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Posted By admin on October 20, 2024
By: Taylor Schroeder, Pinal County 4-H, Shooting Sports, Provided By: CMP
Published: Junior Shooters magazine, Volume 57 Winter 2024, coming December 2024
Posted By admin on September 15, 2024
Note: Volume 4 of Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future (Online Only) is coming soon. You can have an ad in it: $500 full page, $250 1/2 page or less.Posted By admin on September 9, 2024
Volume 56 Fall 2024 will be out the end of September 2024! Austen Smith won the Silver Medal at the 2024 Olympics in skeet. Here she is with the USA flag!Posted By admin on August 30, 2024
The USA Shooting skeet shooters show off their medals at the Olympics Champions Park closing ceremony. Left to right: Conner Prince, Vincent Hancock, Austen Smith. Image Source: (USA Shooting/Joshua Schave)
Inspiring the Next Generation
By: Daphane Cassidy, NSSF Content Manager
NSSF congratulates the exceptional athletes of USA Shooting for their outstanding performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics. These athletes have not only broken records and brought home medals but also inspired countless young shooters across the nation to pursue their own Olympic dreams.
Did you watch the Olympics? Did you enjoy it? Are you interested in becoming an Olympian too?
If the performances of these athletes have inspired you, know that there is a clear path to follow to achieve your Olympic or Paralympic dreams. Whether you’re just starting out or already competing, USA Shooting provides a structured pathway for junior athletes to advance in the sport.
The Olympic/Paralympic Path for Junior Athletes
Marco De La Rosa training in men’s air pistol as he prepares to showcase his talent on the global stage. Image Source: (USA Shooting/Brittany Nelson)
USAS Prelim Tryouts: As you progress, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in preliminary tryouts and sanctioned matches through USA Shooting, which are essential stepping stones toward higher-level competitions.
Kevin Nguyen prepping for the paralympic event in R6 Mixed 50m Prone Rifle SH1. Image Source: (USA Shooting/Brittany Nelson)
USAS National Team and Developmental Team: Exceptional performance in these events could earn you a spot on the USAS Developmental Team, which is designed to further develop young talent. From here, you may advance to the USAS National Team, positioning you closer to Olympic selection.
2024 Shotgun Junior Olympic Championships trap event Image Source: (USA Shooting/ Dan Shanebrook)
Olympic/Paralympic Trials and Selection: The final steps on the path include participating in the Olympic/Paralympic Trials and undergoing the selection procedures. This is where the best of the best are chosen to represent the United States at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Conner Prince and Vincent Hancock raising the American flag after winning Gold and Silver in the Men’s skeet event. Image Source: (USA Shooting/Joshua Schave)
We Encourage You to Dream Big
Becoming a member of USA Shooting is an excellent way to start or continue your journey. Membership provides access to training resources, competition opportunities and a community that supports your growth in the sport. With the right dedication and support, you may stand on the Olympic podium one day or be able to say you tried to make it there.
Sagen Maddalena secured a silver medal in the 2024 Olympics women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle event. Image Source: (USA Shooting/Joshua Schave)
For more details on how to get involved and begin your journey, visit USA Shooting. Let the success of our 2024 Olympians and Paralympians be the motivation you need to pursue your Olympic dreams!
Organization leaders
Even if you are not looking to compete in USA Shooting sanctioned events, becoming a USA Shooting member shows your support and will help you follow the Olympic shooting sports. If you are in a position to be a sponsor, USA Shooting offers several categories of sponsorship, each providing unique benefits and opportunities for businesses and organizations. Every bit of support helps these athletes chase their dreams and continue to inspire the next generation of shooters.
The USA Shooting skeet shooters show off their medals at the Olympics Champions Park closing ceremony. Left to right: Vincent Hancock, Austen Smith, Conner Prince. Image Source: (USA Shooting/Joshua Schave)
Austen Smith celebrates her bronze medal performance in the women’s Skeet event. Image Source: (USA Shooting/Joshua Schave)
Posted By admin on August 23, 2024
Reprint from NSSF August 23, 2024NSSF congratulates the USA Shooting team on its extraordinary achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where team members earned an impressive five medals. Along with this remarkable feat, the 2024 Olympics saw many firsts for USA Shooting, marking a significant chapter in the history of U.S. shooting sports. “We are immensely proud of the USA Shooting athletes for their remarkable achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. Vincent Hancock cemented his place among the greatest Olympians in history and joined the likes of Micheal Phelps, Carl Lewis and Katy Ledecky in an elite group of athletes who have won four gold medals in their respective events. Katelyn Abeln of Douglasville, Ga., made history in Paris by becoming the first U.S. woman to ever qualify for an Olympic pistol final. Read the full press release.
