2020-21 New Season Announcement

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Greetings SCTP and SASP Coaches,

As a reminder, September 1st marks the beginning of a new season with the Scholastic Clay Target and Scholastic Action Shooting Programs. Membership renewals for coaches and athletes are required to retain member benefits including liability insurance, use of the SSSF SHOT system and eligibility to participate in all of the great SCTP and SASP events at the local, virtual, state, regional, and national levels. In addition, membership is required to take full advantage of all of the SCTP/SASP deals and promotions and fundraisers as well as camp opportunities, scholarships and the All Scholastic Team.

NOTE: If starting a new team, the head coach and/or team administrator should initiate these steps. In most cases the head coach/team administrator will also coordinate registration for all members of their local team. New teams are encouraged to watch our video tutorial on how to register.

Requirements for team and volunteer registration are as follows:

  1. Login to the SHOT System to create your new team and register your first coach.
  2. Create (new teams) or update (returning teams) your information on the SHOT System. See video tutorial for more information.
  3. Additional coaches / volunteers must be added through an invitation process in the SHOT System. Please watch our video tutorial on how to add a new coach or volunteer to your team.
  4. Pay your $35 registration fee for each volunteer. Fees can be paid online through the SHOT system individually or in bulk.
  5. Ensure your background check is current (a new check is required every two years) by logging into the SHOT system to verify the last date approved.
  6. Take the Positive Coaching Alliance Double Goal Coaches Course if you have not done so previously. There is no cost for the course when using the SSSF-provided voucher code. Volunteers must take this course only one time.

The requirement for registration of all athletes are as follows:

  1. Complete and return a 2020/2021 athlete consent/waiver form for SCTP and/or SASP for each athlete. Head coaches must keep a copy of the signed form and return the original to the program office listed on the form.
  2. Complete and retain the 2020/2021 Sportsmanship Contract form for SCTP and/or SASP for each athlete.
  3. Complete and retain the 2020/2021 Medical Consent form for SCTP and/or SASP for each athlete.
  4. Update the athlete information pages in the SHOT system. Ensure all contact information is correct and update the School Class and Classification information for each athlete.
  5. Pay the $25 athlete registration fee for each athlete. Fees can be paid online through the SHOT system individually or in bulk.
  6. Join and/or renew memberships with the National Governing Bodies (NGB) for skeet (NSSA), sporting clays (NSCA) and / or trap (ATA). NGB membership is a requirement to participate in SCTP state, regional and national championship events.

Thank you for your participation in the SCTP and SASP! If you have any questions on the registration process please contact your state advisor, regional program representative or national program staff member.

Be safe, have fun and enjoy another great season!

Sincerely,

Your Scholastic Action Shooting and Scholastic Clay Target Program Staff

Joey Donato Wins Browning Scholarship With Performance At SCTP Nationals

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For the last 4 years, Titanium-Level Sponsor, Browning has provided SCTP National Championship athletes with the opportunity to earn the “Browning Scholarship”. This scholarship is awarded to the high school-aged top athlete in Trap Singles (male or female) shooting a Browning Shotgun.

“The biggest supporters of our program consistently go above and beyond to give back to these young athletes, said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. “Since its inception, the Browning Scholarship has been a popular competition within the National Championship events. Every year we have athletes who shoot Browning shotguns sign up to see who comes out on top, receiving honors from one of our biggest program sponsors. This year was no different and we are very thankful to have Browning’s support, creating another exciting aspect of competition for many athletes at Nationals.”

Congratulations to Joey Donato of the Warren County Claybusters, shooting a 199/200 in Trap Singles! For his performance, Browning provided Joey with a Cynergy Gran Lightning!

Pennsylvania All-State Team Member and Browning Scholarship Winner, Joey Donato with his new Browning Cynergy Gran Lightning

SCTP 2021 Olympic & Sporting Clays Development (OSCD) Camp

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Guest blog by Michelle Cerino, Women’s Outdoor News

From May 27 through 29, I attended the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) 2021 Olympic & Sporting Clays Development Camp (OSCD) as part of the CZ-USA Field Sports event staff. It took place at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, OH, just 1.5 hours from my house. 

The Camp
Designed to introduce SCTP Athletes to Olympic Skeet, Bunker Trap and Sporting Clays, the OSCD camp was conducted by the National SCTP Coaching Staff and national coaches. Coaches included former Olympian, Terri DeWitt, for the international disciplines and CZ-USA’s David Miller, for sporting clays. Registered SCTP Athletes, SCTP Coaches and State Advisors were invited to apply.
Prior to the arrival of the athletes, coaches and advisors spent two days learning various skills and teaching techniques through a hands-on experience on how to more effectively instruct SCTP athletes. On the evening of the second day, the athletes arrived. (Which is also when I drove down … just in time for dinner.)

