The Future May Be Brighter Than We Think
 

We recently had a rules clinic for the 2021-2022 Georgia Independent School Association high school shotgun team coaches. This year we will have over 700 kids from 45 schools across the state competing in both JV and Varsity clay shooting competitions. They'll be shooting Sporting Clays, Trap and Skeet. This is the fastest growing high school sport in the country.

Fabulous news!!





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That's great news but I'm not totally surprised. My 11 year old grandson started last fall shooting with Georgia Clay Busters (GCB) out of Elberton, Ga. GCB is part of a national program, Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). I've attended three tournaments that he competed in. One in SC and two at Forest City Gun Club in Savannah, Ga. I was blown away at the size of the shoots at Forest City, over 400 participants and was told that close to 100 were girls. Like John stated, the future may indeed be Bright.

We see it down here in the competitions Harry competes in. 700 kids is about the norm for some of these events and that is just this year

I was out shooting sporting clays at one of our local clubs two Sundays ago. I was surprised to see the trap ranges completely filled up & busy as heck. I just dismissed this as being a weekend crowd since I normally go to the range during the week.

I was pleasantly surprised when I returned to the club house after my round to find that the trap crowd was a group of 4H kids shooting a tournament. There must have been well over a hundred youngsters there. Seeing this put a big smile on my face & warmed my heart. There is hope for the future of our shooting heritage!

Having been a collegiate coach for a notable National winning rural Junior College team in both SCTP and ACUI I am thrilled to hear this. One of my best shooters was from the Elberton club and the manager at Savannah is a graduate of my college programs as well as a team shooter.

EDIT
Here is a pic pf the 2010 team, RU National champs shooting against the likes of Lindenwood, Texas A&M, K State etc....

https://i.imgur.com/6ZcUPTK.jpg

And here is the 2012 team after Divisions were put in place:

https://i.imgur.com/4wUb0TR.jpg

Was at the finals of the West Virginia Open Tennis tournament today--my wife is the tournament director. Watching the Mens Open Doubles, I asked a young man who's father was in the final if he was a tennis player also . He said no, so I asked him what sport he played and he said he was on the high school trap team. So, I proceded to talk to him about SXS's and Parkers.

The World Junior Skeet Championship was held at Rochester Brooks last weekend, many young shooters and fun to watch.

This is great news!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you attend our vintage SxS evets, they are dominated by older whiite males.

Which is another way of saying... these young shooters will fill the eventual void for as a shooting fraternity we are facing our mortality.





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