If 2025 was the year USPSA reached new heights, 2026 is the year we turn those milestones into movement. This past season proved what is possible when an organization grows with purpose. We welcomed more new members than ever before, strengthened financial oversight, modernized our technology and invested in the programs and people that make practical shooting one of the most dynamic sports in the country. The momentum we built together is undeniable, and now it is time to put it to work.
We have a few exciting developments coming out of 2025 starting with the New Member Experience. This new website is an immersive guide to USPSA and Steel Challenge. It will help members learn what it takes to compete, connect with the community and prepare for their first match. A great tool to send new USPSA/SteelChallenge members to and to help others learn along the way. If you have not had a chance to check it out, please visit: theuspsa.com.
Another is the evolution of our club support system. What began as a reimagined Club Manual has now become Club Resources, a centralized, online hub built to empower USPSA clubs at every stage of their journey. Whether you lead a long-established range or are launching your first sanctioned match, Club Resources will continue to grow alongside you. It is designed to provide clear guidance, practical tools and shared best practices so club leaders spend less time searching for answers and more time running exceptional matches.
In early 2026, that same club-forward momentum will carry into the Club Recruitment Rewards Program, which will officially kick off in the first quarter. This initiative will allow clubs to earn points for bringing new members into USPSA and reinvest those points into the things that strengthen match operations locally. It is our way of rewarding clubs not only for running great matches, but for expanding the sport’s reach, welcoming new shooters and building long-term capacity.
Technology improvements will also move from milestones to movement in 2026. Our USPSA mobile app has already become a core touchpoint for members checking classifications, finding club information and engaging with the sport between matches. This year, we will continue enhancing its functionality and responsiveness based on your feedback. These improvements are about making USPSA more intuitive, faster and more useful for every shooter, match official and club administrator.
We will also expand education pathways for our youngest members. In 2025, we laid the groundwork for a new Junior Membership, complete with improved parental consent and age verification workflows. This year, we have added this membership opportunity to ensure the next generation enters the sport safely, confidently and supported by both their families and our organization.
Championship planning is already shifting into motion as well. After a record-setting Nationals season punctuated by the largest individual Nationals event in our history, we are applying lessons learned to 2026 stage design, logistics, staffing and competitor experience. We are investing smarter, planning earlier and working to raise the bar while maintaining responsible fiscal oversight.
USPSA is in a strong position because we worked hard to protect our discipline, budgets and identity. As we invested strategically throughout the organization, we remained equally focused on expense control and financial accountability. That discipline allowed USPSA to close both 2024 and 2025 with positive net income, confirming that our financial safeguards are doing exactly what they were designed to do.
I am proud to share that USPSA has earned the 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly Guide-Star). This distinction represents the highest level of recognition awarded by the world’s largest source of nonprofit data, placing USPSA in the top 1% of organizations nationwide. While this designation is a standard of excellence across the nonprofit sector, our primary motivation for pursuing it was to reinforce trust within our own community.
By voluntarily disclosing extensive details regarding our strategic goals and financial health, we are providing verifiable proof of our commitment to organizational accountability. For our affiliated clubs and individual members, this seal serves as an assurance that the USPSA is governed with integrity. It validates that the resources entrusted to us are being managed responsibly and with full transparency.
But the true story of 2025 and the promise of 2026 is not just the numbers or the programs. It is the community that powers them. USPSA has always been more than a rulebook, a classification system or a championship stage. It is the volunteer who tapes targets in the wind. The chief range officer who mentors a new shooter. The club leader coordinating setup at sunrise. The board member guiding long-term integrity. And the competitor cheering for the squad before their own score is posted.
As we go through 2026, I encourage you to take part in that movement. Upload your activity. Bring someone new to a match. Volunteer for a stage. Lead a club initiative. Compete with integrity. Offer mentorship. Speak optimism into your squad. Every action, big or small, adds momentum to the sport’s long game.
Thank you again to every USPSA member, volunteer, club leader, range partner, instructor, board member and staff who made 2025 our most successful year yet. Your passion built the milestones, your participation fuels the movement and your leadership strengthens the sport for the future. It is an honor to serve alongside you. I look forward to everything we will accomplish together in 2026.
Article from the March/April 2026 issue of USPSA’s magazine.