Posted By admin on July 18, 2024
Launi Meili fired the ceremonial First Shot at the 2024 National Matches at Camp Perry.
By Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer
If you are UNDER 18 in California or Illinois STOP, DO NOT CONTINUE.
Do NOT Read.
CAMP PERRY, Ohio – On the evening of July 15, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) hosted the annual First Shot Ceremony – the traditional start to the century-old National Matches.
The 122nd Army Band provided music for the festivities.
The sweltering sun blazed down at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Facility, where the Matches have been held since 1907, but a cooling breeze welcomed the crowd of competitors and guests from surrounding areas and around the country. As visitors arrived, sounds of the 122nd Army Band resonated throughout the assembled stands and vintage vehicles from Timeless Ts Model T Club lined the entry to the plaza. 
Guests were able to walk up to each vehicle for a closer look and were even provided personal rides around Camp Perry’s base.
When the festivities began, a TBM Avenger from Port Clinton’s Liberty Aviation Museum made five passes over the crowd – with a resounding explosion from a controlled pyrotechnic on the range simulating a dropped bomb and marking the final pass.
Senior members of the Ohio National Guard attended the ceremony.
Christie Sewell, CMP’s Chief Programs Officer, served as emcee of the event, introducing such distinguished guests as Maj. Gen. John C. Harris (Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard), Susan Green (Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army), Ohio Congressmen Bob Latta and D.J. Swearingen and several senior leaders from the Ohio National Guard. CMP Board members were also in attendance as well as Director of Civilian Marksmanship Emeritus and Olympic gold-medalist Gary Anderson, and Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider.
This year’s esteemed First Shot speaker was current U.S. Air Force Academy Rifle Coach, CMP Board member and gold-medalist Launi Meili, who has amassed a career of over 50 years with numerous marksmanship entities, including the last eight with the CMP. Among several accolades, records and hall of fame inductions, she was the first American woman to ever win Olympic gold in smallbore rifle (Barcelona 1992) and remains the only woman to compete in both air rifle and smallbore at two separate Games.
During the First Shot, she addressed the crowd by recounting her illustrious career – the good and the bad.
Meili told the story of her marksmanship journey and gave encouragement to others seeking out their dreams.
“You may see my picture with a gold medal and think, ‘Wow, she probably has natural talent.’ I have to say, my very first match, I came in last place,” she admitted. “I also have to say, when I shot at the collegiate level, the highest I ever placed was sixth. So, not a lot of natural talent – what it was, was a lot of hard work.”
She explained how she traveled the world early in her career, ultimately locking her into the sport. The passion for it took her to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs where she worked full-time to achieve her goal – an Olympic medal. In 1988, she performed well at World Cup events and was predicted to win a medal at the Olympic Games in Seoul – even setting an Olympic record in the preliminaries.
With confidence, she entered the final in Seoul in first place. Unfortunately, her nerves got the best of her as her legs began to shake, and she fell from first to sixth place and missed out on her dream.
“Again, not a lot of natural talent,” she joked. “I had to work another four years.”
Many around her, at the time, asked if it was worth the sacrifice of another four years of her life to return to the Olympic stage, to which she replied, “Is the bigger sacrifice to quit? Or is the bigger sacrifice to keep going?”
“I learned from that final, and I worked on it every single day for four years,” she went on.
Her hard work paid off as she made the 1992 team and set yet another Olympic record in smallbore before again heading into the final in first place.
“This time, I had a better plan,” she said. “It carried me through, and I ended up with a gold medal.”
After the ceremony, Meili posed with attendees and allowed them to hold her gold medal.
As she concluded her story to the ceremony crowd, by surprise, Meili lifted an object from the podium – the actual gold medal she had won in Barcelona.
“I encourage people to touch this,” she said. “Over 10,000 kids have touched this, and that’s very important to me.”
“Shooting’s been good for me. It’s been a great journey, and it’s important to share. It’s important to see that starting out with very little talent can get you to where you want to be, with a lot of hard work,” she added.