SCTP Athletes Arrive
The group of athletes and their parents came from all over the country. Colorado, Arizona, Florida and Wyoming are just a few of the states represented. It was obvious they were all eager and ready to learn. With notebooks in hand, they all sat quietly while intently listening to the coaching staff’s introductions and athletic mindset teaching points. Always the student, I also took notes. The following are some of the key ideas I wrote down my first evening at camp:

  • What went well? How did I succeed today? (This question was asked at the end of every day.)
  • In order to grow, you should expect to fail. The question is, “Can you pick yourself up?”
  • What does a win look like?
  • Champions never quit.
  • Set realistic goals.
  • Consider competition as, “I’m going to show you what I’ve been working on.”
  • How do you react when you fail?
Read the full article at Women’s Outdoor News

Dream Team Prepares New SCTP International Championship Venue

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A TEAM OF TARGET THROWING SPECIALISTS, ELECTRICIANS, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS, AND PROJECT MANAGERS HAD THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM. THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF CONCRETE TO BE POURED, HUNDREDS OF TONS OF DIRT TO BE MOVED, AND OVER 60 TRAPS WITH SUPPORTING EQUIPMENT TO BE INSTALLED. THEY HAVE LESS THAN A MONTH TO GET IT DONE, AND THE SUCCESS OF A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HANGS IN THE BALANCE.

On June 1st, the green light is given to proceed. It is a decision carefully considered over dozens of hours of board meetings, tense phone calls, email chains to infinity, and many restless nights. By this time last year, logistics of the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s (SCTP) National Championship had in large part already been buttoned up and were in motion. 2020 was different for many reasons. The SCTP International Championship had historically been held each fall in Colorado as a separate event, whereas the National Championship is locked in for the second week of July in a 10-year contract for the Cardinal Center.

In January, the SCTP announced the International disciplines of Bunker Trap and International Skeet would be joining the National Championship events at the Cardinal Center in July. With the support of Larry and Brenda Potterfield, SSSF, Promatic, and the Cardinal Shooting Center, a project was drafted to accommodate the International events by constructing four, state of the art International Skeet and Bunker field overlays, complete with Promatic target throwing systems. Placing the International events on the front end of Nationals would give athletes more exposure to the Olympic sports as well as cutting the costs and logistics of another trip for teams and families. But as April came and went, the pandemic in America continued to send ripples through society, putting the project managers for the International Championship in a holding pattern.

Over 16,000 SCTP athletes and coaches were eagerly waiting to hear news about Nationals. The SCTP provided resources for teams to stay sharp during the downtime but nervously watched as other sports organizations throughout the country postponed or canceled seasons. High school senior athletes were dreading that there would be no National title pursuits to close out their final seasons.

In May, the SCTP continued to hold on an official Nationals announcement, continually monitoring information from the state of Ohio, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morrow County (OH) Department of Health, and representatives from the Cardinal Center in their consideration. Additional input came in throughout the month from health professionals and feedback from SCTP coaches, helping shape the decision to go forward with the National Championship event as planned on June 1st.

THIS SET THE STAGE FOR AN INCREDIBLY FAST-PACED TIMELINE TO EXECUTE THE TRADITIONAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PREPARATIONS, MUCH LESS INTEGRATING AN ENTIRE INTERNATIONAL STYLE CHAMPIONSHIP INTO THE SCHEDULE.

“Clear, consistent communication was key on this project,” said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. “With the time ticking and athletes, coaches, families, sponsors, looking to see if Nationals was a go, the weight of moving the International events to the front end of Nationals grew heavier as time went on. Throughout all of this, those involved in the project remained optimistic and eager to get to work. On June 1st, everyone hit the ground running, ready to execute their piece of the project.”

The Promatic team took point early on in the year, getting plans set with the Cardinal Center staff and contractors. Promatic representatives said, “Every event is important but the SCTP project at the Cardinal Center was special, knowing that all the American and International disciplines were under one roof for the first time ever in SCTP history. As soon as the Cardinal Center got enough earth moved to get the initial structure built, we were on our way with a trailer full of throwers and equipment.”

WITH THE PLANS DIALED IN, THE PROMATIC TEAM GOT TO WORK INSTALLING PROMATIC OLYMPIC TRAP UNITS INTO THE BUNKERS, WITH THE SCTP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FAST APPROACHING.

Another Promatic technician reflected on the project saying, “Once we were on the ground we were all just plugging away, working with and around each other to get all of our parts of the bunkers done. With a project as important as this, you expect for Murphy’s law to come into play. We were all thinking the weather would come in to wreak havoc, but not so much as a drop of water hit the ground. With so many aspects of the project happening at one time, rain would have been disastrous. We were on the ground on the 25th of June and wrapped things up by July 3rd. It could not have gone any smoother!”

