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Home SPORTReport FEMALE SHOTGUN SHOOTERS eye their targets at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, held at the Tucson Trap & Skeet Club outside Tucson, Ariz. Benning in Columbus, Ga., is another of USA Shooting's primary shooting facilities. USA Shooting has around 150 affiliated shooting clubs and 14 certified training centers across the country that hold ISSF- sanctioned matches, according to Theimer, a 1976 Olympian and nine-time U.S. National champion. USA Shooting, like all shooting sport organizations, is as dedi- cated to firearm safety instruction as to shooting competitions. Civilian Marksmanship Program An area of growth for USA Shooting— and of particular interest to youth shoot- ers—is air pistol competitions, which are wholly or jointly organized by one of USA Shooting's primary partner organizations, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). CMP organizes and sanctions youth pro- grams and competitions, primarily in three-position air rifle shooting. It has its own rulebooks and sanctions its own events but also partners with USA Shooting and the National Rifle Association (NRA), both of which use CMP air rifle ranges on a regular basis. CMP national matches are held at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio, and there are more than 6,000 participants in its various national competitions, according to CMP 28 July 2012 Chief Operating Officer Mark Johnson. The other major CMP facility is the Anniston Marksmanship Center in Anniston, Ala. Eastern and Western regional events are held each year at rotat- ing locations. The former typically has about 700 participants; the latter about 550, according to Johnson. CMP also part- ners with an Oklahoma gun club to put on the Oklahoma Games. "We're looking to have a couple more small venues like the Oklahoma venue to partner with in upcom- ing years," Johnson said. Johnson said CMP events require shoot- ing ranges that are no more than 30 min- utes from good hotels that offer a fair rate and also a core group of volunteers who can help during the event. "That's impor- tant to us. It lessens our burden for having so many of our own people there. And also, we just want to feel like the hosts really want us there." CMP is a two-pronged operation that depends upon sales of rifles to its members to fund its competitions and clinics. "In 2001, we had 30,000 customers," Johnson said. "Now it's right at 300,000. Though CMP rifle purchases are avail- able only through certified shooting clubs to competitors who have participated in a sanctioned event, CMP shooting events are accessible to anyone regardless of affilia- tion or club membership. There is no direct membership in the CMP. Other Shooting Organizations Another important youth shooting sport organization is The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), the national governing body for strictly youth shotgun shooting sports in general and for the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) in particular. The organization, based in Shelby Township, Mich., is the Official Youth Development program of shotgun shooting for USA Shooting, the National Skeet Shooting Association, and the National Sporting Clay Association. The organization touts a team-based program that focuses on youth development. NRA is another important organizer of amateur shooting competitions. The mul- tifaceted organization's Competitive Shooting Division offers a wide range of activities, sanctioning more than 10,000 shooting tournaments and sponsoring more than 50 national championships each year. ■ Sport REPORT USA Shooting: Members: 5,000+ Number of clubs: 150+ Number of annual events: Thousands National Sporting Clays Association: Members: 22,000+ Number of clubs: 650+ Number of annual events: 2,500+ National Skeet Shooting Association: Members: 15,000+ Number of clubs: 700+ Number of annual events: 1,800+ Amateur Trapshooting Association: Members: 60,000+ Number of clubs: 1,400+ Number of events: 7,000+ Contacts: USA Shooting www.usashooting.org National Skeet Shooting Association www.nssa-nsca.org National Sporting Clays Association www.nssa-nsca.org Amateur Trapshooting Association www.shootata.com www.sportseventsmagazine.com Subscribe Contact S.P.O.R.T.S. 2012 USA Shooting ▼