Wichita, KS – 1232 student athletes representing 58 Kansas high school teams are participating the 2018 Kansas State High School Clay Target League’s (KSSHSCTL) spring trap shooting season, which began April 1st. In 2017, 710 student athletes from 39 teams competed.
“Clay target shooting as an activity for Kansas high school athletes continues to grow by leaps and bounds,” said Jim Sable, President of the KSSHSCTL, “The record-setting growth we’ve seen shows the demand for alternative high school activities related to Kansas’ longstanding outdoor traditions.”
The League’s co-ed and adaptive nature are key attractions to high schools in Kansas. 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 student athletes of all types are able to participate in clay target shooting,” John Nelson, Vice President of the KSSHSCTL, remarked. “Our True Team® scoring system is also designed so that everyone can compete, not just the top scorers on a team.”
The Spring League culminates with the 2018 State Tournament, where all student athletes are invited to participate in individual and team competitions. The event is scheduled for June 16th at the KTA Homegrounds in Sedgwick.
The Kansas State High School Clay Target League attracts student athletes to participate in shooting sports while creating a ‘virtual’ competition among high school teams throughout Kansas 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 team’s 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 Shooter Performance Tracker® mobile app.
The Kansas 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.
Nationwide, nearly 22,000 students representing over 800 school-approved teams participate in the League.