SSSF News and Information Archives - Page 30 of 43

Iowa SCTP Surpasses Million Target Mark

Written on June 13, 2015.

The Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program, an affiliate state program, reached a major milestone in May by breaking the one million target mark for trapshooting league play.

Like many other traditional sports, Iowa’s trapshooting league is a spring sport consisting of face-to-face competition throughout the state between April 1 and May 24. In all, 58 different shooting facilities conducted 380 league matches at which 1,088,400 targets were shot during the course of the trap season. An additional 60,150 targets were shot in SCTP skeet and sporting clays leagues.

League play in Iowa is facilitated by the SSSF’s SHooting Organization Technology (SHOT) system, which provides coaches with the registration, league, and shoot management tools needed to navigate the season smoothly and efficiently.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) serves as state advisor for both SCTP and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) and has invested in these programs since 2006. The department provides ongoing program administration, shooting coach education, and staffing for state championship and other major events. When the department adopted the program in 2006, about 400 student athletes were involved. Today, over 3,000 participate.

“Passing the one million mark for clay targets is a major milestone for our youth trapshooting program,” said Chuck Gipp, director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “The shooting sports program continues to grow each year and is helping us to draw kids back outside and get reacquainted with the outdoors, and that is one of our major goals as a department.”

As state advisor, the Iowa DNR is supported by the Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program, Inc. and by the SCTP staff.

“We are very proud of Iowa’s accomplishments and happy to support them,” added Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “Iowa has been the leader in our national program both in athletes and teams and in helping to develop our SHOT v5 system that is now used across the country. We have many great teams and coaches leading the way there.”

The spring trapshooting season in Iowa culminated at the recent high school and SCTP state trap championship events in Cedar Falls, Iowa, hosted by the Iowa State Trapshooting Association. The championship weekend saw perfect weather where 2,031 athletes shot an additional 355,000 targets to conclude the in-state season. Many Iowa teams will continue on to Sparta, Illinois to compete at the SCTP National Team Championships, July 13-18, where nearly 3,000 athletes are expected to participate.

Plan Your Trip to Nationals with the 2015 National Team Championships Program

Written on June 8, 2015.

You can learn about everything that’s happening at the 2015 National Team Championships with the event program, and it’s ready for your perusal. Use it to plan your schedule, learn about side events, or just stoke your excitement for the biggest event of the year!

The program also includes information on the SCTP International-Style National Championships in Colorado Springs.

View Nationals Program

The SCTP and SPP National Team Championships will be July 13-18 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois. Based on opening-week registrations that were almost double 2014 numbers, staff are expecting to have a record-breaking event.

If your team hasn’t yet registered, do it today!

Meet Olympic Gold Medalist Vincent Hancock at the National Championships in Sparta

Written on June 7, 2015.

SSSF is pleased to announce that two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Vincent Hancock will be attending the SCTP National Championships to meet YOU!

Vincent won Gold Medals in Men’s Skeet at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and is the first Olympic skeet shooter to win Gold Medals in the same event in consecutive Olympic games.

He will be attending Nationals on Wednesday, July 15 through Friday, July 17 and will be available for autographs, photos, and some special events to be announced later. Watch our website and Range Time newsletter for announcements about when and where you can meet Vincent.

Vincent is sponsored by Zanders Sporting Goods and NobelSport Italia.

SCTP Nationals Registration Opens with a Bang!

Written on June 6, 2015.

June 1 was much anticipated by Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) teams across the country, as it marked the opening of registration for the 2015 SCTP National Team Championships. Based on the first day’s registrations, staff are predicting another record-breaking event.

In the first 24 hours of open registration for the July 13-18 tournament, the program saw 66 teams register 1036 athletes. Eighteen states were represented with 2,026 event registrations filed.

“These numbers are incredible; they doubled last year’s first-day totals,” commented Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “Coaches set their alarm clocks to wake up at 12:01 on June 1 to register their teams!”

While the numbers are already up significantly from last year’s registrations, Wondrash points out that there will be enough shooting slots at the spacious World Shooting and Recreational Complex to fit in every team wanting to attend.

The Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) will also hold its National Junior/Senior Championships in conjunction with the SCTP tournament. In its third year, the SPP event has registered 259 athletes from 24 teams in 13 states to date.

