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Author: SSSF Staff

SPP to Offer Pistol Coach School in Tucson, Arizona

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Scholastic Pistol Program, along with NRA and USA Shooting, will offer a Level 1 Pistol Coach School on November 1-2 in Tucson, Arizona at the Pima Pistol Club.

The coach school is the heart of the coach education program. The Level 1 pistol coach’s course through the National Rifle Association, USA Shooting, and the Scholastic Pistol Program covers all required coaching fundamentals for pistol coaches in the SPP, in addition to other disciplines of pistol competition. The training is provided by the SPP/NRA/USAS National Coach Development Staff (NCDS). The instructors use up-to-date materials and PowerPoint presentations to present the discipline-specific coach course.

The course duration is 2 days with class running from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Candidates should bring eye and ear protection and note-taking materials with them. Firearms will be provided, and the Boy Scout Council will provide the ammunition.

Cost of the course is $140, which includes all printed materials, 3-year coaching credentials with the NRA, a binder for your materials, and lunch/refreshments each day.

The registration fee includes a copy of the coach student study guide and other materials to help you with the details of coaching. Participants complete an open-book test as homework during the first evening of the course. The test is graded in class, reviewed for understanding, and then submitted to the NRA National Coach Trainer by the school instructor for credential processing. Upon successful completion of the coach school, you will be a Level 1 Coach (or Youth Trainer, if under 18 years old) in that discipline.

Pre-registration for the course is required. To register, complete the attached form. Contact Tammy Mowry with any questions.

NSSF Infographic: The Changing Face of Today’s Target Shooter

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A new infographic from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) tells the story, at a glance, of the growing number of new target shooting enthusiasts and how they’re surprisingly different from established shooters. The report clearly affirms the premise of the SSSF that our programs present equal opportunity to shooters, regardless of age or gender.

Newcomers — defined as those who have taken up target shooting in the last five years — are trending younger and female; also, they are city and suburban dwellers. In these ways, they are quite different from established participants and, as a result, are changing the face of target shooters in America. This influx of newcomers also underscores that the traditional pastimes of handgun, rifle, and shotgun target shooting continue to have a broad appeal to new generations of Americans.

NSSF Infographic Target Shooters

Driven by newcomers, target shooting participation has leaped by 19 percent, from 34.4 million in 2009 to 40.8 million in 2012. That’s a 6.4 million increase; by comparison, golf and some other traditional activities have seen their participant base decline by millions.

Although they may be different in age and gender, newcomers share one important thing with established participants — their passion for firearms ownership and the shooting sports.

SPP Southeast Regional Fall Match in Tennessee

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Carroll County Shooting Sports Park in Huntingdon, Tennessee, will be the site of an SPP Southeast Regional Fall Match on November 8.

The Southeast Regional is open to Junior, Senior, and Collegiate SPP teams. Both Centerfire and Rimfire (JV) divisions will be recognized.

Endowment funds will be available for this event.

The match will be limited to 100 shooters, so register soon!

More Information and Registration Form

Dry-Fire SPP Course with New Poster

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SPP Poster Shooter

Pistol shooters can now practice the SPP courses at home with a new Dry-Fire Poster offered by Next Level Training. Teamed with a laser training pistol, the 60″ x 36″ poster lets shooters practice moving target to target while viewing all targets as seen from the shooter’s box.

Dry-fire practice allows shooters to improve speed and accuracy without ammunition costs and can be done when you can’t go to the range. The addition of an inert training pistol eliminates safety concerns.

The full-size target costs $24.95, while a half-size version is $9.95. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Scholastic Pistol Program. The company also sells laser training pistols and software for conducting online matches.

See complete information on the Dry-Fire Poster

SPP Northeast Fall Regional Match

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SPP will host a Northeast Fall Regional match at Camp Hinds Boy Scout Camp in Raymond, Maine on Saturday, October 4. Sponsored by Smith & Wesson, the match is open to all Junior, Senior, and Collegiate SPP teams.

Match fee is $20 per shooter.