As an aside, she noted she was proud to have the same medal as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and others from the “Dream Team” – the famous gold-medal-winning basketball team also from the Barcelona Olympic Games.
“And they needed a whole team to win!” she teased.
“In our sport, it doesn’t matter how tall you are, how fast you are, how strong you are – it just depends on how hard you want to work. Anybody can become a good shooter.”
“Set your goals, keep working on them, and you’re going to get there,” she concluded.
The First Shot Ceremony served as the first time the gifted rifle had been fired.
Met with applause, Meili then made the walk from the podium to the 600-yard line of Rodriguez Range, located behind her. Prepared there was the gold-plated 1907 Standard .22 caliber rifle that was presented to her at the 1993 SHOT Show by Dieter Anschütz, owner/president of Anschütz Rifles. It was personally made for Meili after winning the gold medal in Barcelona and had been on display at the USA Shooting Hall of Fame.
The 2024 First Shot Ceremony marked the rifle’s first-ever firing on an outdoor range.
As any good markswoman would do, Meili carefully placed her shooting glasses on her face and hearing protection over her ears. She lifted the rifle to her eyeline to prepare her sights, then, when ready, she pulled the trigger.
After Meili fired her .22 caliber rifle, the target downrange ”exploded” at 600 yards.
A tiny click was heard from the quiet rifle, followed by, comically, an enormous blast from a pyrotechnic target 600 yards downrange. The crowd laughed as Meili smiled.
After she posed for photos, Sewell again took to the podium to give her closing remarks. The 122nd Army Band played once more – each military branch’s anthem. Once the last note was played, a booming cannon fire shook the range to mark the end of the ceremony.
Afterwards, Meili graciously took photos with guests and allowed them to hold her gold medal. It was an inspirational day and the perfect opening to an event where challenges are often met and dreams are realized – the historic Camp Perry National Matches.
See Meili’s Rifle: The gold-plated 1907 Standard used during the First Shot Ceremony will be on display at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry for the next year, along with the authentic outfit Meili wore during the 1992 Olympic Games and several medals from around the world (Germany, Mexico, Norway and more).
The ceremony ended with the firing of a canon on Rodriguez Range.
Stop in any time during open hours to view it all, and while you’re there, take a few shots of your own within our air range – we have air guns available for rent! The Laser Shot simulators are also a lot of fun – be sure to try it out when you visit! Learn more at https://thecmp.org/ranges/cmp-competition-centers/.
The National Matches is on! The 117th National Matches will run now through Aug. 10, featuring smallbore rifle, air gun, pistol, highpower rifle, vintage rifle and long range rifle events for adults and juniors of all experience levels. The National Matches is also home to several purchasing options for your marksmanship needs through the CMP North Store (open year-round) and numerous vendors on Commercial Row. Learn more at https://thecmp.org/cmp-national-matches/. Come be part of the tradition!
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.
Restricted 18+ in CA in compliance with CA State Assembly Bill 2571 prohibiting the marketing of firearms to minors in the State of CA.
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Please check out Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future; left. Click on the cover:
Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future California AB2571 2022- changing the future voting structure in the USA to vote anti-gun! Junior Shooters » STOP CALIFORNIA
We have refiled with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for further definition of the directive to the lower court in California in regard to the injunction. We are waiting on the result.
Posted By admin on June 22, 2024
NOTE Online is split into two parts. Click on the bottom of the left page of spread 14 of 14 (page 26 to take you to the 2nd half of the magazine).
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Please check out Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future; left. Click on the cover:Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future California AB2571 – changing the future voting structure in the USA to vote anti-gun! – VOLUME 4 COMING OUT SOON!
Posted By admin on April 28, 2024
If you are UNDER 18 in California or Illinois STOP, DO NOT CONTINUE. Do NOT Read.
Midway, Utah – The United States Biathlon Association released the selected members of the Junior National Team for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Junior National Team
Virginia Cobb (Westford, VT/Ethan Allen Biathlon Club)
Virginia Cobb, making the team!
Mirra Payson (Lexington, MA/HSC Biathlon)
Mira Payson, going the distance!
