Program Overview:

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) is a team-based clay target shooting program that is changing the lives of grade, middle, and high school students nation-wide and in Iowa. Through organized clay target shooting, youth are learning lifelong skills such as firearm safety, teamwork, respect for self and others, mental focus, and self-discipline.

Sponsored by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) and the national governing bodies of each sport, SCTP has more than 10,000 participants nationwide. In Iowa, the Scholastic Clay Target Program has joined forces with the strong tradition of Iowa high school trapshooting programs to establish a spring shooting season for organized trap, skeet, and sporting clays. Starting in March, teams are lead by certified coaches, practices are conducted, and local matches are held with neighboring teams. All of these activities lead up to the Iowa High School and SCTP Championships each May.

High School and SCTP programs can be either club or school based but high school team competitions are strictly between teams whose squad members are all from the same school.

Starting an Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Program:

Getting started in the Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Program is simple. There are only three components required:

1. The minimum number of participants (5 for trap, 3 for skeet and sporting clays)
2. Facility to hold regular practices
3. Certified Coach

The certified coach distributes the Consent and Waiver Form to students interested in the Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Programs, fills out the team registration form and additional coach and adult volunteer form, then sends the team, coach, and participant information to the DNR. Once your team is signed up, participation cards will be issued to each athlete and the team may participate in and/or host shoots with other area teams. Coaches of teams participating in the Scholastic Clay Target Program must also complete the SCTP's online registration process using the completed forms prior to sending hard copies to the DNR.

Once signed up, coaches will be provided with login information to perform team management, state shoot squadding, etc. Team registration materials (including Consent and Waiver Forms for each athlete) must be received at the DNR office prior to participating in an Invitational event. All registration materials and the SCTP fees must be received in order to be eligible for liability insurance and to be eligible to participate in the state SCTP events. Online registration and fees are not required for teams participating ONLY in the high school invitational league and high school state trap championships on June 13, however, all coaches must return team, coach/volunteer, and consent and wavier forms to the DNR prior to participation in any league event.

Registration forms:

Training:

Scholastic Clay Target Program coaches must be 18 years of age or older. The SCTP coach's first and foremost responsibility is to ensure the safety of all participants. Coaches should hold a current certification as a firearms safety instructor, range safety officer, shooting sports instructor, hunter education instructor or as a coach or instructor from a national governing body for a shooting sport, the NRA, a governmental entity or a youth organization. Regardless of prior certification, all coaches are encouraged to complete the DNR Basic Shotgun Coach Certification Program.

DNR Basic Shotgun Coach Certification Program (Trap Certification)
Are you interested in becoming a coach and leading a team in the Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Program? If so, please consider attending one of the following coach certification courses: