Author: Tom Davis

Kolar Arms, USA firearms manufacturer specializing in competition shotguns has renewed its sponsorship of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). In addition to continuing its Gold Sponsorship of the youth development shooting sports program, Kolar Arms, along with Elite Shotguns has donated a Kolar Max O/U (valued at $12,000) to the SCTP for team fundraising. This program-wide raffle is an incredible fundraising opportunity for teams leading up to SCTP Nationals as well as a source of funding for the SCTP Scholarship program for 2021 graduating seniors.

“On behalf of Kolar Arms and Elite Shotguns, we are more than happy to support the SCTP in its mission of youth development through the shotgun sports” said Sean Mainland, Kolar Arms. “The SCTP understands the importance of getting the youth involved and preserving the future of our sport, Kolar Arms and Elite Shotguns are proud to be a big part of that!”

“Kolar has been an incredible partner for the SCTP since 2015,” exclaimed SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. “It is incredibly humbling to not only have a steadfast supporter of our program, but also to have a sponsor that graciously steps up to help our teams in other ways. The Kolar shotgun raffle is sure to create significant funding for our teams and scholarship program. We encourage all of those at the SCTP National Championship in July to stop by the Kolar and Elite Shotgun stores to thank them for their very generous donation on behalf of the SCTP!”

Save the date for the 2021/2022 SCTP College Nationals, returning to the historic fall schedule, October 7-10, 2021 at the Cardinal Shooting Center.

With last year’s large project to install international fields at the Cardinal Center, we are currently working on a larger role for International Disciplines to play in College Nationals and may look at starting those events on October 5^th.

Registration begins September 8th.

Taking place at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo Ohio, the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) conducted its College National Championship with resounding success. Home to the SCTP National events through the year 2029, the Cardinal Shooting Center facilitated the SCTP Collegiate events of Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays, Bunker Trap, International Skeet, and 5 Stand. Historically held in October, the event was moved to March to accommodate fall travel restrictions.

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