Haley Finch (Anchorage, AK/Alaska Winter Stars)
Wes Campbell (Park City, UT/ Team Soldier Hollow)
Thor Sheppard (West Yellowstone, MT/Team Altius)
Cale Woods (Bozeman, MT/Team Crosscut)
Elias Soule (Anchorage, AK/Anchorage Biathlon Club)
John Lohuis (Anchorage, AK/Biathlon Alaska)
“We are happy to announce the names of the exceptional athletes who have earned their place on the Junior National Biathlon Team, marking the highest domestic level of achievement in youth and junior development,” said U.S Biathlon Director of Athlete Development Tim Burke. “As in the past, this team’s reach will continue beyond those named to the Junior National Team, as we will include additional athletes at team training camps to create a balanced training environment.”
Elias Soule makes the team!
Coach Brian Halligan will oversee the Junior National Team for the 2024-25 season. Halligan is heading into his third season coaching the Junior National Team, serving his first season as head coach last season.
“I am really excited to work with this year’s Junior National Team,” said Junior National Team Head Coach Brian Halligan. “We are beginning to see some great depth in our Youth and Junior fields and I feel the athletes who have been selected for the JNT this year not only possess great talent, but will work hard and continue to grow as they mature as athletes and humans. After all, that is what this team is about: growth and development.”
“It’s great to see that many of our current Junior National Team members have come through the U.S. Biathlon development pipeline by participating in U.S. Biathlon’s Regional Select Camps and Elite Development camps,” added Burke. “I look forward to seeing these programs continue to grow.”
About U.S. Biathlon
As the Olympic sports organization centered around the sport of biathlon, the United States Biathlon Association, known as U.S. Biathlon, is recognized by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as the national federation for biathlon in the United States. Founded in 1980, U.S. Biathlon exists to support and encourage the development of biathlon in the United States, to work with biathlon clubs and regional centers around the country to organize training and competition from the grassroots to elite level, and to prepare athletes for international competition. U.S. Biathlon staffs and finances the U.S. Biathlon national and junior national teams and is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization. For more information, visit usbiathlon.org.
U.S. Biathlon Media Contact
Sara Donatello
saradonatello@usbiathlon.org +1 (518) 524-5354
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Please check out Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future; left. Click on the cover:Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future California AB2571 – changing the future voting structure in the USA to vote anti-gun!
Posted By admin on April 10, 2024
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Please check out Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future; left. Click on the cover:
Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future California AB2571 – changing the future voting structure in the USA to vote anti-gun!
Posted By admin on April 6, 2024
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Please check out Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future; left. Click on the cover:
Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future California AB2571 – changing the future voting structure in the USA to vote anti-gun!
Posted By admin on January 24, 2024
Application deadline is March 31, 2024! Get them in early!
These Scholarships are an excellent opportunity. March 31, is the due date for applications.
Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future California AB2571 – changing the future voting structure in the USA to vote anti-gun!
Please check out Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future; left. Click on the cover:
Posted By admin on January 5, 2024
“California law AB2571, is a specific, well planned, effort by California and anti-gun groups to eliminate pro-gun information to minors by making it illegal. At the same time, ensuring that anti-gun information is still legal and increasing the amount of anti-gun information. Thus, changing the voting structure in the U.S.A. I can prove it.” Andy Fink, Publisher Junior Shooters magazine. publisher@juniorshooters.net
The California law, AB2571 on advertising to minors, states that “YOU” can NOT encourage a minor residing in California to use a firearm or firearm related product, is a specific, well-planned effort by California and anti-gun groups to eliminate current and future pro-gun knowledge by youth and pro-gun votes. This is my perspective which I have been talking about in my editorials. One of the California judges on the Ninth Circuit Court specifically spells this out and agrees with me. See page 21-24 of their decision on September 13, 2023 link: https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2023/09/13/22-56090.pdf). NOTE: California appealed and there will be a new hearing probably in the Spring, 2023 to see if our filing for an injunction will finally be granted (first filed July 2022). These legal efforts will go through the court process for the next 1-3 years! Check out copies printed issues under ARTICLES Junior Shooters » ARTICLES on the header bar above and issues of our Special ONLINE issues covering this topic in this section: Volume 3 “Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future” above. Volumes 1 & 2 “Stopping California” below.
We are in the process of determining what legal actions we will be taking in Illinois! Law: IL HB0218 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | LegiScan
Table Of Contents Volume 3 Saving Youth Shooting Sports and Your Future:
Youth Models: Henry Repeating Arms
