The Iowa State High School Clay Target League is the independent provider of the trapshooting extracurricular co-ed activity and operates as a “virtual” competition. That means student athletes and their families travel only to their local gun club to shoot two rounds of 25 targets at practice and competitions during their scheduled weeks. All scores are submitted online and compared against other scores from teams within their conference. Conferences are determined by the number of members on your team and with the League’s True Team® scoring method, athletes compete against every team in their conference.
Check out the Top 10 Reasons why schools and student athletes LOVE the League!
1. Safe.
With more than 5 million shots fired and more than 15,000 participants since 2001, there has been no reported injuries. All participants are required to have their hunter education certificate from the Department of Natural Resources. The League requires one coach for every 10 athletes on a team and a Range Safety Officer needs to be present at all times during event participation.
2. Co-ed team.
Boays and girls participate on the same team and adhere to the same policies and procedures.
3. Affordable.
The average cost for an athlete who owns a firearm is $200-$225 for the League. This includes targets, ammunition, insurance, and $25 League registration. Many teams include a t-shirt or other uniform for participants. All costs are managed by the coach and local gun club. Most teams reduce expenses with contributions from fundraising programs, donations and local businesses or conservation group’s sponsorships.
4. No cost to the school.
Participants and/or the team pays for all associated costs and administrative tasks are managed by the coaches. The League provides insurance for all athletes and coaches and team management tools and guidance to help everyone
5. Sportsmanship required.
The League requires participants and their parents or guardians to agree to sportsmanship expectations that include conduct, fair play, chemical-free participation, academic priorities and safety. Parents and adult mentors are encouraged to participate.
6. Outdoor recreation.
Get students off the couch and participate in a sport that complements our upper Midwest outdoor sport heritage.
7. Letter and yearbook inclusion.
Because trapshooting is a sport, we encourage schools to provide a lettering program and include their team picture in the yearbook.
8. Equal opportunity participation.
Not every student has the physical ability or desire to participate in football, baseball, track, soccer or other high school sports. Every participant on a team will shoot their targets each week with a great opportunity to have their score used for the team and they can measure their progress against all other athletes in their team, conference, and state. There are no “bench riders” in trapshooting.
9. Minimal travel.
Student athletes and their parents travel only to their local shooting range to participate. Scores are submitted online, compared against other teams in the state, and posted on the website.
10. Flexible schedules allow athletes to participate in other sports.
Rules allow teams and their athletes to shoot up to two scheduled days a week (including weekends) and many weekday events are scheduled later in the evening so athletes can participate in other spring sports.