SPP Blog Archives - Page 10 of 21 - Scholastic Clay Target Program

Federal Premium Renews SCTP and SASP Sponsorship for 2017

Written on April 17, 2017.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is pleased to announce continued support from Federal Premium for the SSSF’s Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP). Federal Premium is a Bronze and Silver level sponsor for the SCTP and SASP respectively.

“We thank Federal Premium for recognizing the importance of youth shooting programs and renewing its partnership with the SASP,” Tammy Mowry, SASP national director, said. “Federal Premium’s rimfire and centerfire ammunition are huge assets to our athletes during competitions.”

Organizations like the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation that have great established programs such as SASP and SCTP are truly helping to move the needle with recruitment and retention of new shooting enthusiasts,” Jon Zinnel, education and conservation outreach for Vista Outdoor/Federal Premium Ammunition, said. “Federal Premium has been a longtime supporter of many youth shooting sports programs. We are proud to be stepping up as sponsors for both SASP and SCTP again this year and look forward to seeing their successes and growth.”

Tom Wondrash, SCTP national director, said, “We are thrilled to have Federal Premium return as a SCTP sponsor. We’ve enjoyed our relationship with them over the past year and look forward to watching that relationship bloom further.”

Federal Premium is a brand of Vista Outdoor Inc., a leading global designer, manufacturer and marketer of consumer products in the growing outdoor sports and recreation markets. Federal has an unparalleled commitment to conservation and safety in the industry. For more information go to www.federalpremium.com.

Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation Scholarship Program

Written on April 12, 2017.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is proud to announce the 2017 SCTP and SASP Scholarship Program. The scholarship program rewards deserving Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program graduating seniors with needed college assistance. Through this program the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation has provided over $200,000 in scholarship funds in the last four years to assist high school seniors in pursuing higher education. The main objective is to award as many scholarships as possible to qualifying SCTP / SASP graduating seniors. The application deadline is April 17^th so, apply now using our online application form at sssfonline.org!

SSSF is establishing minimal guidelines for the selection procedure, thus allowing the final selection to be as simple as possible.

General Procedures:

Each applicant must be a graduating senior within the year of the awarded scholarship and must be registered for college before the scholarship is awarded in that same year.
Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative Grade Point Average through the most recent grading period ending on or before April 1, 2017.
Each prospective recipient must be registered as a full-time college student before the scholarship is awarded and must provide the name of the post-secondary college or community/ junior college to receive the scholarship proceeds. Each scholarship check will be mailed to the appropriate college in the student’s name by October 1, The scholarship funds are to be used for tuition, fees, etc. This is a one-time, non-renewable scholarship.
Applicants may not be in receipt of any “full” scholarship funds in order to qualify (i.e., athletics, military academy, academic, etc. ).
Applicants must have participated during 2016-2017 in one of their SCTP / SASP State Championships, National Championships, or regional events in Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays, or Olympic Bunker; Olympic Skeet Championships, Pistol or Rifle.
Applicants must be able to complete all parts of the application packet:

Application / Personal Information Page:

One Page Student Resume or School and Non-School Activities and Honors
One Page Essay (see Essay Guidelines)
Must attach current high school transcript or home school transcript!

Funds will be awarded, if available, and the goal is to assist as many SCTP / SASP graduating high school seniors as possible.

Click here for the application.

Mail or Email Completed Applications:
SCTP – Tom Wondrash	~ OR ~	SASP – Tammy Mowry
165 Bay Ridge Lane		288 Crisswell Rd
Burlington, WI 53105		Butler, PA 16002
twondrash@sssfonline.com		tmowry@sssfonline.com

Application Deadline (for the entire application packet): April 17, 2017
All Materials Must Be Received by Deadline. No exceptions!

Congratulations to SCTP/SASP Finalists of Double Goal Coach Award

Written on February 14, 2017.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) congratulates Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) coach Joseph Gans and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) coaches Scott Poet and David Richman for being nominated as finalists for Positive Coaching Alliance’s prestigious Double-Goal Coach® Award presented by Deloitte.

PCA’s Double-Goal Coach Award is given to youth and high school sports coaches from throughout the U.S. who embody the ideals of the Double-Goal Coach, striving to win, while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. Fifty coaches will be selected from the finalist for the award.

The coaches said they are honored and humbled that their teams nominated them for the award.

