The USA Clay Target League is a non-profit organization and America’s largest youth clay target shooting sport program. The NRA Foundation provides grant support for the league’s state and national tournaments and funds many local teams as well.
The clay target shooting option is very popular with students. More than 1,800 high school, college and homeschool teams were involved in the USA Clay Target League in 2024. And, of the more than 53,000 participating student athletes last year, more than 9,000 were first-time clay-target participants.
“The benefits to the students often go unrecognized,” John Nelson, President of the USA Clay Target Shooting League, said. “There are plenty of other programs, but 40% of our student athletes don’t participate in anything else; they aren’t part of the band or football team, etc. Tens of thousands of kids each year have an opportunity they wouldn’t have had otherwise, to be part of their school community, which leads to such positive outcomes in life. They’re more likely to achieve better grades, more likely to graduate, to go to college—we see students with such great stories of overcoming their challenges.”
One NRA Foundation grant recipient was Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill. “It’s really up to how much the student wants to invest,” said Joshua Fulk, the head instructor of the Lake Land program and founder of the associated St. Elmo Brownstown High School Clay Target Team. “If they really are determined, they practice, go to shooting clinics, learn how to fix something they may be doing wrong. Keeping focus on school, making sure they’re getting their work done and making good grades because opportunities are also possible because of those good grades.”
Beyond the incredible importance of finding their place in a team, students also learn safety and marksmanship. More of these students will also develop an interest in the outdoors, participating in their incredible heritage of freedom and outdoors recreation in public lands, which is likely to influence them toward preserving both.
“The NRA Foundation is proud to support USA Clay Target League and their many youth programs held around the country,” Ruthann Sprague, assistant director of NRA Foundation Grant Outreach and Strategy, said. “Each year three-quarters of state fund grants support youth shooting sports programs. In 2024, over $7.5 million was awarded to youth programs for more than 2,060 grants. The NRA Foundation is invested in the next generation of America’s leaders.”
