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Advertise Directories Natural Venues Guide Convention Centers Guide SPORTReport In The Hunt… Clay Target Shooting Grows More Popular There are several types of shotgun sport shooting compe- titions other than traditional target shooting, and each type has its own governing body. Sporting clays, skeet shoot- ing and trap shooting are all time-honored shooting sports derived specifically from hunting, each using moving clay targets that mimic the movement of animals. The Outdoor Foundation reported that outdoor clay target shooting in the United States (ages 6 and older) has grown collectively from approximately 7 million to 8 million between 2006 and 2010. Of all the moving-target shooting sports, sporting clays is the most like actual shotgun hunting in natural circumstances. Clay discs mimic the flight of ducks and pheasants in the wild and the running and leaping of rabbits—all at shooting stations in natural wooded envi- ronments. The National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) is the largest organization in the world dedicated to the sport of shooting clays and is the governing body of the sport in the United States. NSCA keeps records of its membersʼ scores in competition, registers shoots for the clubs, and holds annual national championships. Skeet shooting involves shooting a shotgun from var- ious angles at clay discs flung from a tower at high speed and at various heights and arcs. Skeet shooting is typically an outdoor event, but unlike clay sport shoot- ing occurs in an artificial environment. Skeet shooting is reminiscent of hunting as the movement of the discs is meant to simulate bird flight. The National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) is allied with NSCA. The organizations share the same administrative offices, primary shooting complex and executive director but operate separately and with different directors and boards of directors. NSSA has 56 "state" associations, though seven of them represent other nations. Both NSCA and NSSA hold their premier events at The National Shooting Complex, a world-class shooting facility on 671 acres out- side San Antonio. The largest skeet shoot in the world is held there every October and the largest sporting clay shoot in the world in late- October or early November. The joint facility also serves as headquarters for both organi- zations. Numerous shoots are also held through- out the nation at smaller shooting clubs for www.sportseventsmagazine.com both sports. Such shoots may be for casual or highly competitive shooters. Shooting events are held only at member facilities repre- sented by a member shooting club. "Last year, we had about 2,500 sporting clay shoots, and on the skeet side we had around 1,800," said Michael Hampton Jr., execu- tive director of both NSSA and NSCA. As for the growth rate of each sport, Hampton said skeet shoot- ing is declining slightly but sporting clays is growing about 2 or 3 percent. "Sporting clays is growing due to the fact that itʼs similar to golf. Sometimes it is called ʻplaying golf with a shotgun.ʼ The growth is through the corporate side of the business because you shoot sporting clays in a very relaxed atmosphere where you can hop out of a golf cart and take your shot and then step off of the platform and wait for your next shots. So, people are then talking and mak- ing contacts." Trap shooting is very similar to skeet shooting, but there is only one tower and five shooter positions, whereas skeet shooting involves two towers and seven positions. Trap shootingʼs popularity is highest in the Midwest. The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) is headquartered in Sparta, Ill., and administers the rules for the sport, said Lynn Gipson, ATA executive director. According to research conducted by the University of Dayton, 90 percent of ATA members are male, 84 percent attended their state shoot, 53 percent participate in a local trap league, and 44 percent shot sporting clays in the past year. "Weʼve felt the pinch the last few years," Gipson said, "but weʼre starting to see it come back. Weʼve got a whole new market of youth shooters. We have a national youth program that is growing every year. Itʼs become more of a social game and even in our national championships we have more social activities in the late afternoon and evening so itʼs more like a destination for the family, not just the competition." ■ July 2012 29 ▼