Joseph Gans, coach of the Hazelton Area High School Cougars in Pennsylvania, said, “I normally don’t look for accolades, but it is quite an honor to be chosen among all the coaches out there. I am gratified my contribution to the sport of shooting and helping these young men and women achieve greatness has been recognized.”

Gans said aside from learning shooting skills and safety, he encourages the shooters to develop self-determination, proper attitude, self-control and focus.

Richman, coach of the Lake Country Action Shooters in Wisconsin, said he was elated and humbled to find out he’d been nominated as a finalist.

“I was so excited that someone had done this for me,” Richman said. “It makes me feel good inside. I’ve been coaching for more than 25 years and can say that the best reward is when a shooter comes back later to say thanks for helping him or her out.”

Richman says his goal as a coach is to show the shooters they’re in control and they have the ability to succeed.

“I never coach to win,” Richman said. “Preparation leads to practice, practice leads to performance and performance provides an outcome. That outcome doesn’t matter as long as the athletes are doing their best and giving it their all.”

Scott Poet, SASP state advisor (with his wife, Lisa) and coach of the Pistol Prodigies in Michigan, said he was shocked and “blown away” by the nomination.

“It was humbling and flattering to hear that our families went ahead and did that for us.”

Poet said he wants his shooters to learn team work and how to work with others.

“I also work to teach them about responsibility, safety and commitment to their team.”

The 50 national award winners will receive $200; a certificate; recognition in PCA’s website, newsletters and media campaigns; and the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to California to accept the honor during PCA’s National Youth Sports Awards Dinner and Auction Presented by Deloitte on Saturday, April 22, 2017 in Palo Alto, California.

Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation Seeks IT Developer

Written on January 24, 2017.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), the nation’s leader in youth development shooting sports programs, is seeking a part-time IT programmer as an independent contractor (IC) resource to assist in the creation of the next version of SSSF-proprietary Shooting Organizational Technology (SHOT) software. Successful applicant must be well-educated and experienced in ASP.NET programming and SQL Server administrative practices and functionality. For more information, read the complete Request for Proposal at www.sssfonline.org.

High School Seniors: Apply for NSSA-NSCA Scholarships

Written on January 23, 2017.

High school seniors, apply now for National Sporting Clays Association (NSSA) and National Skeet Shooting Association (NSCA) scholarship money. NSSA-NSCA has increased the number of scholarships being awarded to graduating seniors in 2017, and it’s doubled the amount of money to fund the scholarship program. Each organization will award four $2,500 scholarships for a total of eight recipients.

Applicants for the 2017 scholarships must be 2017 high school graduates with plans to enter a four-year college program by this fall. They must also be active participants in NSSA or NSCA.

The application process will also occur earlier for the 2017 program. The application deadline is March 1, 2017, which will allow the NSSA-NSCA to determine winners in time for presentations by school year-end and to help recipients make financial plans for their college education. Click here for applications.

Conservation Career Fair and Shooting Sports Clinic – February 18, Minneapolis, MN

Written on January 19, 2017.

Register now to attend the Conservation Career Fair and Shooting Sports Clinic taking place at Pheasant Fest on February 18th from 9:00AM to Noon at the Minneapolis Convention Center. All registered coaches and youth will be receive free admission to Pheasant Fest.

Pre-registration by February 1st is required! Register now!

This year’s keynote speaker will be professional shooter Steve Gould of Long Prarie, MN. Steve will inspire you to be intentional about your future by creating a vision, getting focused and pulling the trigger!

Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) national staff members are also included in the lineup of presentations and SCTP will also have a booth at Pheasant Fest for folks to drop by.

Attend our presentation and/or stop by the booth to learn more about the SCTP in 2017, new competition and fundraising opportunities plus MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment opportunities through the SCTP.

As a bonus, Pheasants Forever will be providing a $1,000 donation to your MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment account when you sign up for a MidwayUSA Foundation fundraising item at the show!

Pre-registration by February 1st is required! Register now!

MidwayUSA Foundation Matching Program 2017 Fundraising

Written on January 18, 2017.

All year the MidwayUSA Foundation will match donations, 2:1! The match for donations generated using the MidwayUSA Foundation’s FREE fundraising items is structured slightly different. All funds will be matched, but the size of the match is determined by the contribution made to a MidwayUSA Foundation Endowment.

