New London Tiger Shooting Sports Banquet coming soon

The Second Annual Tiger Shooting Sports Banquet and Fundraiser will be held this Saturday, Feb. 3. The social begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25. The location is the Mount Pleasant VFW, 300 W Monroe St. There are gun raffles, a silent auction, as well as a live auction. It is a great opportunity to meet members of many sporting organizations.

One hundred percent of the proceeds go to support the athletes in this new and exciting sport. The work the coaches and sponsors of the Shooting Sports Team is critical. The student must provide their own shotgun. The team covers all the other expense such as entry fees, ammunition, and trap club fees for practice. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about this rapidly growing sport, help a great group of kids, a dedicated set of coaches and supportive parents.

New London Tiger Shooting Sports Team joined the SCTP program in 2023. The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) is the largest and fastest growing clay target program in the United States. In 2021, Iowa had approximately 4000 high school and junior high school age kids participate in the Iowa High School Trap Championship in Cedar Falls. Many organizations and groups support this sport. The Iowa DNR is the State Advisor for the program. It is responsible for providing assistance to new teams, training coaches, overseeing competition leagues and the state championships. In addition to SCTP, the DNR supports several other shooting sports: Archery in the Schools (NASP), Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP), and Explore Bowhunting

What are the benefits? This activity promotes the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship and ethical behavior. By instilling these values students will use throughout their lives, the program ensures safe use of hunting equipment, promotes conservation and care of the environment and creates an atmosphere where students learn self-confidence, teamwork, and self-discipline. Shooting sports are a lifelong activity. Iowa has 20 collegiate teams in shooting sports. Students can also compete internationally and even dream of becoming a member of the U.S. Olympic team.

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Those new to the sport need to know that physical fitness is also a big part of the sport. Upper body, arm and wrist strength are an important feature. Imagine lifting, aiming, and moving a shotgun for a 200 shot competition. Core muscles must be strong to support correct posture, provide stamina and aid controlled breathing. There is a very low injury rate in scholastic shooting. About 19% of young football participants are injured each year. Basketball has an injury rate of about 8%. The injury rate in competitive shooting is less than 1%.

Private organizations have joined the DNR in support of the SCTP. Some are a bit unbelievable for Iowa. In 1992, Iowa formed a chapter of Sarari Club International (SCI). In addition to breaking the stereotype of “safari,” this group is just one of the supporters of the clay target program across the state. SCI offers grants to teams offset expenses. Other groups are a little more recognizable because they support our wildlife in the names — Turkey, Quail, Pheasant, Deer to name a few. New London Tiger Shooting Team has many local groups helping with their success. The Wild Turkey Federation is one great example. Jimmy and Shelly Smith are members of the Federation and have been a huge help to the trap team and all its efforts including fundraising.