New SCTP side events include 16-yard Preliminary Singles Trap and a coach/athlete trap shoot. Team endowment funding, games, and many industry representatives will also be on hand all week. With appearances by people like MidwayUSA’s own Larry and Brenda Potterfield on Tuesday, July 14, Olympic Gold Medalist Vincent Hancock on Wednesday through Friday, shooting exhibitions and clinics by professional shooters, and more exciting events still to be announced, SCTP and SPP are looking at a very busy and exciting week in Sparta, Illinois!

GLOCK Launches Annual Safety Pledge Drive

Written on June 6, 2015.

GLOCK, Inc. continues to spread the message of firearms safety with its annual GLOCK Safety Pledge Drive. The drive coincides with June National Safety Month and will run from June 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015. Pledgees may make their commitment as well as learn more about firearms safety at us.GLOCK.com/safetypledge.

GLOCK actively works year-round to promote firearms safety across the United States, joining the community of law enforcement, community leaders, businesses, and the firearms industry to raise public awareness about reducing firearm incidents. According to the company, responsibility of practicing and promoting firearms safety is an ongoing and everyday commitment. Firearms safety is intrinsically worked into every facet of the company’s ethos, from product design to community outreach.

“As a firearms manufacturer and a leader in the industry, it is GLOCK’s first and foremost responsibility to teach and promote firearms safety within the industry as well as outside of it,” said Josh Dorsey, vice president at GLOCK. “Safety is an issue that puts us all on the same page.”

The campaign will be promoted primarily through social networks. Participants and partners are encouraged to share throughout their own social channels to bring awareness to the nationwide safety campaign. Among the many safety programs slated for June, GLOCK has committed to community events focused on educating parents about securely storing firearms and talking to their children about firearm safety.

GLOCK will present the GLOCK Safety Ambassador of the Year Award to the individual or organization that demonstrates the promotion of firearms safety by driving pledges throughout their community to the GLOCK pledge page. In 2014, the award went to the Marietta (GA) Police Department for their dedicated efforts to drive pledges through a series of firearm safety education community meetings.

Pledge your personal commitment to firearms safety today. Practice the basic rules of firearms safety and always use the proper shooting equipment such as eye and ear protection. Keep firearms properly and securely stored. Promote firearms safety to your friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

MidwayUSA Foundation Grant Deadline Is June 15

Written on May 30, 2015.

MidwayUSA Foundation’s grant cycle is in full swing! The foundation is now accepting applications from teams for grants to pay for shoot entry fees, uniforms, ammunition, and other team expenses, and the deadline for this cycle is fast approaching.

Any team with a balance in its MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Account can apply for a grant once a year. If you have an account balance and did not apply for a grant in December, you are eligible.

The deadline to apply for a grant during this cycle is June 15.

Want to receive your funds even faster? Choose the option of direct deposit when you apply.

You can learn more about the grant program on the MidwayUSA Foundation website.

SSSF Awards 2015 Scholarships to 65 Student Athletes

Written on May 30, 2015.

Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is proud to announce the 2015 recipients in our SSSF Scholarship Program. Sixty-five SCTP and SPP student athletes will receive scholarships totaling $57,000. SSSF will add another $4,000 to that total in July when it awards scholarships to four additional athletes during Last Competitor Standing events at its 2015 National Championships.

From 2013 through its 2015 distributions, SSSF will have awarded $140,000 in scholarship funds to 148 student athletes in the SCTP and SPP programs.

Athletes who graduated from high school in 2015 and will enroll in college this year were eligible to apply for this year’s scholarships. Awards are based on SCTP/SPP participation, academics, need, and other factors.

The scholarships are being funded by generous sponsors who support our youth shooting programs, as well as supporters who raise funds through national banquets. For the SCTP scholarships, the National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association (NSSA-NSCA) contributed $10,000 for 10 awards, and an additional $8,500 was provided by the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA), GunBroker.com, NRA, Hodgdon Powder, Zanders Sporting Goods, and MEC.

Of the eight $1000 scholarships being awarded to SPP athletes, six are being funded by a donation from Smith & Wesson, while others are being funded by a $1000 donation each from the Joyce Wilson Women in the Shooting Sports Scholarship and the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA).

