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September 18, 2025
Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation Programs Partner with NSSF’s First Shots
WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, is pleased to announce that the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation’s Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) have become official partners of NSSF’s First Shots®. First Shots is the introductory and refresher target-shooting program made available through host target-shooting ranges across the country.
Under the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation’s administration, SCTP and SASP are national youth development programs that build marksmanship skills and enjoyment of recreational shooting. The programs, which serve tens of thousands of participants, rely on adult coaches and other volunteers who use the shooting sports to teach sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork and other positive life skills.
NSSF has a shared history with the SCTP, having launched the program in 2001 as a competitive trap shooting activity that quickly expanded to include skeet and sporting clays. In 2007, the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation was established as the governing body to oversee SCTP. The SASP program soon followed with action shooting on steel targets with pistols and rifles, later adding 10m air rifle and 10m air pistol shooting for youth competitors.
“Given NSSF’s longstanding connection with scholastic shooting, it’s gratifying to see these partnerships with SCTP and SASP—programs that have done so much to popularize youth target shooting and firearm safety across the country,” said Zach Snow, NSSF Director, Member Development.
“The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation’s approach of teaching young athletes about safe and responsible firearm handling and introducing them to clay target, handgun and rifle shooting sports aligns perfectly with First Shots’ mission of supervised introductions,” said Rick Leach, SSSF’s Executive Director. “This is a mutually beneficial partnership if I ever saw one.”
As part of its partnership, the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation will encourage teams to use First Shots to introduce newcomers to the challenge and fun of recreational shooting. First Shots will serve as a recruitment, community outreach and potential fundraising tool for participating teams.
In addition to its student-athletes enjoying shooting competitions for all skill levels, SCTP and SASP serve as feeder programs for national governing bodies like USA Shooting, National Skeet Shooting Association, National Sporting Clays Association and the Amateur Trapshooting Association.
NSSF invites other organizations associated with the shooting sports and industry to consider becoming a First Shots partner. The benefits to the organization and to the future of the shooting sports are considerable. Learn how to become a First Shots partner by contacting Zach Snow at 203-286-5681. To become a First Shots host range and or instructor, contact Ann Gamauf at 203-426-1320 ext. 247.
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About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
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Media contact:
Bill Brassard
203-426-1320 ext. 212
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