USA Shooting is dedicated to the development of Youth Olympic Shooting Sports. We are focused on the development of aspiring, dedicated junior athletes that will someday represent the United States of America in the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, World Shooting Championships, Paralympic Games, and other international competitions.
Junior Programs
For junior shooters seeking an introduction to Olympic-style shooting sports, the USA Shooting Youth Programs and Athlete Development division is the right place to start.
There are many programs available through USA Shooting and partner organizations. Where a youth may not have excelled in other sports, shooting sports do not require a participant to be the fastest, tallest, or strongest. It does require—or will teach—patience, determination, organizational skills, mental and physical control, safety awareness, goal setting, problem solving, and good citizenship/sportsmanship.
We have many aspiring junior athletes who have traveled to competitions outside the US, such as Munich, Germany, Beijing, China, and Plzen, Czech Republic. USA Shooting provides the support necessary so that our junior athletes can achieve their goals and dreams. The only requirement is that one is willing to compete with the best to be the best.
Membership
Junior USA Shooting members can register for USA Shooting sanctioned competitions that provide exposure to international shooting rules, shoulder-to-shoulder competitions, and visibility of their skill progression that will earn them opportunities to make the National Junior Development Team.
There are three age categories for juniors at all national USA Shooting sanctioned events:
- Junior 1 (J1): ages 18-20
- Junior 2 (J2): ages 15-17
- Junior 3 (J3): ages 14 years or younger
College Age Juniors
There are several programs associated with college age juniors, and most do not know that there are college scholarships available for talented pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooters.
- About the Collegiate shooting program
- Search for colleges with shooting programs
- Choosing a College Shooting Program, by Brad Donoho, CMP Program Manager
Partners
4-H Shooting Sports offers youth programs for pistol shooting. Contact your local chapter to find out if it is offered in your area. Some schools and many local shooting clubs provide youth shooting sports programs as well.
The NRA has a qualification program, sanctions matches, offers a tremendous variety of materials and has programs for competitions, collegiate shooting, coach education, advanced summer camps, etc. NRA also offers grant programs that provide funding for youth shooting programs.
Resources
- Olympic Shooting Range Facilities Guides, Indoor and Outdoor
- Visit the NRA training website to find a coach certification course near you
- Civilian Marksmanship Program>
- Children's gun safety video from the NSSF
- USA Youth Education in Shooting Sports (USAYESS)
- The MidwayUSA Foundation
Find a USA Shooting Club Near You!
Use our Club Map and Directory to locate a club near you!