The 2023-2024 season for the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation’s (SSSF) youth development programs has concluded with another record-breaking National Championship. 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 SSSF’s clay target and action shooting youth programs, 40 states were represented at the National Championships, which saw over 3 million rounds safely fired without incident.

Action shooting sports participation continues to grow throughout the nation for young athletes and had a strong showing at the SSSF’s Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Championship. Once again in 2024, the SASP broke the world record for the largest action shooting event in the world, all by youth athletes. With over 2,600 entries, athletes safely fired over 565,000 rounds of ammunition in competition without incident, along with side matches, sponsor demos, and practices tallying in additional hundreds of thousands of rounds. SCTP participation surged as well with over 3,100 athletes and over 9,000 event entries during the twelve-day event schedule. This marks the largest national championship the SCTP has ever conducted, with over 2 million White Flyer targets being thrown in competition, side matches, and practice.

Shooting sports continues to be a level-playing field where winning can be achieved without being the strongest athlete 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. Athletes also find enormous success in youth shooting sports, regardless of gender. The SASP’s National Championships saw 31% female participation, with many claiming high honors at the end of the event.

A staple of additional activities at SCTP Nationals is the Last Competitor Standing or “Annie Oakley” event. This massive scale elimination event saw well over 700 clay target athletes lined up across the length of two-dozen trap fields to determine who would come home with bragging rights and impressive prizes from SCTP sponsors. When narrowed down to the top male and female athlete, the two went head to head and Karly Turinske kept her mental game strong, claiming the title of Last Competitor Standing.  

These youth also find the clear social benefit from the team-based environment the SSSF’s two programs offer. The SASP and SCTP programs focus on team-based youth shooting sports as the catalyst for youth development into high-quality, responsible young adults. 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, Remington, Winchester, 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. Currently at the Paris Olympics, are three active SASP athletes who are representing the USA along with SCTP alumni, most prominently Vincent Hancock, a now four-time Olympic Skeet Champion, four-time World Champion, 16-time World Cup medalist.

About the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is 501(c)(3) public charity responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) across the United States. The SCTP and SASP are youth development programs in which adult coaches and other volunteers use shooting sports to teach and to demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills.

Provide and enhance personal growth and development opportunities for student athlete members; become the premier authority in all things pertaining to firearm-related pursuits for youth; pass on to future generations the legacy of lifelong, safe, responsible enjoyment of the shooting sports. This includes serving as the primary feeder/pipeline for organized, sanctioned shooting organizations and teams, like USA SHOOTING, TEAM USA, and the NGBs (NSSA, NSCA, ATA). 

Irwin Greenstein

Irwin Greenstein is Publisher of Shotgun Life. Please send your comments to letters@shotgunlife.com.

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