NRA ADVANCED JUNIOR SHOTGUN CAMP

Lester L. Greevy, Jr.

Last month we talked about building a Bunker and our new Bunker’s first
shoot, the NRA Advanced Junior Shotgun Camp. I would like to talk more
about that camp in this column.

Up until recently the NRA Youth Training Programs included mostly the
precision shooting disciplines of rifle and pistol. Recently the NRA
and USA Shooting, the National Governing Body of all Olympic Shooting,
have entered into a cooperation to make use of the NRA’s training
expertise to train International Shotgun Coaches and to develop grass
roots International Trap and Skeet Programs throughout the country. I
was in the initial class, along with Sam Neal, father of Brandie Neal,
the Ladies National Champion in International Skeet, and several others.
We were schooled at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on
the Ways of the International Clay Target Disciplines and the Ways of
USA Shooting and the NRA, as well as how to develop strong local
shooting programs. I was invited to join the NRA’s National Coach
Development Staff and after additional training am able to provide
NRA/USAS coach training for appointment and certification here on the
right hand side of the country. We have already run two courses this
year and hope to have more in ‘04.

Anyone interested in attending the NRA/USAS Shotgun Coach School at
Colorado Springs, generally held in early October, should contact Martin
Edmondson at USA Shooting, 718-866-4881. If interested in a school in
the East, please contact me.

The NRA has held Advanced Junior Summer Camps for Rifle and Pistol
Shooters for sometime but had not in the recent past done a shotgun
camp. They were hoping to introduce International Shotgun Camps in
cooperation with USA Shooting. About that time there appeared a
gracious benefactor, interested in making a grant to NRA in support of
International Shotgunning. Also about that time, my group, Youth
Development Shotgun Team, received a substantial grant to build an
International Trap Bunker. The stars were certainly in alignment and
the Youth Development Shotgun Team/NRA Advanced Junior Shotgun Camp in
cooperation with USA Shooting was born.

The purpose of our camp is to identify promising young American Trap,
Skeet, and Sporting Clay Shooters and to train them in the International
Shotgun Disciplines of Trap and Double Trap. We hope next year to add
International Skeet training.

The camp is open to young shooters between the ages of 12 and 18 who
have not attended a National Junior Olympic Camp or Championship.

This year’s camp ran for 4 days, June 23 through June 26, at the North
Mountain Sportsman Association grounds near Muncy Valley in north
central Pennsylvania. It was attended by 15 boys and 2 girls. Many of
the campers are ATA Shooters, many with multiple state championships.
They include: Austin Arnold (MI), Lynsey Arnold (PA), A. J. Brenner
(OH), Matt Drexler (MO), Bryce Gearhart (PA), Dan Henning (PA), Adam
Linetty (PA), Mike Salisbury (NY), Corey Sidorek (PA), Mike Thompson
(OH), and Dustin Woehrmyer (OH). Other shooters came from Virginia and
Indiana.

USA Shooting provided 2 assistant National Coaches, B. J. McDaniel and
Jon Ogilvie, both from California and both very experienced in
International Clay Target Competition. Also assisting as coach interns
were Josh Richmond and Gregg Patton, both ATA Shooters and 2002 Junior
Olympians, where Josh won J2 (15-17 yrs.) gold medals at the Junior
Olympic National Championships in Trap and Double Trap. He also made
the ATA Sub Junior All American Team and the USAS National Development
Team and was named Pennsylvania Trap Shooter of the year. He will
represent the United States at the World Shooting Championships in
Nicosia, Cyprus in September. Josh is always very willing to share his
knowledge of the game with other young shooters.

The camp had support from the industry. White Flier supplied the
International targets. Kent Cartridge USA provided their excellent
Velocity, Diamond Shot, 24 gram International Load and Armor Holdings,
Inc., maker of Break Free C.L.P. and other gun cleaning and care
products, sent a nice assortment for each of the kids.

