In a time when many youth sports programs are facing declining enrollment and increased competition for students’ attention, the USA Clay Target League is defying trends. In 2024, the League once again set a new participation record, reporting 53,250 registered student-athletes—an increase of 7.6% over the previous year. It marks the 29th consecutive season of growth for the nation’s largest school-approved youth clay target shooting program.
This surge in participation is a result of consistent grassroots expansion, a strong community-driven coaching network and an activity that continues to resonate with a wide range of student-athletes. The USA Clay Target League’s appeal spans all regions and backgrounds, and its structure—based on school affiliation, safety-first principles and inclusive competition—has become a blueprint for sustainable success in youth sports.
The 2024 USA Clay Target League Impact Report offers a detailed look into what keeps drawing students and schools to the League year after year. With 1,815 teams now active across high schools, colleges and homeschools, the League continues to be one of the few youth sports organizations in the country experiencing this level of positive momentum. Seventy-two percent of the League’s athletes are in grades 9-12, and remarkably, 65% had never participated in clay target shooting before joining.
More than 14,000 students became first-time League members in 2024, and more than 9,000 of them had no prior experience with clay target sports. For these young athletes, the League offers something increasingly rare in today’s high school landscape: a welcoming, low-pressure and achievement-focused environment where personal growth is valued as highly as winning.
It’s not just about pulling the trigger. USA Clay Target League president John Nelson notes that students who participate often find themselves more engaged academically and socially. “Students are making more friends, volunteering in their communities and doing better in school,” he said. “They’re also generating millions of conservation dollars to help preserve our land and manage wildlife.”
Coaches and parents are central to this success story. Head Coach Melissa Kuebler of Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana, California, has built a strong team culture since launching the program in 2017. “We’ve seen kids come out who couldn’t hit a single clay in their first weeks, and when they finally connect—it’s like they just won a state championship,” she said. The team now boasts more than 20 shooters, and many describe it as a second home.
In Lafayette, Louisiana, Dan Duhon helped launch the STM Shooting Sports Club at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in 2022. The school already had a fishing team, and starting a clay target team felt like a natural next step. With help from enthusiastic parents and local volunteers, the club quickly grew to 35 student-athletes. Duhon says the support from families and the broader community was instrumental: “We saw an opportunity to create something lasting, and the League gave us the framework to do that.”
The USA Clay Target League’s economic and cultural impact is also significant. According to the 2024 Impact Report, student-athletes and their families spent an estimated $122 million on shooting sports-related expenses this year. That figure reflects everything from ammunition and gear to travel and training—and it doesn’t stop with youth. Eighty-one percent of shooting ranges that host League teams report increased participation among adults and non-League shooters as well.
In addition, the USA Clay Target League isn’t just growing in numbers; it’s growing in reputation. The program is now included in most school yearbooks and supported by strong partnerships with conservation and outdoor organizations. PullUSA magazine, the USA Clay Target League’s official publication, had more than 105,000 copies printed and distributed in 2024 alone. These efforts all contribute to the sense that being part of the League is more than just a season of competition—it’s an introduction to a lifelong outdoor tradition.
State tournaments continue to be a highlight of the USA Clay Target League season. In 2024, there were 33 high school-level state tournaments involving nearly 26,000 student-athletes across 1,571 teams. The largest of these was the Minnesota State Trapshooting Tournament, which saw an astonishing 8,576 participants, while the USA Clay Target League National Championship held in Mason, Michigan, brought together 1,842 individual competitors and 452 high school teams that traveled from around the country.
As the USA Clay Target League looks ahead, its leadership remains focused on reaching even more students. Since 2020, more than 70,000 new athletes have joined the League. With momentum on their side, the organization is aiming to serve 100,000 student-athletes nationwide by the end of 2025.
While the future looks bright, 2024 also marked a moment of reflection. Jim Sable, the USA Clay Target League’s founder, passed away last year. Though Jim handed over the reins of leadership in 2019, his vision lives on. “Jim’s devotion to youth shooting sports and his unrelenting drive to create a lasting, safe, school-based program resulted in the [USA Clay Target League] being a beacon in the shooting sports world,” Nelson said.
As new student-athletes continue to pick up a shotgun for the first time, it’s clear that the USA Clay Target League is more than just a sport—it’s a movement grounded in tradition, community and opportunity.
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