TRAPSHOOTING THE OLYMPIC WAY, Part 2

Lester L. Greevy, Jr.

Last month, we talked about how a young shooter could become involved
in the USA Shooting Junior Olympic Program. This month I would like to
talk about the various teams operated by USA Shooting, including the
US Olympic Team, the US Shooting Team (USST), the National Team (NT)
and the National Development Team (NDT) and how these various teams
are selected.

The United States Olympic Team only exists during Olympic years.
Members are the actual people who will shoot in the Olympics. For 2004
there will be no more than 9 members, 6 men, 3 women. The United
States Olympic Team members will be selected on the basis of tryout
performance only. These tryouts consist of the USAS Selection Shoots
held during the Spring and Fall immediately preceding the Olympic
event. Selection for the 2004 Olympic Team will occur at the Fall 2003
Selection Match held in Colorado Springs, September 23rd to October
4th, and the Spring Selection Match held in April/May 2004 time
period.

US Olympic Team will be comprised of the number of athletes in each
event for which the country participation quotas have been obtained.
The maximum number available for men are 2 positions in each of Skeet,
Trap and Double Trap. For women, only 1 position for each discipline
is available. However, women who qualify for positions at the Olympic
games in one event may also participate in an additional Clay Target
event or events if they have a Minimum Qualifying Score (MQS) in the
additional events. Also under certain situations, if a woman wins
multiple events in the Olympic Team Selection process, the next
highest finisher in those events may be eligible for a team birth.

In order to actually compete in the Olympics, an athlete who has
earned an Olympic team birth, must have shot a Minimum Qualifying
Score. If he has not, he will be provided one opportunity to meet that
requirement at an ISSF World Cup Shoot subsequent to the team
selection.

Olympic participation quotas are earned in International competitions
during the 3 years immediately preceding the Olympic games. Currently,
for the 2004 games, the United States has earned 2 mens positions in
Skeet, 2 in Trap, but only 1 manâs position in Double Trap, leaving 1
remaining to be earned. In the womenâs event, one quota position has
been earned so far in Double Trap, but none in Trap or Skeet.

USA Shooting also selects and administers the US Shooting Team (USST).
These are the athletes that actually travel and compete in
International events, such as the World Shooting Championships,
Championship of the Americas, and the World Clay Target Championships
each year. USST size and priority for selection is prescribed by the
International Shooting Sports Foundation (ISSF) and the host country
organizing committee. USST members will be selected on the basis of
tryout performance in the Fall and Spring Selection Matches with the
exception of "additional athletes" that will be allowed to attend the
World Shooting Championship.

These selection matches will consist of 2 separate competitions. The
first Selection match will be the Fall Selection match in the
SeptemberöOctober time frame. The second Selection match will be the
Spring USST Selection Match in the AprilöMay time frame. They occur
each year in the same format as the Olympic Selection matches. The
course of fire consists of 250 targets in Trap and Skeet events and
300 targets in the Double Trap event, at each Competition. One final
round will be held at the end of the second Selection match. The final
will be conducted with the top 6 competitors having the highest
aggregate score at the end of the second match. USST selection will be
based upon the aggregate of the scores from the courses of fire and
the official finals score. Match programs, schedules and entry forms
are regularly posted on the USAS website, www.usashooting.com.

Team size will be set by the ISSF and the host country organizing
committee, but may be reduced for World Shooting Championships,
Championships of the Americas, and the World Clay Championships as
deemed necessary by the recommendation of the CEO/Executive Director
and approval of the Executive Committee.

While the US Olympic Team is selected only to shoot in the Olympics
and the US Shooting Team is selected only to shoot in those
International events scheduled for that year and consist only of that
number of shooters actually participating in the events, the day in,
day out training team is known as the National Team (NT) and the
National Development Team (NDT). To be eligible for selection to
either the NT or the NDT, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and
meet International Olympic Committee (IOC), United States Olympic
Committee (USOC), and International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF)
eligibility criteria for the Olympic games, Pan American games and
ISSF sanctioned International competitions.

Regular members of the National Team are selected from the top 3
finishers, both men and women in Skeet, Trap, and Double Trap at the
USA Shooting National Championships (USASNC), this year scheduled for
July 9 - 19 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Match information will be
posted on the USAS website. Double team positions are not filled in
any discipline. An athlete qualifying for more than 1 position
occupies those positions. And in non-Olympic events, competitors tied
for the last team position (3rd place) are selected to the team.

At-Large members of the National Team are selected at the Fall
Selection Match. The top scorer, not already a member of this yearâs
National Team is selected to the National Team in each of the 3
disciplines. If for any reason the Fall Selection Match is cancelled
(as in September/October 2001), the next high finisher from that
yearâs National Championship is added to the National Team.

Junior Members of the National Development Team shall be appointed
from the top 2 finishers in Menâs Trap, Skeet and Double Trap at the
USASNC, as well as, the top 2 finishers at the Junior Olympic Shooting
Championships (JOSC) in Menâs Trap, Skeet and Double Trap. Women NDT
appointees shall be selected from the top 2 finishers at the JOSC in
Double Trap. In womenâs Skeet and Trap at least 3 athletes must have
participated to select one team position and 5 entries are required to
select 2 team positions.

Additional National Team members include any athlete qualifying for
the US Shooting Team not already a member. Athletes qualifying for a
Junior position on the USST (Championship of the Americas or World
Championships) will become members of the National Development Team.

There may be additional At-Large selections to the National Team and
the National Development Team, including up to 10 members appointed by
the National Coach and approved by the Director of Operations. The
term of appointment and training year for the NT and NDT members begin
following the USASNC and lasts until the beginning of the USASNC in
the next calendar year. The training year and term for juniors and
collegiates shall commence from the conclusion of the competition
where selected through the beginning of that competition the following
year.

Benefits of National Team and National Development Team membership may
include support from USAS in the form of ammunition, entry fees,
travel and lodging expenses to attend USAS and ISSF competitions. Team
members also may receive training, training planning and coaching from
the various professionals available to USA Shooting.

NT members are expected to carry on an active training program, to
show progress in demonstrated performance, exhibit appropriate
attitude and to attend required activities or complete required
administrative duties. The National Team may consist of an "A" squad
and a "B" squad. Initially all members of the NT will be selected to
the "A" squad, but an "A" squad member may be moved to the "B" squad
for failure to comply with any of the above requirements and "B" squad
members will not receive further support, except at the recommendation
of the National Coach and approval of the appropriate committee.

All NT/NDT Shooters are also required to sign and abide by the Code of
Conduct, Dress Code, Team Operating Procedures, and sign the Liability
Release form as approved by USA Shooting.

The fortunes of the US Shooting Team in International Competition and
of its members in National Competition can be followed through the
USAS Shooting website and on the ISSF website, www.issfnews.com, or
its official website, www.issf-shooting.org.

May is an active month for International Trap Shooters, at least for
us in the Mid-Atlantic States.

Bunker shoots for May include, with contact person and phone number
the following:

May 9-11 Ontelaunee Rod and Gun Club, New Tripoli, PA,

Will Machauer, 908-832-2009

May 14-18 Fairfield Sportsmen Assoc., Harrison, OH

Charlie Wentzel, (513) 574-8315

May 23-25 Prince George Trap & Skeet, Glenn Dale, MD

Mark Biggins, (301) 577-7178

May 30-June 1 Quantico Shooting Club, Quantico, MCB, VA

Sam Work, (703) 626-8490