Congratulations to the following 2015 scholarship recipients:

Scholastic Clay Target Program Athletes

Scholarships are funded by the SSSF and NSSA-NSCA unless otherwise indicated.

Jacob Buchanon	Alaska
Grace Hambuchen	Arkansas
Marshall Anema	Arizona
Danielle Buttermore	Connecticut
Clayton Teall	Florida
Zachary Metz	Florida	GunBroker.com
Ciara Erenberger	Iowa	NRA
Samuel Frederes	Iowa
Joshua Morrison	Iowa
Lake Heaton	Iowa	ATA
Lauren Herr	Iowa
Christopher Martin	Iowa
Caleb Gradeless	Iowa
Samantha Ashland	Iowa
Luke Borden	Idaho
Sydney Carson	Indiana
Conner Haley	Indiana	ATA
Emily Duquette	Massachusetts
Alyssa Minder	Minnesota
Zachary Jung	Minnesota
Emily Hampson	Missouri
Austin Webb	Montana	Hodgdon Powder
Courtney Jones	North Carolina
Hunter Clark	North Carolina
Grant Lind	North Dakota
Madison Webster	Nebraska	Hodgdon Powder
Carl Kessler	Ohio
Sean Curran	Ohio	GunBroker.com
Tess Decker	Oklahoma
Douglas Birchard	Pennsylvania	ATA
Bryce Buckwalter	Pennsylvania
Zane McShane	Pennsylvania
Donovan Barry	Pennsylvania
William Till	South Carolina
Braxton Rider	Tennessee
Harold Doughty III	Tennessee
Samantha Smith	Tennessee
Mathew St.John	Tennessee	NRA Scholarship
Joseph Simmons	Tennessee
Travis Old	Texas	GunBroker.com
Ian Stodart	Utah
Grayson Helms	Washington
Megan Rice	Washington
Abigail Denmark	Washington
Abigail Rosenau	Wisconsin	ATA
Dalton Karow	Wisconsin
Emily Bradley	Wisconsin
Samuel Hovde	Wisconsin
Zachary Hahn	Wisconsin
Zachary Henderson	Wisconsin
Emma Gehring	Wisconsin
Atticus Clark	Wisconsin
Gunnar Kern	Wisconsin
Molly Cocroft	Wisconsin
Joseph Altwies	Wisconsin
Brian Morris	Wisconsin	Zanders Sporting Goods
Pauline Schlais	Wisconsin	MEC

Scholastic Pistol Program Athletes

Franklin Ordway	Oregon	Smith & Wesson Scholarship
Eri Martin	Maine	Smith & Wesson Scholarship
Hunter Reiley	Texas	Smith & Wesson Scholarship
Ryan Hellyer	Kentucky	Smith & Wesson Scholarship
Tyler Wright	Ohio	Smith & Wesson Scholarship
Corey Bucholz	Wisconsin	Smith & Wesson Scholarship
Amber Rasmussen	Wisconsin	Joyce Wilson Women in the Shooting Sports Scholarship
Jordan Castro	Washington	IDPA Scholarship

SCTP National Championship Registration Is Now Open

Written on May 22, 2015.

It’s time to register for the 2015 SCTP National Championships at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois. Registration opened on June 1 at sssfonline.org for the July 13-18 event.

To ensure your registration goes smoothly, please follow these policies and tips:

Do NOT hold time slots until you are sure of the number of athletes you will be bringing. Squads must pay within 10 days, or your time slots may be released to other teams. We anticipate another record year and want to ensure that everyone has an equal and fair opportunity to squad their athletes. There are plenty of squad times, and we also added another flight to ensure enough room for all.

When squadding your athletes, consider squadding them in consecutive time slots rather than at the same time. This will keep your group of athletes and parents together instead of spread out across 6-10 fields at the same time. For example, placing one squad on field 11A at 8 a.m. and your next squad on 11A at 8:45 will keep everyone from your team together, as well as simplifying the job of coaches.

ALL head coaches must sign in at the registration counter in the Main Events Center. At that time, you will go through your teams’ line-up and sign off on them, stating that each athlete is properly squadded and in the appropriate division. Once you do that, they are set, and no changes can be made. Please take the time to ensure that everything is correct.

