TargetTalk

pilkguns wrote:yeah, what Marc said.

and FWIW Marc is the kind of guy who is constantly buying used equipment from me to help keep that junior club going

You pushers will do anything to enable addicts to get their fix. And to children, even! Sick.

john bickar wrote:

pilkguns wrote:yeah, what Marc said.

and FWIW Marc is the kind of guy who is constantly buying used equipment from me to help keep that junior club going

You pushers will do anything to enable addicts to get their fix. And to children, even! Sick.

Yep, I'm a pusher. Thanks John and Scott both. I have been doing this for about 30 years. It's been rewarding. It has been worth it. I'm not planning on stopping any time soon.

I work with another coach at the club that has been at it about 5 years longer than I have. Now, after all these years, my daughter and her husband are coaches. And we have imported a coach from Canada. And one of the kids that grew up in the JR program is back and coaching with his dad ( who is double distinguished). Another coach came up through the program, shot for Memphis for 4 years, and is now in law school and helping out any time he is between tests. It's almost as much fun watching these young coaches as it is watching the young shooters.

Whatever it is that I'm pushing creates long term addiction.

To go along with what Marc & Scott have mentioned (I posted this in another forum):

For the youth shooting programs, desire on the part of the shooters is a major part of it, but having coaches/volunteers/parents interested in taking the time to run these programs is just as big.

Shotgun is an action sport, SPP is a very exciting action sport as well. However, in my area we have had one of each of these programs flop because there are not coaches that are willing to put in the time. In my mind one practice every few weeks or once a month just does not cut it.

Our (4-H based "club") international R & P programs do well because we shoot 3 times per week ... the kids have to stay in it to be interested, otherwise they get bored and go do something else. When shooting is more boring than sitting on the couch with your X-Box, well that says something in itself.

On the specific topic ... USOC Resource Allocation .... USA Shooting brought this upon themselves. They over promised on the medals and under delivered. And their program(s) have not significantly changed their training process. They have taken a step back in their youth promotion of the Junior Olympic Events, now being very biased against states that have lower population and shooting programs, making it very hard for a program to start up and keep going anymore if sending kids to the JOs is a goal for a club.

JROTC programs (rifle only, no pistol) have great participation, but almost no follow on shooters after High School. The equipment is owned by the school and by far too many do not "loan out" gear after HS. Some do, but not nearly enough.

Pistol will not grow, and will not succeed unless there are clubs (Pistol is too "scary" for High School programs) and volunteer coaches that make a long term commitment to mentor the youth to pass on to our national programs. Our National program has to be willing to go way above and beyond to get these shooters to National level events to stoke and keep their interest going. Shooting week to week in a club atmosphere is one thing, get them to the OTC for the JOs and they will work all that much harder to go back.

Oh ... as a postscript ... IMO

Marc Orvin wrote:

john bickar wrote:

pilkguns wrote:yeah, what Marc said.

and FWIW Marc is the kind of guy who is constantly buying used equipment from me to help keep that junior club going

You pushers will do anything to enable addicts to get their fix. And to children, even! Sick.

Yep, I'm a pusher. Thanks John and Scott both. I have been doing this for about 30 years. It's been rewarding. It has been worth it. I'm not planning on stopping any time soon.

I work with another coach at the club that has been at it about 5 years longer than I have. Now, after all these years, my daughter and her husband are coaches. And we have imported a coach from Canada. And one of the kids that grew up in the JR program is back and coaching with his dad ( who is double distinguished). Another coach came up through the program, shot for Memphis for 4 years, and is now in law school and helping out any time he is between tests. It's almost as much fun watching these young coaches as it is watching the young shooters.

Whatever it is that I'm pushing creates long term addiction.

Sure, it's all fun and games now. Wait until those kids end up like me - buying.22 ammo out of the trunk of a guy's car at a gun club, hoping I'll have enough cash left for a taco.

You need to move to NM... Here we have "Taco Tuesdays" and you can get a dz for $7.50.

Save up and you can freeze them in 3 packs and have 4 nightly dinners?

How many rounds of .22LR can I get for a dozen tacos?

As a Brit I've been staying out of this one (we've got our own problems), but I must congratulate Keith Sanderson on winning the RFP at the World Cup Finals, and smile at his impeccable timing.