St. Paul, MN – The USA Clay Target League, the nation’s largest youth clay target shooting sport program with over 35,000 athletes in 2019, has set a new Fall Season record with over 10,700 athletes participating, a 25% increase over last fall.
The record-setting participation is after a difficult spring that saw 80% of schools and more than 28,000 athletes unable to participate due to concerns surrounding COVID-19.
“With over 2,500 additional athletes, the fantastic fall participation shows that schools and parents recognize that clay target shooting sports are a safe, low-risk activity.” said John Nelson, President of the USA Clay Target League. “It also shows the dedication and determination of the thousands of coaches and volunteers that donate their time and experience into setting up and managing their local schools’ teams.”
The USA Clay Target League offers Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays, and 5-Stand leagues to secondary and postsecondary schools across the country. The League is the only 100% school-approved clay target shooting sport program in America.
The League’s co-ed and adaptive nature are key attractions to schools nationwide. The League is fully Title IX compliant with both male and female athletes competing on the same team. Additionally, it’s an ‘adaptive’ sport, which allows students with physical disabilities to take part. The League is also the safest sport in high school and college, with not one reported injury since the inception of the League in 2001. Each athlete must complete firearm safety certification before participation.
“We take pride in that athletes of all types are able to participate,” Nelson said. “Clay target shooting sports are a safe and fun activity that anyone can enjoy.”
The League attracts student athletes to participate in shooting sports while creating a ‘virtual’ competition among teams. Travel is minimal because practice and competition are conducted at a shooting range near the school’s location. Conferences are determined by team size rather than geographic location for fair competition.
Athletes earn True Team® scoring points as determined by their performance and ranking against all athlete scores within their team’s conference. The team score and overall standing are calculated by adding the earned points from qualifying athletes and posted on the League’s website. Athletes and their families track their individual and team performance on their phone, tablet or computer via the Shooter Performance Tracker®.
The USA Clay Target League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is the independent provider of clay target shooting sports for secondary and postsecondary schools. The League’s priorities are safety, fun, and marksmanship – in that order.
For more info visit http://usaclaytarget.com, or donate at https://charity.gofundme.com/usahighschoolclaytargetleague