Next year, we would like to develop support from a gun manufacturer,
maybe even be able to offer as top prize in our competition, the use, on
consignment, of a top shelf competition gun for one year. One of the
British youth programs does this and it seems very popular.

At the camp, we threw and shot over 15,000 targets. We worked the kids
from 7 in the morning until 9 at night, with shooting, range talk, and
class room work. Each received a study guide covering Olympic Shooting
History, the International Disciplines, Fitness and Mental Training,
Hydration and Nutrition, Breathing and Relaxing, and other topics. The
material for this study guide is taken from the texts used at the USAS
International Shotgun Coach School and other material that we use in the
Youth Development Shotgun Team.

The camp ended with competition in Double Trap and Trap. The 2 top
shooters in each main match would receive an invitation to the 2003
Junior Olympic National Camp and Championships held August 17-24 at the
Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The winners were Adam
Linetty and Matt Drexler in Double Trap with Austin Arnold and Dustin
Woehrmyer qualifying in Trap. Bryce Gearhart, age 12, took the High
Over All.

In all, eleven campers, including Coach Interns Richmond and Patten will
be attending the 2003 Junior Olympic National Camp and Championships.

Seven camp graduates attended the USA Shooting National Championships
held at Colorado Springs in July. They made out well. Richmond took
second in Junior Double Trap, Sidorek took third and Drexler, fourth.
Drexler and Lynsey Arnold also medaled in Open Double Trap.

The kids set 3 new national record in Double Trap for a 300 target
match. They were Lynsey Arnold in Ladies J2 (15 to 17 years), Molly
Bender in Ladies J3 (up to 15 years), and Bryce Gearhart in Mens J3
Bunker. He broke the existing record by 40 targets.

At the camp there was emphasis on the mental aspects of the clay target
games with particular attention to goal setting and training planning.
Each shooter was given a personalized Shooting Diary, jointly developed
by the NRA, USA Shooting, and Youth Development Shotgun Team. The
shooting diary contains chapters on why and how to use training
guidelines, goal setting and training plans, as well as forms to record
scores, to do performance evaluation and profiling and to record gun and
range data, as well as outlines for training session goals, and other
helpful information.

We believe that goal setting is the most effective way of building
self-confidence. By setting measurable goals, achieving them, setting
new goals, achieving them, and so on, you prove your ability to
yourself, that you can perform and achieve efficiently. You can see and
recognize and enjoy your achievement and feel real self-worth in that
achievement.

Our goal at the camp is to help young shooters establish an unshakable
positive, confident attitude. If we can do that, once we teach them the
basics, most everything else will take care of itself.

All of what we teach, hydration and nutrition, physical fitness and the
mental and visual game, goal setting, training and performance profiling
is just as applicable to ATA Trap, Skeet or Sporting as it is to the
Olympic disciplines.

I sometimes hear people say that they have stopped shooting their
American sport to concentrate on the International. I think that is
wrong and I think so for two reasons. First, I know many young shooters
who complete at the top levels of both American and International Clay
Target Sports simultaneously. Sheldon Benge is one, Josh Richmond is
another. There are many more.

Second, there is not enough top level Olympic Clay Target Competition in
this country to develop or keep honed competition nerves. One learns to
shoot under pressure by shooting under pressure and shooting ATA State,
Zone, and Satellite Grand Championships as well as the Grand American
Handicap is just the type of high pressure competition that a young
shooter needs to experience in order to prepare him to represent the
United States in World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic events.
There is no substitute for that experience and the ATA is the best place
to find it.

I may be somewhat prejudiced but I think the Advanced Junior Shotgun
Camp was a tremendous success and I hope the first of many to come.
Information for next year’s camp will soon appear on the NRA website
(www.nrahq.org) with a downloadable camp application, as well as a free
1 year youth membership to USA Shooting. Additional information can be
received from hmoody@nrahq.org or by contacting me at the address below.

Next month we will talk more about training elite young shooters.

Lester L. Greevy, Jr.
1460 Washington Blvd.
Williamsport, PA
570-326-6561