Safety, fun, and marksmanship – in that order. These are the goals of the USA Clay Target League. For those who don’t know, the USA Clay Target League is a youth-focused sport shooting league featuring over 1,400 homeschooled, college, and high school student teams that are spread out across the nation. This year the USA Clay Target League has seen some phenomenal numbers in terms of participation with over 31,000 student-athletes participating in the opening stages of the 2022 season breaking previous year’s records. With this news also comes the fact that the USACTL is in fact one of the fastest-growing school sports in the country.

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USA Clay Target League Sees Record-Breaking Start to 2022 Season

We are excited to have broken our records for high school, college, and homeschool participation this season.” said John Nelson, President of the USACTL, “There is such a high demand for outdoor activities that are an alternative to traditional sports, kudos to the coaches and parents that make these teams possible.”

The students’ 9-week season began in late March with the first of two practice weeks to get them warmed up. Weekly competition begins on the 17th of April, with a final ‘fun week’ in mid-May. The season culminates with tournaments held in June, and high school athletes with top season averages will be invited to register for the USA High School Clay Target League’s National Championship held in Michigan every July.

Photo Credit: stepoutside.org

The USA Clay Target League is known for being one of the safest leagues in the country with not one injury reported since the start of the league back near the turn of the century (2001). In stark contrast to other shooting competitions, each student-athlete must first complete a firearm safety certification before they start participating in the league. These types of youth-oriented shooting competitions are some of my favorites as they are helping to foster the growth and dedication of our next generation of firearms owners. What are your thoughts on this league and is it something you’d think about getting your student involved in? Let us know down in the comments!