DRAWING
A BEAD
ISRA’s Youth Shotgun
Program
Grows Through Partnership
Richard A. Pearson
Executive
Director, ISRA
The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA)
Education & Training Committee has a rising star on its hands with its Youth
Shotgun Program. The success of the Program can be directly attributed to the
partnering between the ISRA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF),
local clubs, the IDNR, and the Illinois Trapshooting Association (ITA).
A few years ago, the NSSF came out with a
program to promote youth trap, skeet, and sporting clays teams and Jack Miller
stepped in and took it upon himself to encourage more youth to take advantage of
the program. Initially, there were only three teams in the state of Illinois;
now, I am proud to say, the number of teams has increased to 26! This year, the
goal is to reach 40 teams.
The NSSF offers first year teams caps and tee
shirts for each kid registered, and the team gets 50 boxes of new trap loads, 30
cases of clay birds, 5 pairs of glasses, and 5 shooting pouches. Second year
teams get only caps and tee shirts for each kid that signs up. The ISRA is
working on a program to distribute shotgun shells to teams after the fist year.
We hope to deliver clay birds if the money is available. Local clubs are the key
to the Youth Shotgun Program. To encourage more local club participation, the
ISRA is offering a limited number of block grants to help put on local shooting
camps to give youth training in shotgun shooting skills. Local clubs and parents
supply coaches, a place to shoot, and shotguns.
My hat is off to Jack Miller and the Education & Training Committee for helping promote this Program. I would like to thank Livingston County Pheasants Forever and the McLean County Sportsman, Inc. for their generous donations to the Youth Shotgun Program. If any others would like to support this worthy cause, please contact the ISRA at 815/635-3198. All monies raised will go directly to the Youth Shotgun Program. You may send your donation to ISRA, P.O. Box 637, Chatsworth, IL 60921. Make sure you specify the money is to support the Youth Shotgun Program.
Become a member of the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) – to join, call (815) 695-3198 or join on this website.
Richard A. Pearson
Executive Director, ISRA