Trapshooting is Minnesota’s Fastest Growing High School Sport

April 2, 2014 /

From PRNewswire.com

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League (MSHSCTL) will host 6,100 student athletes representing 185 high school teams in the sport of trapshooting for the 2014 spring season. Led by the support of their schools and more than 1,800 volunteer coaches, thousands of student athletes will participate in shooting sports weekly April through June at 106 shooting ranges throughout Minnesota.

“In 2008, there were only 30 student athletes and three high school teams participating,” said Jim Sable, executive director of the MSHSCTL. “With the tremendous growth of the MSHSCTL, trapshooting continues to be Minnesota’s fastest-growing high school sport.”

The MSHSCTL is also the safest sport in high school. Since 2001, the MSHSCTL has no reported injuries or Gun-Free Zone violations at school.

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League attracts student athletes to participate in shooting sports while creating a “virtual” competition among high school teams throughout Minnesota. Family travel is minimal because practice and competition are conducted at a shooting range near the school’s location. Conferences are determined by team size rather than geographic location for fair competition. Athletes earn True Team Scoring points as determined by their performance and ranking against all athlete scores within their team’s conference. The team score and overall standing are calculated by adding the earned points from qualifying athletes and posted on the MSHSCTL’s website. Athletes and their families track their individual and team performance on their phone, tablet or computer via the Shooter Performance Tracker.

Upon completion of the spring league, all teams are invited to participate in individual and team competition at the 2014 MSHSCTL Championship at the Alexandria Shooting Park in Alexandria, Minn., scheduled June 6-10.

“With an expected 10,000 attendees including 4,200 student athletes, this tournament will become the largest youth trapshooting event in the world” Sable said.

The spring league culminates with the State Tournament that includes the Minnesota State High School League as a presenting partner. This State Tournament provides the opportunity for the highest qualifying individual and team achievers from the MSHSCTL to compete for the ultimate recognition as state champions from the Minnesota State High School League. With this State Tournament, the Minnesota State High School League will become the first and only state high school interscholastic athletic association in America to provide support and recognition for trapshooting as a high school sport.

The USA High School Clay Target League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and operates the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League as the independent provider of shooting sports as an extra curricular co-ed and adapted activity for high schools and students in grades six through 12 who have earned their Firearms Safety Certification. The organization’s priorities are safety, fun and marksmanship — in that order.