Pictured above are (starting from left) Robert Michell, Chief Executive Officer. USA Shooting, Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the NRA, Susan LaPierre, and Robert Weekes, Chief Marketing Officer, USA Shooting.
For generations, the NRA has been the foremost guardian of 2nd Amendment rights in the U.S. Did you know the NRA is also one of the biggest supporters of USA Shooting, the governing body for U.S. Olympic rifle, pistol and shotgun competition?
Thanks to both USA Shooting and the NRA, there are many programs available to support our Olympic hopefuls. If a future Olympic competitive shooter did not excel in other sports, they might become discouraged with them in general. The shooting sports do not require a participant to be able to make a slam dunk or hit a home run. A level playing field is one of the hallmarks of the shooting sports. Competitive shooting teaches patience, determination, organization skills, mental and physical control, safety awareness, goal setting, problem solving and good sportsmanship.
USA Shooting and the NRA, in an effort to increase competitive shooting exposure—created the Progressive Position Air Pistol Program (PPP). PPP is a great introduction to competitive shooting for both junior shooters and adults. For instance, the equipment is less expensive, cleaner and quieter. Since 2013, USA Shooting and the NRA conduct a jointly sponsored National Junior Olympic PPP Championship. The 2015 National Junior Olympic PPP Championship will be held at Fort Benning and in Colorado Springs July 31-August 2.
The USA Shooting team is well underway with their preparations for the Olympics next year. A new generation of competitive shooters such as Sarah Beard hope to join previous Gold medalists, such as Launi Meili and Nancy Johnson on the podium. The solid foundation of support for competitive shooting from organizations such as the NRA and USA Shooting will add fuel to the fire in the quest for Gold in Rio 2016.
At the 2016 Olympics the following competitive shooting events will be on the program:
Air Pistol
Air Rifle
Double Trap
Pistol
Rapid Fire Pistol
Rifle Prone
Rifle 3-Position
Skeet
Trap
