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Ben Berka is the SCTP
state director for skeet and sporting clays in Iowa and head coach of the SCTP
team at the New Pioneer Gun Club in Waukee, IA. This page is intended to
provide information for youth and SCTP participants and coaches and also be a
resource for those wanting to start a youth clay-shooting program at their local
club.
Please click on at
topic below for more information
New
Pioneer Gun Club SCTP Team Information
General
Information
Why
Join a Youth Clay Target Shooting Program?
Safety
Information
How
Much Will it Cost to Get My Child Started and What Equipment is Needed?
Information
About the Scholastic Clay Target Program
New
Pioneer Gun Club SCTP Team Information
Ben Berka is the head coach of the SCTP skeet, sporting clays and trap
teams at the New Pioneer Gun Club in Waukee, IA. Certified assistant
coaches are Randy Cook and Guy Thomas. Those wishing to
participate on this team must complete the
SCTP liability waiver and consent release form, health history form and NPGC
SCTP participation form below. Completed forms should be
mailed to Ben Berka (mailing address can be found below) or brought to practice.
The first day of practice will be March 10, 2007 at 1:00PM.
Spring
2007 New Pioneer Gun Club SCTP Program Information
Spring
2007 Letter to Parents with Practice and Shoot Schedule
2007 SCTP Liability Waiver and Consent Form
NPGC
SCTP Health History Form
NPGC SCTP
Participation Form
Please send completed
forms to Ben Berka at the following address:
AA Shooting Instruction
PO Box 13
Johnston, IA 50131
All participants must be
members of the respective national governing body (NGB) in order to to shoot in
the state skeet, sporting clays, or trap SCTP Championships. NGB
memberships are available at half-price for SCTP participants. Below are
the application forms for the specially priced SCTP NGB memberships:
National
Skeet Shooting/Sporting Clays Associations
Amateur
Trapshooting Association
Why
Join a Youth Clay Target Shooting Program?
Here are just a few reasons to get
involved:
-
Clay target shooting develops
responsibility in handling and caring for shotguns and
ammunition.
-
Clay shooting develops mental
skills such as focus and concentration that carry over into all parts of
life.
-
You don't have to be fast or
strong to excel in shooting - some of the best shooters are poor athletes!
-
Shooting is a lifetime sport that
can be enjoyed by the entire family.
Safety
Information for the Clay Target Sports
Clay target shooting continues to be one of the safest activities kids
can participate in. Statistics show that shooting is far safer than
football, basketball, soccer and even volleyball. However, it is the
responsibility of youth team leaders to make sure this impeccable safety record
remains intact. Please review the following safety guidelines for the clay
target sport you are coaching. It is highly recommended to start each and
every practice by conducting a safety briefing with your students.
Skeet
Shooting Safety Sporting
Clays Safety Trap
Shooting Safety
Note: In
addition to the safety rules in the documents above, youth shooters may not wear
open-toed shoes and shotgun barrels may not be rested on any part of the
foot. SCTP skeet participants must load only one shell at a time unless
attempting doubles.
How
Much Will it Cost To Get My Child Started in Clay Target Shooting and What
Equipment is Needed?
To be honest, clay target shooting is not the cheapest sport available to
youth but is also not the most expensive activity kids can participate
in. It is probably simplest to compare the cost of shooting to that of
golf. Many kids get started in golf with a basic set of golf clubs
including a driver, 3-wood a long, middle and short iron and a putter.
Shooting is similar in that basic, used shotguns are also available at sporting
goods stores and premium equipment is not necessary to get started. Much
like paying "green fees" to play golf, shooting facilities are paid
for targets used in practice and competition. In addition to a shotgun and
target fees, eye and ear protection, shotgun ammunition and a shooting pouch or
vest to hold the ammunition are required accessories. Below is a breakdown
of necessary equipment costs and an estimate of how much it will cost to
participate in a season of shooting. Actual costs may vary depending on
your local club's fundraising efforts club-owned guns and equipment and other
subsidies.
Youth Clay Target
Shooting Cost Estimates and Necessary Equipment
Below are some discipline-specific
equipment guidelines on purchasing shotguns, ammunition and choke selection for
new shooters. If you are looking for one gun to shoot all three games
with, consider a field gun or sporting clays gun with interchangeable choke
tubes.
Equipment
Recommendations for Beginning Skeet Shooters
Equipment
Recommendations for Beginning Sporting Clays Shooters
Equipment
Recommendations for Beginning Trap Shooters
About
The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP)
The Scholastic Clay Target Program is sponsored by the National Shooting
Sports Foundation along with its partners the Amateur Trapshooting Association,
the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays
Association. The program focus is on teams and the program goals are as
follows:
-
SAFE and Responsible Handling
and Use of Firearms
-
Character and Citizenship
Development through Teamwork
-
Introduction to a Lifetime
Sport that Families can Enjoy Together
Teams are lead by an adult coach and
have the opportunity to compete in the disciplines of skeet, sporting clays and
trapshooting. Competitive divisions are divided by age group and skill
level to ensure teams are competing against balanced age divisions and skill
levels.
Click
here to view a short video clip on the Scholastic Clay Target Program
For more information on SCTP in Iowa, please
visit the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources website.
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