Both Centerfire and Rimfire (JV) Divisions will receive awards, and endowment funds will be available.

We will be offering the teams the opportunity to place an ammo order for the match. The ammo pre-order deadline is September 25.

Loaner guns will be available for those who will need to borrow guns on the day of the match.

Camping will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for anyone who would like to arrive on Friday or stay over on Saturday. Tent camping (must provide own tents), 4-person cabins, and multi-bunk bunk rooms are available. Cabins and bunk rooms have cots and field mattresses.

Camping reservations must be made in advance by calling Tammy at 207-797-5252 ext. 10 or emailing tachapma@scouting.org.

Click here for full details and registration form.

SSSF’s Donation of Over $1 Million to MidwayUSA Foundation Benefits 182 SCTP, SPP Teams

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Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation made contributions of over $1 million this week to the MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc. accounts of 182 SCTP and SPP teams from 36 different states. The teams earned the endowment funds at recent national, regional, and state events.

This week’s total donation was $1,045,125. SCTP team accounts received $905,000 of that, which includes team earnings at the National Team Championships, regional events, and state shoots during the second and third quarters of 2014.

SPP teams received $133,100, which included earnings from its National Junior/Senior Championships and recent state matches.

“Through our broad membership base, we are fortunate to be able to support so many teams across the country,” commented Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director. “These donations will help provide a perpetual funding source for local Scholastic Clay Target and Scholastic Pistol Programs. The funding we provide to team endowment accounts is another way for us to thank all of the teams, coaches, and athletes for their participation and excellent performance in SCTP and SPP events!”

In addition, $7,025 was donated via internally generated endowment money through SSSF and SCTP fundraisers. These funds will be matched by Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA. “By providing teams with fundraising tools at the local level, we are able to help contribute to team endowment accounts. At the same time, teams have the ability to raise operating money and awareness about their programs in the local community. The SSSF looks forward to providing more of these opportunities in the future to our SCTP and SPP member teams,” said Berka.

The donations bring SSSF’s contributions to $1,461,175 to date in 2014. SSSF expects its annual contributions to total more than $1.7 million by the end of 2014.

SCTP and SPP teams are awarded endowment funds through participation in sanctioned shoots. SSSF contributes the funding to the MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Account Program on behalf of the teams. The purpose of the endowment program is to provide sustained financial support for youth shooting teams. Teams with an endowment account are able to draw a grant each year to use for team expenses.

SPP Welcomes Two New Regional Field Reps

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SSSF announces the hiring of two new Regional Field Representatives (RFRs) to serve the Scholastic Pistol Program.

david kirk175David Kirk, who currently coordinates the SPP at the Tallahassee Rifle and Pistol Club, was instrumental in establishing the Scholastic Pistol Program in Florida. He is a consultant with the award-winning Leon County Sheriff’s Explorer Pistol Team, and with assistance from the Leon County Sheriff’s Explorer Post, he is organizing the Florida Law Enforcement Explorer Shooting League.

As a competitive pistol shooter, he has competed in Steel Challenge, GLOCK Shooting Sports Foundation (GSSF) Match, and USPSA. He is Match Director for GSSF Pistol Match and Steel Challenge.

Bill PerkinsBill Perkins has worked with the NRA Foundation as a Committee Chairman for seven years and as Arizona State Chairman for three years, where he contributed to the fundraising campaign and awarding of grants to many worthy shooting programs in Arizona. He is currently a Range Supervisor with the NRA where he is responsible for assisting shooting ranges throughout the U.S.

Bill was introduced to the shooting sports through the Boy Scouts, where he earned the Rifle & Shotgun merit badge. He earned his first NRA Instructor rating in 1991 and became a Training Counselor in 2005.

Bill spent 10 years working as the Camp Director for the NRA Whittington Center Youth Adventure Camp, which teaches the fundamentals of rifle, pistol, shotgun, and muzzleloader shooting to 112 campers each summer. He currently has an NRA/USA Shooting Level 3 Pistol Coach certification and is a member of the National Coach Development Staff. He is the Head Coach of a Scholastic Pistol Team in Arizona and he continues to participate as a competitive shooter in many shooting sports, as well as hunting.

