Another record-breaking season was set in July at the 2022 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Championships. Hosted at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, the annual youth shooting sports competition once again set the mark for the largest shoot in Cardinal Center history. Between the two youth programs, 39 states were represented at the National Championships.
SASP participation continues to grow throughout the nation and had a strong presence at the National Championship. Once again in 2022, the SASP broke the record for the largest action shooting event in the world. With over 2,200 entries, athletes safely fired over 500,000 rounds of ammunition without incident. SCTP participation surged as well with nearly 3,000 athletes and over 8,000 event entries during the twelve-day event schedule. This marks the largest national championship the SCTP has ever conducted, with over 1.5 million targets being thrown in competition and tens of thousands more being thrown in practice and side competitions.
SCTP and SASP members benefit from a year-long season, with local, state, and regional events, culminating in the National Championship each July. As the largest youth shooting sports event in the world, the youth development programs hold industry-wide support, with many sponsors present on site to support the event such as GLOCK, CZ-USA, Browning, Kolar, Beretta, Ruger, and more. Both programs serve as official youth feeders for the respective sports of USA Shooting. Athletes competing in the international disciplines of the SCTP and SASP often have Junior Olympic and Olympic goals in mind, with the youth feeding programs fostering those ambitions with additional opportunities.
Shooting sports continues to be a level-playing field where winning can be achieved without being the strongest or the fastest runner. Athletes come from a wide range of backgrounds and some that do not find their place in traditional ball sports often find success in shooting sports as well as socially. Athletes also find enormous success in youth shooting sports, regardless of gender. 1 out of every 3 of the programs’ action shooting, international skeet, and bunker trap athletes are female, with many out-shooting the males outright for high overall awards. The SASP and SCTP programs focus on team-based youth shooting sports as the catalyst for youth development into high-quality, responsible young adults.
At the 2022 National Championship, SASP athletes not only competed for the National title with their team, but scores also determined the top states in the nation for rifle and pistol disciplines.
CONGRATULATIONS TO TEXAS AND MISSOURI FOR CLAIMING THE HONOR OF ALL-STATE CHAMPIONS IN PISTOL AND RIFLE DISCIPLINES, RESPECTIVELY!
Winners may pickup Ruger certificates at the pistol awards ceremony, if present. All others will be shipped from the SASP Nationals Office. Lancer will ship to prizes to respective winners.
The SASP National Staff is proud to announce eight new recipients of the SASP Scholarship! These graduating seniors will be awarded $500 each for their pursuits of attending college.
This year’s scholarship recipients have been emailed further instructions on how to claim their scholarships after the SASP National Championships.
It is our pleasure to name the following graduating seniors as recipients of a 2021/2022 SASP Scholarship. Thank you for being a part of the SASP and we all wish you the best in your future!
What an exciting time! SASP Nationals are less than two weeks away and there are a record number of entries for the match again. We are approaching 2200 entries for the action match.
Coaches, please forward this to your parents and athletes so that everyone is on the same page with the same information!
Registration closes on 7/3/22 at 11:59PM CST for action shooting and 7/5/22 at 11:59PM CST for international. If you have any additions or changes to your squads, they need to be made before registration closes. Registration fees must be paid by the registration closing dates.
***Verify all rifles are scheduled to be shot by noon on Friday, 7/15/22.***
Team check-in for action shooting will be at the Central Entry Building (CEB). Head coaches or their designee will pick up paperwork, t-shirts, and coach bags.
Team check-in for international shooting will be at the Cardinal Indoor Activities Center (“Hitters”) near the campground office. This is where the air events will take place.
Please see the attached map below showing the Central Entry Building (CEB), the action shooting bays, the Hitter’s venue for international air events, and the range for sport pistol. For the action bays, please note that parking will be in the lots near the range, but no vehicles will be allowed in the area immediately adjacent to the bays except staff and vendors.
Ammo pick-up will be at the action shooting bays.
Food Vendor – So far, a food vendor has not been secured. If you know a vendor who can have a truck at the action bays please have them contact Rick Leach, rick@mysasp.com.
Vouchers – If you printed your voucher already you will need to print a new one after 7/3/22. When squads were added it renumbered the existing squads so you will likely have some changes in your squad numbers.
