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[Alex L]

Hi, Russ.
I am a retired High school teacher, and I have been involved in competitivesports , including shooting form the past 40 years or so.
I can tell you your problems are very similar to here in Australia, and probably all around the world.

As a Teacher, I had the qualification to got around to schools and teach Firearm Safety, both handgun and long arms. This was back in the 1990's. However, the world has changed, - eg Columbine, (USA), Prot Arthur(Tasmania, Aust), and the British disaster.

The Olympic officials are not interested in how we are going to encourage new shooters to the sport. Unfortunately, all government and public attitudes are against any firearms. You are talking about people who go to a range and just "plink". Remember, we need these people, because the money will keep the ranges viable. They might encourage others to participate, who will be more keen on competitions.
Each club needs a good ambassador to provide good education to the new shooters.

I hope your enthusiasm to raise this issue will do some good, and maybe some of the schools that used to have shooting, will invite back some of their sport teachers to a seminar, or camp, and get some sponsorships to encourage the shooting sports again.

[Alex L]

Hi, Russ.
I am a retired High school teacher, and I have been involved in competitivesports , including shooting form the past 40 years or so.
I can tell you your problems are very similar to here in Australia, and probably all around the world.

As a Teacher, I had the qualification to got around to schools and teach Firearm Safety, both handgun and long arms. This was back in the 1990's. However, the world has changed, - eg Columbine, (USA), Prot Arthur(Tasmania, Aust), and the British disaster.

The Olympic officials are not interested in how we are going to encourage new shooters to the sport. Unfortunately, all government and public attitudes are against any firearms. You are talking about people who go to a range and just "plink". Remember, we need these people, because the money will keep the ranges viable. They might encourage others to participate, who will be more keen on competitions.
Each club needs a good ambassador to provide good education to the new shooters.

I hope your enthusiasm to raise this issue will do some good, and maybe some of the schools that used to have shooting, will invite back some of their sport teachers to a seminar, or camp, and get some sponsorships to encourage the shooting sports again.

[Spencer C]

It's not the money. The simple fact of life is that this is a hobby. We MIGHT cough up some bucks for training of the top-flight competitors, but I would oppose trying to make this a semi-pro sport.

Russ brings up a good point, though. USAS spends a lot of effort on the junior level - but shooters have much longer competitive lifetimes than competitors in any other sport. Decades instead of years. There is nothing to stop us from pursuing the 20-something competitors - who will eventually drag THEIR kids into it.

I will mention that one way to recruit the younger shooters might be falling-plate targets. Think rapid-fire air pistol. Let the kids try it, set the hook - then work with the ones who really want to excel on the basics. Little things like hitting the target.

Another potential to ponder is historical tie-ins. We've got the 150th anniversiary of the Civil War coming up in six years. This is going to produce a tidal wave of interest in Civil War-era arms. Which those of us in the North-South Skirmish Association and the U.S. International Muzzle-Loading Team are preparing to exploit. But the opportunities are there for other shooting disciplines to exploit as well. After all, you don't have to scrub out an air pistol.

The big problem is that a terribly high proportion of shooters in this country don't like to face just how bad they really are. I've hung out on some of the same groups that Jose has, and he is understating the lameness of some of the excuses. I'm not sure how to cure this. We've tried being nice - perhaps it's time to be sarcastic? That you Aren't A Man If You Don't Compete?

Dammned if we do - damned if we don't.

If we do...
The trouble with introducing new shooters to 'novelty bits' is that they probably will not progress (?) to our style of target shooting; nor see the point in joining their national ISSF affiliate.

With the comparatively vast number of shooters in the USA, how many
get into some form of ISSF style target shooting (and there are some truly great shooters out there shooting other events)
The comments from MD and others that most will find it too hard to put in the yards to improve / stay interested in ISSF / bring along friends, family or neigbours to swell the ranks is a maqjor problem

if we don't...
We might not get them at all

May we live in interesting times

Regards,
Spencer C

[Ted Bell]

The big problem is that a terribly high proportion of shooters in this country don't like to face just how bad they really are. I've hung out on some of the same groups that Jose has, and he is understating the lameness of some of the excuses. I'm not sure how to cure this. We've tried being nice - perhaps it's time to be sarcastic? That you Aren't A Man If You Don't Compete?

Part of the problem is a lack of general training opportunities for the average shooter. I belong to a pretty nice range with about 550 members. They have a lot of competitions on a monthly basis (high power, practical pistol, bullseye, muzzleloading, cowboy action, etc.), but they don't offer any training classes/opportunities, much less a training class offered on a regular basis. I suspect every other month, alternating, they could offer a basic and an advanced marksmanship class and would probably have a decent amount of interest. I think the key is for it to be a regular offering- most things have to be offered a couple of times before they catch on, and it should also be a generic focus on how to be a better shooter, as opposed to how to be a better competitor in a specific discipline.

-Ted