After you’ve received your free item(s) and conducted your fundraiser, please complete the check donation form that corresponds with the item(s) to donate funds to your endowment. If this donation meets or exceeds the recommended donation for that item, you’ll receive a 2:1 match! Contribute less than the recommended donation and still receive a 1:1 match! The recommended donation amounts are listed with each item on our fundraising page.

The MidwayUSA Foundation wants to reward teams for growing their endowment, but the foundation also knows teams have expenses, today. Choose what works best for your team or program. Many items are available to use for fundraising and more are coming. Check out the fundraising page to see what your shooting program can use. For more on the Fundraising Matching Program, download this flyer or email fundraise@midwayusafoundation.org.

SSSF Donates Over $1.4M to MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Accounts

Written on January 18, 2017.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) recently donated $98,500 to Team Endowment Accounts at the MidwayUSA Foundation to complete all 2016 donations. Last year the SSSF donated over $1.4 million to benefit 244 teams participating in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) across 35 different states.

The SSSF plans to donate over $1.5 million in 2017 to participating SCTP and SASP Team Endowment accounts at the MidwayUSA Foundation.

The SSSF provides SCTP and SASP member-teams the opportunity to earn MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Account funds through placements in SSSF-sponsored competitions and by participating in SCTP and SASP fundraising activities benefiting local shooting sports communities. Please contact the SSSF for more information on how your shooting team can participate in 2017.

The donations from SSSF to MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Accounts established to benefit SCTP and SASP member-teams are made possible, in part, by grants to the SSSF from the Tulsa Community Foundation Youth Shooting Fund established and funded by the generosity of Larry and Brenda Potterfield.

The Team Endowment Account Program at the MidwayUSA Foundation gives a community the ability to financially support a competitive youth shooting sports program or financially assist in the start-up of a new youth shooting sports program. The team can then request a grant of up to 5% of their endowment account balance once each year, in either December or June, to pay for team expenses. There are no fees associated with a MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Account.

About MidwayUSA Foundation

The MidwayUSA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity working to sustain the shooting sports industry by providing long-term funding to youth shooting teams. Every donation made is 100% tax deductible and supports the mission to help communities and organizations raise funds to support their youth shooting team.

For more information about the MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc., please visit www.midwayusafoundation.org or call 1-877-375-4570.

Check Out “Inside SSSF” Newsletter for a 2016 Year in Review

Written on January 3, 2017.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is excited to release its 2016 year in review digital newsletter, Inside SSSF!

Inside you’ll find stories and exciting images highlighting SCTP, SASP and SSSF events, programs and happenings in 2016.

You’ll read about the Vision 20/20 Campaign, get a recap on the 2016 Nationals and SCTP International Championships, learn about the 2016 scholarship and gun winners, find out 2016 program stats and much, much more!

“We want to thank everyone who participated in and generously contributed to our programs this year,” SSSF President and Executive Director Ben Berka, said. “We wish you all a happy and prosperous 2017!!”

Read the 2016 edition of Inside SSSF online now.

Annie Get Your Gun, You Too Taylor

Written on July 14, 2016.

Participation by women – in this case perhaps girls – here in at the SCTP and SASP National Championships is, well, high. Girls account for nearly 1 in every 5 shooters with 19.3% of the total. By sport the numbers are more interesting.

In the shotgun sports of SCTP the girls make up 17.7% of the shooters. But when it comes to the pistol and rifle sports of SASP, girls are now 30.7% of the total shooters.

One of those girls helping to drive up participation is 11-year-old Taylor Diener of the Union Grove Shooting Club in Wisconsin.

Taylor started shooting trap two years ago and just this past March made the leap into rimfire rifle competition in preparation for this year’s SASP Nationals. On the range she’s hard to miss, unless of course she’s surrounded by a cluster of adults who all tower over her. Cute and confident she seems totally unfazed by either the flood of attention given to young new shooters like her or the pressure of competing at the national level.

Even when her rifle magazine has a feeding issue, a world ending disaster in the minds of many competitive shooters racing the timer, Taylor calmly keeps working the action and pulling the trigger.

A lot of the young shooters, and several of the young girls shooting, demonstrate this same poise under pressure. And after, rather than voice any frustration or disappointment, Taylor focuses on the future, as in next year when she plans to add doubles trap, maybe sporting clays and even rimfire pistol to her shooting schedule.

No wonder participation by girls – and of course women – continues to grow in the shooting sports.