Economy is booming how about attendance?

For years we have heard from leaders of trapshooting that the problems are not with leadership. It is the economy. It cant be target settings. Not location? Not leadership?

The economy is booming. All is great?

 

Younger generations haven't picked up Trapshooting. The Old Guard may have killed the sport with their bad attitudes and closed minds.

 

SCTP shooters continues to grow.

 

Can't help with the nationwide stuff but a few of us in the 4 or 5 Eastern Oregon Counties over the last 2 (?) years have brought about 125 high school shooters to our various ranges..... at least 8 of those will be traveling to Michigan for the national competition in a month....... Oregon had over 400 high school kids taking part this year....... Perhaps more than the economy has influence on how many shoot..... perhaps fun aided by some helpful folks plays a part also..... Larry

 

That is really great. Keep it up.

 

The problem is - I know more dead trapshooters than live ones. the dead ones don't travel to shoots anymore.

 

The economy is only one small piece of the puzzle, when people look at the preparation, additional travel as well as cost related to same, and the over all inconvenience besides the extra money they take a long hard look at things ... The Probability compared to possibility of coming out a winner and getting a trinket eliminates a lot of peoples desire to even bother ... I know people who go to Sparta and never shoot a target, so its just a place to go for the summer until they venture to Florida next winter and relax there until its time to do it over again ... Times are a changing kids, people are becoming more aware of some things especially those with no return for your hard earned bucks ... I have said this before and I will say it again , : Location, location, location ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

How can the Elephant in the room get overlooked all the time ?????

The ATA SAYS all members are EQUAL, mainly to keep their "501 c 3 charity" sham alive .....

But, let's look a little closer at the Elephant .....

Shooter A goes to Florida and gets classified D-Class and walks out and breaks a 100x100 ..... making all the actual D-Class entries nothing more than squad fillers .....

Shooter B goes to Sparta and from two yards farther back breaks a 100x100 in the GAH ..... taking some of the ATA's Idol's income .....

Now in the eyes of the ATA Shooter B has nothing close to the shooting history of Shooter A, but committed the much larger sin by who got cheated out of their thunder .....

So, there are/were many, many, many more D-Class shooters that the ATA cares nothing about, than their preferred Idols they work tirelessly to protect ..... That is the Elephant that is very large for everyone to see ..... It just requires putting down the Kool Aid and taking off the Rose Colored Glasses ..... Making the "who cares about winning a D-Class trophy", and "if you don't like it stay home" very obvious by the current attendance at shoots where preferred trumps equal .....