Although the Coronavirus pandemic and the social-distancing mandates that have come from it have put a crimp in the nation's 2020 competitive shooting event schedules, the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) has been working hard to ensure that America's junior shooting competitors have a chance to show their stuff at the the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Championships, now scheduled for July. It's going to be a little different this year, and some events like the awards ceremonies are still up in the air, but the competitions themselves are on.
“Getting teams back to the range in a safe and responsible manner is our first priority,” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “Our leadership team continues to work closely with the [range] staff using the most current guidance to provide a safe and fun event that our teams come to expect each summer.”
The SCTP event will be conducted in person at the Cardinal Shooting Center July 11-18 and will feature all of the main shooting events for youth involved in trap, skeet and sporting clays. Attendees this year will see some new requirements related to social distancing, however the competition aspect of the event is expected to be conducted as usual. Online registration is open now for the 2020 SCTP National Championship and closes July 6th.
The SCTP will also be adding a Virtual National Championship event which gives those who cannot yet travel due to local mandates or those who are uncomfortable with the thought of doing so the opportunity to compete at the national level. This virtual component of the SCTP Nationals consists of five events of trap and skeet and will be run in conjunction with in-person national events to give the closest representation of the Nationals experience. Registration for the Virtual National Championship begins June 3rd and closes July 6th.
SASP National Championships, on the other hand, will be conducted virtually. Over a three-week window, from July 5th through July 26th, teams from around the country will be able to easily compete from their home ranges. Using the technology provided by Practiscore and the SSSF SHOT data system, SASP teams will be able to submit stage times at their convenience within the open event window. This three-week window also allows for teams who participate in both the SASP and SCTP, the ability to participate in both National Championship events and the opportunity to compete in the CZ-USA Top Gun Challenge. Athletes competing in the CZ-USA Top Gun Challenge will shoot trap, skeet, a rifle discipline of choice, and a centerfire pistol (iron, optic, or 1911), with their scores from each event being compiled to calculate the winners. Registration for the 2020 SASP National Championship is currently open and closes July 2nd at 12:00 PM CST.
“After much deliberation, our leadership team determined that a virtual championship for SASP would be the safest and most equitable approach for all of our teams to participate,” said Rick Leach, SASP National Director. “The SASP truly does offer a level playing field, making a virtual-national event a practical option in this challenging season. The 2019 SASP National Championship broke records as the largest action shooting event in the world. With 2020’s virtual format, we actually have the potential for increased participation on a level we’ve never seen before.”
For more information and latest news about the 2020 SCTP and SASP National Championships, please visit the SSSF website at https://sssfonline.org/news/.
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