Backup sheets – Please fill out backup sheets ahead of time for your team. This will ensure that there are not delays in getting athletes to the line and shooting. The backup sheets must remain at the stage where they were shot so you will need one for each squad for each stage.
Verify athlete’s classifications/gender are correct (rookie, IE, IA, JV, Varsity). If you need to update classification or gender, you must update it in the athlete registration, remove them from the match and reenter them in the match. The match will not automatically update that information from registration. If you have athletes that are not classified properly they are ineligible for individual awards and the squad will become ineligible for squad awards if it changes the division they would be in.
Awards ceremonies – will be held at the banquet hall by the campground pool:
Rifle will be the evening of Friday, 7/15/22.
Pistol will be the evening of Saturday, 7/16/22.
Coaches and athletes – We need your help to keep the match running safely and smoothly. With the record number of entries, it is imperative that we keep the flow of the match going. Please take the time to plan your match strategy ahead of time. This will include the following:
Plan for your shared guns and squads. This is especially important if you must split your team in two or more bays. If you have over 16 entries for a particular date/time you must have additional registered coaches there to split the group. For example (minimum #’s):
Up to 16 entries: one coach
17 – 32 entries: two coaches
33 – 48 entries: three coaches
More than 48 entries: 4 coaches
Ensure athletes have 5 magazines per gun (10 if the gun is shared).
Have your on-deck athletes ready with their magazines loaded and cased gun so they can be called to the line once the athlete shooting is done.
Have your painters ready before the last string is shot.
A reminder that on the load and make ready command the athlete is expected to do all the following with no additional prompting from the Safety Officer (SO):
Uncase the firearm and show clear to the SO.
Take unloaded sight picture of up to 6 targets.
Load a magazine into the gun and charge a round.
If desired and available, change magazines with a full 10 round magazine to have 11 in the gun.
Take loaded sight picture and back to the start cone.
Some newer and younger shooters may need some prompting, but please reinforce with your athletes what steps they can take with that one command, “Load and make ready.”
Safety reminder – Only the athlete, 1 coach, safety officer, scorer and match officials are allowed under the tent/in the safety area. Everyone on the action bays must have eye and ear protection on.
Volunteers needed – With the twelve competition bays we still need assistance with safety officers and scorers. The shifts are half days 8:00AM – 1:00PM and 12:00PM – 5:00PM. Coaches, parents, and adult athletes over 18 can be safety officers. Athletes under 18 can be scorers. For each half day of volunteering your name will be entered into a drawing for prizes including multiple guns. Safety officers and scorers will be fed lunch and we will have water/Gatorade available throughout the day. If you can assist as a safety officer or scorer, or know someone who can, please sign up on the Signup Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B45ABAB2BA0FB6-20223
Make sure the athletes, coaches, parents, and visitors are staying hydrated. This starts well before the match. If you come to the match low on fluids, you will not be able to catch up. The weather is often
hot and muggy. We often get rain for the match as well, so bring your raingear. We only suspend shooting for lightening or extreme winds.
Golf carts and UTV’s – We expect a higher-than-normal amount of golf carts and UTV’s this year. It is up to parents and coaches to make sure that athletes under the age of 16 and athletes without a current driver’s license do NOT drive these carts! This has been a problem in the past and will be dealt with accordingly by the police on site. PLEASE make sure you do your part, we do not want anybody hurt!
Do not remove any banners, posters, signs, or feather flags. These are the property of the SCTP and SASP and as such, removing them for any reason is considered stealing. You will be prosecuted and removed from the tournament. There are many new cameras installed around the facility this year and we will not give any warnings! Stealing or vandalism of any kind will be dealt with severely and end with removal from the tournament and program! If you have any questions, please contact Kelvin Walton, kelvin@mysasp.com, 262- 693 – 7374.
Safe travels and we look forward to seeing everyone at Nationals!
We are happy to announce a unique opportunity focused on lending a helping hand to some of our fastest athletes, most capable of being National Champions, but are unfortunately unable to attend SASP Nationals due to family budget concerns.
One of our newest Bronze Sponsors, Betsy Ross Arms is graciously lending aid to deserving athletes for this cause. Awardees will be recognized by the National Director’s decision. A preference will be to young female athletes, per the suggestion of Betsy Ross Arms, a female-owned company.
To be considered for this assistance, please email the National Office with the completed application below by June 14th, 5PM CST.
