About YSSA

   The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance (YSSA) received a certificate of incorporation from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s State Corporation Commission effective July 25, 2007.  Upon relocation to North Carolina, Articles of Incorporation of the YSSA were filed with the North Carolina Department of The Secretary of State.  Certification was received with an effective date of April 4, 2008.
   The Internal Revenue Service informed the YSSA on May 12, 2008 that the organization had been determined to be exempt from Federal income tax effective July 25, 2007 under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that the YSSA was classified as a private foundation.
   The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance (YSSA) was organized to address two important challenges regarding the recruitment and retention of new shooters:

  • Identify and support the needs of successful and safe youth programs
  • Provide leadership in the development and promotion of family-friendly shooting range facilities to encourage continued participation in the shooting sports

Identification and Support of Youth Shooting Sports Program Needs

   Youth and social organizations have exposed millions of kids to the shooting sports.  The shooting sports industry is literally besieged by this myriad of organizations requesting financial and/or product support.  Although these requests for assistance are well intended, the collective scope of needs is well beyond the industry’s ability to support all of them. 
   As a service to the shooting sports industry, the YSSA provides guidance as to which of these programs should be considered as priority in having the greatest return on investment measured by projected program growth and participation.  Each year, the YSSA conducts a National Youth Shooting Sports Program Needs Assessment to aid in identifying limitations to program growth attributed to the need for shooting sports equipment and supplies. 
   A panel of select members of the industry review proposals submitted in response to that assessment and identify the priority programs that best contribute to the future market goals of the industry.   
   The YSSA has established a sound foundation in providing product support for these priority youth shooting sports programs by working with some of the most respected manufacturers in the industry.  Archery and firearm industry leaders are partnering with the YSSA in support of its objectives and our kids across the nation.

Development and Promotion of Family-Friendly Shooting Range Facilities

   The National Range Survey & Needs Assessment (2007/2008 Edition), conducted by the National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR), reported that 71 percent of ranges believe that programs designed to attract young shooters offer an excellent opportunity for growth.  Two thirds of the private ranges reported having a junior shooting program in place with the majority of the remaining ranges expressing interest in starting one.  Half of the ranges surveyed offered free instructions for Boy Scouts of America or other community groups and an additional one-third of the ranges expressed interest in offering such programs.
   The Assessment also reported that a total of 59 percent of the ranges surveyed see programs designed to attract families shooting together as excellent potential growth areas.
   Cultivation of our youth and their families could significantly increase participation in the shooting sports and carry on our shooting sports heritage.  To capitalize on this customer base, the Assessment encouraged ranges to create a family-friendly environment and position the range in the community as a place for responsible, fun and safe target shooting and instruction.  As a pro-active response, the YSSA focuses on improving gateways for youth and family participation in the shooting sports.
The priority programs that the Board selected are units of established youth organizations (i.e.: Boy Scouts of America, JROTC, Royal Rangers) that offer shooting sports as an integral part of their respective curricula.  The majority of these priority programs selected are introductory in scope which presents the challenge of ensuring opportunities are readily available for continuation and development of the joy of shooting for the kids as well as their families as expressed in our vision statement.   
   Shooting range facilities will help draw newcomers to shooting only if the shooting atmosphere is conducive to attracting whole families to the range.  Too many club shooting range facilities are deficient in offering a positive shooting environment for active family involvement.  In order to attract families and new shooters, ranges must be user friendly and customer service oriented.  Ideally, if we can develop a positive shooting atmosphere, we can increase participation, build positive community relationships, and ensure the viability of our ranges for years to come.  Range managers must create a comfortable, helpful, atmosphere for anybody who uses their facility. 
   As an initial effort to address these challenges, the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance (YSSA) hosted special youth shooting sports program forums in several communities during April, 2008.  These forums provided an opportunity for youth program leaders and representatives of archery clubs, gun clubs and commercial shooting range facilities to work together to ensure that shooting range facilities in each community provide a positive shooting atmosphere conducive to encouraging new shooters and their families to continue their shooting experience.
   Following an overview of the youth shooting sports programs offered in each community, the group discussed the tactics to employ in providing safe, responsible and positive opportunities for new youth shooters and their families to continue their active participation in the shooting sports.  The YSSA emphasized the importance of shooting range community relations efforts and developing a positive shooting atmosphere for new youth shooters and their families.