At the time of registration, you will receive a goodie bag for the head coach and each athlete. If you do not want one of these bags, please tell the registration personnel at that time. Each athlete and coach participating will also receive an event t-shirt. Coaches: Please make sure the shirt size is filled in on your athletes’ and coaches’ profiles.

Please make sure your athletes are in the correct division on the athletes’ profile page for the High School Division, as well as for the SCTP American Division. Having them categorized differently in the two areas may prevent you from squadding them properly.

Register Now for SCTP International-Style National Championships

Written on May 22, 2015.

Registration is now open through the SHOT system for the SCTP National Championships for International Disciplines being held July 27 – August 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Here are some things you should know about the event:

We have a block of 15 rooms at the Holiday Inn Central Colorado Springs. These rooms are being held from July 26 through August 2 at a rate of $89 for a regular room and $119 for a suite. Both include breakfast. To reserve, call the hotel directly at 719-424-4300 and ask for the Scholastic Clay Target block. The block will be held until July 10, 2015. Any extra rooms will be released after that.

We have a limited number of beds available at the Olympic Training Center, available on a first-come, first-served basis. These rooms are $60 per night per person for athletes and coaches. This price includes all meals. Contact Amanda Wondrash at awondrash@sssfonline.com for reservations and dates available. Deadline to reserve space at the OTC is June 15.
Transportation will NOT be provided for athletes to and from the OTC.
We will be shooting the following events and schedule:
International Skeet – Olympic Doubles – Bunker Trap.
Cost to participate is $85 per event. The number of athletes accepted will be restricted due to the time constraints, and spots will be filled by first squadded and paid, first in. Practice and training rounds will be available at a cost of $5 per round. Tickets for practice will be available at the range club house.
July 27 – Possibly some training to follow the JO’s in the afternoon
July 28 – Official training and practice day, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
August 2 – Evening – Awards ceremony with food and drinks at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort starting at about 6:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. There will be special guest speakers, door prizes, and lots more. If possible, please let Amanda know if you will be attending the banquet and the number of people. This will ensure we have enough food and drink for all. Athletes and coaches are at no charge, additional people are $10 each. The SCTP will be covering the additional cost of the banquet.
View / download a complete schedule of events
The SCTP will have Nobel Sport Intl. ammo available for $60 per case. Sizes available are 7 ½, 8 and 9 ½.
Coaches – Please squad your athletes on our website. If you are not sure how to do this, contact us. The athletes will be squadded randomly for shooting purposes, but SCTP will use their squads for determining squad winners for team awards and endowment funds.
Squad awards will be provided as follows:
College/College Open Division – 1st and 2nd places
Senior Division – 1st – 5th places
Intermediate Division – 1st – 3rd
Open Division – 1st – 3rd
Individual awards:
College – 1st – 3rd
Senior Division – 1st – 3rd
Intermediate Division – 1st – 3rd
Rookie Division – 1st – 3rd
All athletes competing in this event must be registered with the SCTP and with USA Shooting.

The SCTP, in conjunction with USA Shooting, will be awarding a number of spots on the U.S. Junior National Team as a result of scores shot at this event. Some categories will require a minimum qualifying score (MQS) that will be posted prior to the event.

SCTP is looking for certified referees to help with some of the matches. If you have a current certification and are interested in helping, please contact us.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact a member of the SCTP team:

Match Director – Tom Wondrash – twondrash@sssfonline.com
Administrative Coordinator – Amanda Wondrash – awondrash@sssfonline.com
Administrative Assistant – April Carr – acarr@sssfonline.com
Director of Development – Scott Moniot – smoniot@sssfonline.com
Regional Field Representative – Hank Garvey – hhgarvey@gmail.com
Regional Field Representative – Chet Tuinstra – ctuinstra@sssfonline.com
Regional Field Representative – Jennifer Kirchhoefer – jkirchhoefer@sssfonline.com

Michigan SCTP Regional Skeet / Sporting Clays Championship

Written on May 16, 2015.

Kent County Conservation League will host the Michigan SCTP Regional Skeet and Sporting Clays Championship on June 6-7.

Money and medals will be provided for both disciplines and Varsity, Intermediate, and Rookie Divisions, 1st through 3rd places. Individual medals will also be awarded per discipline and division for 1st place.

See the event flyer for more details.

Contact Tim Wiley at 616-581-0471 for more information.