The two new Regional Field Reps will provide grassroots team and program development and support in their respective regions by interacting with existing and prospective SPP state advisors, coaches, and adult volunteers. They will assist in setting up new teams and growing teams already in the program.

Complete Our National Championships Survey

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We want to know what you think. With our 2014 SCTP and SPP National Championships recently behind us, we want to know how we did. Did we meet your expectations or leave you wishing for more? Were our new features hits or misses? We’re already planning next year’s Nationals, and you can help us make the events even better by giving us some input.

Go to our Nationals Survey

Didn’t go to our Nationals events? We still want to hear from you! There are questions for shooters, parents, coaches, and everyone else who has reason to read this page.

We’ve designed the questions so you can simply click to give your response, but if you have more to say, there are opportunities for you to get it all off your chest.

To thank you for your input, we’ll be drawing for eight (8) prize packages that will be won by respondents. Prizes include ammunition, logo clothing, and logo gear.

Thank you in advance for your help in making next year’s National Championships the best ever!

SSSF and Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever Partner to Introduce Youth to Shooting Sports and Conservation

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The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) and Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever (PF/QF) have signed an agreement to partner on programs to introduce youth to shooting sports, hunting, wildlife conservation, and other outdoor experiences. SSSF and PF/QF will work together to develop new outreach programs, promote each other’s missions, and host joint introductions to shooting/outdoor events.

Ben Berka - John Linquist
Ben Berka, left, and John Linquist sign a memorandum of understanding between SSSF and PF/QF
The partnership focuses on strengthening the link between shooting and conservation, as SSSF and PF/QF will work together to educate and engage today’s youth to ensure a future of avid hunters and passionate conservationists.

Both organizations recognize that today’s youth are the next generation of outdoor leaders and conservationists. “Youth are making dedicated sport choices at a very young age these days,” explained Ben Berka, President and Executive Director of SSSF. “If we can make that choice a shooting sport, we can begin to influence the future of recreational choices for kids and families.

“By operating through the proven model of organized youth sports, SSSF has the ability to recruit many urban and suburban youth who have very little awareness about wildlife conservation or the outdoors in general,” Berka continued. “Also, youth shooting sports have structure, social interaction, and trusted adult leadership — things that are attractive to busy families.”

The memorandum of understanding between the two organizations came about through the efforts of Tom Wondrash, National Director of the SSSF’s Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and John Linquist, National Shooting Sports Coordinator for PF/QF, who recognized the compatible goals of the two groups. Initially, the two men partnered informally by pairing SCTP teams with local PF/QF chapters. Later, SCTP teams were the catalysts for forming new PF/QF chapters in areas where there were none.

“Our mission is to get youth involved in shooting sports at an early age through team competition and to encourage their continued involvement when they graduate from our program,” said Wondrash. “Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever is an ideal partner to further our members’ interest and participation in the shooting sports as they reach adulthood, as well as enjoy these activities with their entire family.”

For PF/QF, promoting shooting sports is an important aspect of the No Child Left Indoors® initiative, which includes the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program. “We look at this partnership as a way to groom future leaders who care about the legacy we are leaving and who will pass on our love for the outdoors. In turn, that connection to the land through hunting will foster a conservation ethic,” added PF/QF’s Linquist. “We look forward to expanding participation at youth events nationally through this partnership.”

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 745 local chapters across the United States and Canada. For more information about becoming involved with Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever, contact John Linquist at 712-754-3221, jlinquist@pheasantsforever.org, or visit pheasantsforever.org.

CZ-USA Video: Handgun Training Tips

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There’s a good chance you can improve your shooting in just four minutes, the time it takes to watch this video featuring Matt Hopkins, CZ-USA sponsored shooter and USPSA Production Grand Master. Hopkins offers three excellent handgunning techniques for faster, more accurate shooting. The three techniques deal with sight alignment, correct grip, and trigger control.

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