BernauWaterford H.S. Trap Team (WI)

Bunker Trap

Squad – OpenU.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)
Squad – SeniorCTC-Tennessee Blue (TN)
Individual Men’s CollegiateMyles WalkerBHS Demons (WI)
Individual Boys SeniorRoe ReynoldsCentral Ark. Shotgun Team (AR)
Individual Boys IntermediateGabriel ShandlesU.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)
Individual Boys RookieJoshua VegaU.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)
Individual Girls SeniorGrace HambuchenCentral Ark. Shotgun Team (AR)
Individual Girls IntermediateLogan SmithU.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)

See full scores and results.

Kim Rhode to Serve as Honorary Fundraising Chairperson

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Five-time Olympic medalist is SCTP Alumna

Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is pleased to announce that Olympic Gold Medalist Kim Rhode will serve as its Honorary Fundraising Chairperson for 2014-2015. Kim is an alumna of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), having been involved in the earliest days of SCTP.

Kim Rhode“SCTP was very important to me as I began my competitive shooting career, and I am very pleased to lend my support to promote its ongoing growth,” said Rhode.

“Kim represents the best attributes of our program and is a tremendous role model for our youth, not only as an Olympic athlete, but also now as a hard-working mom,” said Louise Terry, Chairperson of the SSSF Board of Directors. “Her extraordinary success in her career is due to her dedication to our sport and to her persistent pursuit of her personal goals. We are very proud of Kim and her outstanding achievements.”

Kim Rhode starting shooting skeet at age 10 and won her first World Championship in American skeet only three years later. She won her first Olympic gold medal in women’s double trap at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, making the 17-year-old the youngest female gold medalist in the history of Olympic shooting. Kim followed this performance with a bronze at the Sydney Games in 2000 and another gold medal in double trap in 2004 at the Athens Games.

When women’s double trap was eliminated from the Olympics following the 2004 Games, Kim refocused on international skeet, winning the silver medal in 2008 in Beijing and her third Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games, equaling the world record of 99/100 targets and making her the most decorated Olympic female shooter in history. In addition to her five Olympic medals, Kim has won 13 world championships, plus two ISSF World Cup wins in 2014 as she prepares for her sixth Olympic appearance in Rio in 2016.

“Kim is also a Charter Member of the SSSF Champion’s Roundtable for major supporters,” said Dan Hathaway, Director of Foundation Development. ”Her leadership is most welcome as we embark on our new fundraising efforts.”

SCTP and SPP Make History with National Championships

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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.

See National Championship Scores and Results

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.”

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