Much like the installation project, the 2020 SCTP National Championship went off without a hitch, with athlete entries in Bunker Trap doubling from the previous year. The International Skeet and Bunker Trap finals closed out each event, with the top 3 male and female athletes in each discipline determining slots for the SCTP International Team, coached by former Olympian, Terri DeWitt. Familiar faces returned, along with some new athletes earning their slot on the prestigious youth shooting team. The group will be attending training camps in the fall in order to prepare for 2021’s Olympic Trials. As the official youth feeder program of USA Shooting, participating in SCTP’s International Disciplines is the path for kids to reach their Olympic dreams.

The 2021 National Championships are slated for July 8-19th, with the International events taking place on the 8th-11th. An additional Bunker Trap field, complete with Promatic equipment will be completed next spring, bringing the total number at the Cardinal Shooting Center to five. This greatly expands the capabilities of hosting International Style Competitions, a rarity in the United States.

SCTP Expands National Championship Events With Incredible Success

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Over the course of 10 days, SCTP athletes converged on the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio for the much anticipated 2020 National Championship. This year’s event was different for many reasons but was resoundingly welcomed by athletes, coaches, families, and sponsors in the midst of an unusual season. After careful consideration and advisement from the Ohio Department of Health, Cardinal Shooting Center, and medical professionals, the SCTP went forward putting on the National Championship on July 9th through the 18th.

Kicking off the event at the Cardinal Center were the SCTP International Championships, which historically had been held in Colorado later in the year.

Encouraging growth and awareness for the International disciplines of International Skeet and Bunker Trap, the SCTP held the International events on the front end of the National Championship in 2020. “This gave the opportunity for more athletes to participate in the International disciplines while relieving families from the burden of additional travel costs from a separate event,” said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. “By having our International events as part of the National Championship, awareness and participation for these disciplines have increased considerably. This year our Bunker Trap entries doubled and we had many athletes who were competing in events later in the week come by to watch the International competitions. Many of those athletes will be coming back to compete in the International disciplines next year! Our International Championship was a wonderful success thanks to Promatic, The Potterfield family, and the Cardinal Center staff. Everyone worked incredibly hard on a very tight deadline to construct the new bunker fields for this event.“

Following the International competitions were the familiar 8 days of the SCTP National Championship, where thousands of athletes, coaches, families, and sponsors participated in and supported the disciplines of Skeet (Singles/Doubles), Trap (Singles/Doubles/Handicap), and Sporting Clays.

To accommodate teams unable to travel due to unusual restrictions in the 2020 season, the SCTP held a Virtual National Championship, which was open to all registered teams across the country. Held in conjunction with the in-person National Championships schedule at the Cardinal Center, athletes participated at their home ranges, accounting for over 1,000 event entries. “Many of our teams were very excited and thankful for the opportunity to compete for the National Championship virtually from their home range this year,” said Chet Tuinstra, SCTP Eastern Director of Development. “There are many aspects of the 2020 National Championship that had never been done before. We are incredibly proud of how this all came together and are very thankful for the volunteers, sponsors, and Cardinal Center staff who helped make this such a success.”

Over 2,000 athletes from nearly 300 teams participated in the 2020 SCTP National Championships, representing 37 states. Youth athletes participating in many other sports throughout the country were faced with disappointment this spring from altered and even canceled seasons. “Our team put in many, many hours considering how to handle an event as large as Nationals in the midst of an unusual season,” said Jeff Morrison, SCTP Western Director of Development. “By June, we moved forward with hosting Regional events and the National Championship. As soon we put the word out, we got many excited messages from the teams and even encouragement from our sponsors.”

By the close of Nationals, over one-million clays were thrown at the Cardinal Center and all over the nation from team home ranges,” beamed Amanda Wondrash, SCTP Administrative Coordinator.

“The SCTP National Championship is an incredibly large and prestigious event, regarded highly by so many teams, families, and supporters who believe in the future of shooting sports.We are so thankful to have received an overwhelming amount of praise and appreciation for not just going forward with Nationals, but for also having the determination to adapt and even expand the event this year.”

Media from member-submitted photo and video can be viewed on Facebook or Instagram by exploring #sctpnationals2020

For scores and leaderboard information from the 2020 SCTP National Championship, please see the following link: https://app.sssfonline.com/nationals/2551

SSSF to partner with NSSF on First Shots, +ONE Efforts

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The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is proud to announce it has partnered with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to promote youth shooting sports with the First Shots® program and +ONE Movement initiatives. With a year-round season, the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) look forward to promoting awareness throughout the year, with focused attention to National Shooting Sports Month in August. Using additional resources from the NSSF, the Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program will focus on introducing new athletes and families to shooting sports who may not have otherwise had the opportunity. This exciting partnership will be implemented with the help of passionate volunteers currently involved in the SCTP and SASP.

