Shooting Sports is Hot New Sport for High Schools

Bloomberg Business has the story here.  I bet you did not know that the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League championship is the world's largest shooting sports event.

In 2009, the contest’s first year, it drew 30 shooters. In June there were 5,134, more than 20,000 spectators and sponsors including Benelli Armi SpA and SKB Shotguns. Trap shooting is the fastest-growing sport in Minnesota high schools, and was recently introduced in neighboring Wisconsin and North Dakota. While it may make anti-gun activists uneasy, it’s a boon for manufacturers and retailers that have stoked its growth.

According to the article, Trap Shooting is the fastest growing sport in Minnesota high schools.  One proud grandfather told the reporter after watching his grandson shoot:

“This is the best thing to happen to the shooting sports in 50 years,” said Dennis Knudson, a 74-year-old lifelong trap shooter, after watching his grandson compete. “It’s so fun to see the youngsters stepping up. It will preserve the sport, and they’ll do it for the rest of their lives.”

The article noted that in 2015, 9,245 students in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota participated in the sport.  In fact, trap is so popular in Minnesota that the legislature appropriated $2 million for the expansion of shooting ranges where the teams compete. Next year, schools in Arizona, South Dakota, Illinois and Kansas will have teams. Additionally, middle school students can also join high-school squads.

It's a very positive article and worth the read.

Hat tip to VSSA Executive Director Lu Charette for passing it along.