Club Chronicles

   An effective tactic to promote development of family-friendly shooting facilities to clubs across the nation is to chronicle the steps that an established club initiates to progress from their current operational status to that of a true model for other clubs to emulate.
   The YSSA approached the Cheshire County Fish and Game Club, Inc., in Keene, New Hampshire to enlist their participation in this version of a “reality show” for gun clubs.  The club officers, currently involved in a comprehensive review of their club’s facilities and operations, agreed to serve in the spotlight of this rather unique initiative.
   The YSSA will maintain a running chronicle of the club’s efforts on our website www.youthshootingsa.com  complete with photos, testimonials, and the peaks and valleys of discussions associated with this comprehensive review undertaken by a club with a long, proud tenure.  We hope that our Club Chronicles will motivate other gun clubs to undertake similar reviews of their respective operations as well as share their experiences in addressing similar issues.

Increase Active Youth Involvement in the Shooting Sports

   The opportunities to promote youth involvement in the shooting sports and the concurrent development of family-friendly ranges increases as we assist in expanding the shooting disciplines available to our youth in clubs across the nation.  Specifically, introductory youth programs for handgun and muzzleloader disciplines offer tremendous opportunities for expanding participation in the shooting sports.
   A timely opportunity exists to encourage the development of new Venturing Crews which are focused on handgun and/or muzzleloader training.  In addition to recruiting youth in the BSA Venturing Program and as active participants in the shooting sports, this initiative could motivate NRA-certified instructors in these disciplines to serve as Venturing leaders at their host club/range facilities.

Strategic Planning

   In order to best support youth shooting sports programs, the YSSA is developing a strategic plan to shape and guide what our organization is; what it does; and why it does it.
   Preliminary goals and objectives outlined in this plan are listed below. Invitations to review and comment on these preliminary goals and objectives reinforce the YSSA’s desired position that we are sincerely interested in allowing our supporters to guide the refinement of these goals into a finalized form:

A. Provide guidance to the shooting sports industry in addressing the limiting factors to growth in youth shooting sports programs and solicit the financial and product support to address these needs.

  • Conduct a national assessment among youth shooting sports organizations to determine the limiting factors to growth of their respective programs with an accompanying methodology for peer review and prioritization for support from the industry. Solicit financial and product support through grant applications and direct appeal to the shooting sports industry to address the priority limiting factors.

  • Develop a practical plan to organize and administer an industry wide firearms “loaner” program for supporting youth programs.  Incorporate a solicitation strategy for acquiring donated firearms from sportsmen to either include in the “loaner” gun inventory or be liquidated to benefit the YSSA endowment.

B. Develop an educational outreach program to motivate  clubs with shooting range facilities to improve their community’s  acceptance of their facility as well as providing a shooting atmosphere conducive to attracting a broad spectrum of new shooter constituents. 

  • Provide guidance in modifying existing web “where to shoot” data bases to incorporate the availability of youth programs at these facilities.

  • Develop a family-friendly shooting range facility model including a “family” introductory shooting program, for adoption by clubs to provide a positive environment for attracting new shooter constituents.

C.  Develop a model program to expand the shooting disciplines available to youth.

  • Initiate a cooperative pilot project with the Mid-America Council, BSA to organize new Venturing Crews within their service area focused on handgun and/or muzzleloader shooting disciplines.

D. Promote the use of law enforcement agency shooting range facilities for public target shooting activities.

  • Develop a model business plan for conducting concessionaire operated target shooting programs on County Sheriff Office range facilities.

E. Develop an effective medium of communications with clubs in conveying proven community relations and shooter recruitment strategies.  Highlight successful programs in periodicals. 

  • Chronicle the steps that an established club initiates to progress from the current operational status to that of a true model for other clubs to emulate.  The club will be encouraged to include input and feedback from youth and families in their planning efforts.

Continued commitment of supporters depends on the degree to which the organization achieves its desired results as stated in the strategic plan.  Time, enthusiasm, and money are renewed when there is pride in measurable achievement.  At the close of the performance year, each objective approved in the plan will be evaluated.  Concurrently, clarification of strengths and weaknesses of the most recent performance effort will be made to prepare for the next cycle of implementation.

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