“With thousands of skilled and caring adult volunteers involved in our programs across the country, our community can make a big difference, said Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director. The SCTP was started by NSSF, and its goal of growing the shooting sports continues to align perfectly with our program mission statements. We look forward to working with our member teams to help grow the shooting sports even further with the help of NSSF’s+ONE and First Shots resources”

One SASP team in particular has seen great success being involved with NSSF’s First Shots Program. The WildGats at the University of Arizona got their start in 2015 thanks to an NSSF grant and have been an enthusiastic partner for NSSF initiatives ever since.

“It has been a great partnership,” said Head Coach Bill Perkins. “It is a no brainer for the host range since we provide the coaches and some equipment. Some ranges do not have the people power to run an event like this with the high staff to participant ratio.”

“It is also great for our team because of the publicity and recruiting opportunities. We have recruited athletes from our university, the general public, scout councils, ROTC units and have a direct line to conduct outreach to our community. The SASP focuses on youth development through shooting sports and the community service aspect of hosting a First Shots is unique. The event allows us to use our skills and equipment to teach gun safety and the fundamentals of marksmanship to many new gun owners in our community and it gives our athlete coaches a great experience mentoring others.” The WildGats have their next First Shots event scheduled for Aug 22nd to coincide with National Shooting Sports Month.

We encourage all SASP and SCTP teams to use NSSF’s First Shots and +ONE initiatives to engage with their local communities! Share your sport, youth shooting sports program, and passion with others! Consider doing a +ONE Challenge event type where your existing team members introduce a friend or family member to the shooting sports. Better yet, host a First Shots event and receive all the support materials for your First Shots participants. As a First Shots host, NSSF provides the course materials and digital resources, eye/ear protection, rimfire ammunition for handgun and rifle intro events and monetary support for First Shots Clay Targets events to help offset target and ammunition expenses.      

For more information, checklists, tips, and resources please see the following NSSF links:

First Shots Clay Targets

First Shots Home

If you have any questions about getting signed on, contact Zach Snow, NSSF Director, Retail & Range Business Development at zsnow@nssf.org or call 203-426-1320 ext. 224.

2020 SCTP All-State Team Members

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The Scholastic Clay Target Program is happy to announce your All-State Team members for 2020!

The 2020 All-State Team standings were compiled from the 2020 National Championship scores shot in OH at the Cardinal Center, with All-State Team members receiving designating jerseys. The top 3 teams in each of the main event disciplines receive custom belt buckles for their performances at Nationals!

If your athlete did not receive their jersey or buckle in person, they will be mailed in the coming weeks. 


Congratulations to all athletes!

Skeet All-State Teams

Sporting Clays All-State Teams

Trap All-State Teams

2020 SCTP National Virtual Championship Results!

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*Please note – all teams must have 3 or more athletes in a division for all Skeet disciplines to form a competitive team score and must have 5 or more in all Trap disciplines to form a competitive team score in those events. As per the SCTP Handbook, squads with less than the required number of athletes are not officially a “competitive squad”!

Congratulations to all winning teams and athletes!

https://sssfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-National-Virtual-Scores.pdf

2020-National-Virtual-Scores

Announcing the Make A Break competition winners from the 2020 SCTP National Championship

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Winchester and the Scholastic Clay Target Program are proud to announce the winners of the Make A Break competition from the 2020 SCTP National Championship!

Congratulations to Melissa Grobleski of Forsyth Phoenix & Nathan Harris of Warriors. Each of them won 5 cases of Winchester Ammunition and a $150 gift card for the Winchester Store!

Nathan won the Saturday shootout between him and Melissa and also won a Winchester SX3 Compact 12ga. compliments of the SCTP!

Winchester Introduces New SCTP Packaging on Super-Target Shotshells

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Winchester Ammunition and the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) are once again teaming up — this time with new co-branded ammunition packaging.

“This is an opportunity to keep the SCTP organization in front of millions of our customers across the United States and build interest for their mission in support of the youth shooting sports,” said Matt Campbell, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition.

Winchester is the official ammunition of the SCTP and displays the organization’s logo on its widely popular Winchester Super-Target shotshell packages (symbols: TRGT128 and TRGTL128), which are now shipping to retailers and dealers nationwide.

“We want more people to learn what SCTP has to offer, and this is one way to get our brand exposed to more people,” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP national executive director. “We’re really proud of what the SCTP and SSSF organizations have been able to accomplish, and every year we see exponential growth in the number of teams and participants. We really couldn’t do it without the support of brands like Winchester.”

To ensure that this incredible trend of success continues, Winchester Ammunition has made substantial investments in the SCTP organization, including presence at the national competition in Marengo, Ohio, and a special ammunition purchase program for its teams.

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