New York – 128 students from 5 New York high school teams will participate in the inaugural New York State High School Clay Target League’s (NYSHSCTL) 2016 spring trap shooting season, which began April 3rd.
“We are tremendously excited to offer clay target shooting to New York high school athletes,” said Jim Sable, Executive Director of the NYSHSCTL, “such high participation in our first year shows the demand for alternative high school activities related to New York’s longstanding outdoor traditions.”
The league’s co-ed and adaptive nature are key attractions to high schools in New York. The league is fully Title IX compliant with both male and female athletes competing on the same team. Additionally, it’s an ‘adaptive’ sport, which allows students with physical disabilities to take part. “We take pride in that athletes of all types are able to participate in clay target shooting,” John Nelson, Vice President of the NYSHSCTL, remarked. “Our True Team® scoring system is also designed so that everyone can compete, not just the top scorers on a team.”
Upon completion of the Spring League, all student athletes are invited to participate in individual and team competitions at the 2016 State Tournament. The event is scheduled for June 11th at the Sacket’s Harbor Sportsman’s Club.
The New York State High School Clay Target League attracts student athletes to participate in shooting sports while creating a “virtual” competition among high school teams throughout New York at no cost to the schools. Family travel costs are minimal because practice and competition are conducted at a shooting range near the school’s location. The league is also the safest sport in high school, with no reported injuries since the inception of the League in 2001.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 team¹s conference. The team score and overall standings are calculated and posted on the League’s website. Athletes and their families may track their individual and team performance on their computer via the League’s website, and by the new Shooter Performance Tracker® mobile app.
The New York State High School Clay Target League is an affiliate of the USA High School Clay Target League, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The League is an independent provider of shooting sports as an extracurricular co-ed and adaptive activity for high schools and students in grades 6 through 12. The organization’s priorities are safety, fun, and marksmanship – in that order. Each student is required to pass a comprehensive firearm safety education course prior to participation. 13,000 student athletes are currently participating in 12 state high school clay target leagues in the United States.