Trapshooting is an expensive sport, no one knows this more than the families of young shooters. The Missouri Trap Association for the past several years has worked very hard to raise money to keep expenses at a minimum. This year (just like the last several years) we are selling raffle tickets with a nice gun as the top prize. New this year, we offered to sell tickts to the kids at a two for one price. The kids can then re-sell both tickets, get their purchase price back and keep the cash from the free second ticket to help with their personal expenses. At yesterday's SCTP shoot in Linn Creek there were several hundred youth shooters. Only 60 tickets were sold/matched, that's less than one in ten who took advantage of this fundraising opportunity. The MTA offers free/discounted targets, shells and entry fees. We have never asked the kids to help in our fund raising in the past. I felt this was a way not only to help the MTA to keep costs down, it will help the teams to raise funds for travel expenses, or whatever else they want to spend it on. I was very disappointed that so few took advantage of a way to help themselves. Do the kids/parents/coaches just expect the clubs to support them?
Disappointed in youth shooters
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Well, When you give someone a free lunch all their lives, what you you expect?
I know it isn't free, but may be no one has pointed out the benefits they are getting. I too have done similar things with my own children. But now with the rapid rise in components that will have to change and it has. I have them load their own shells and have them pick up powder and shot for me(while I pay for it) and they are now seeing what all is innvolved and at what cost. They are now starting to help out with the work and costs.
I know it isn't free, but may be no one has pointed out the benefits they are getting. I too have done similar things with my own children. But now with the rapid rise in components that will have to change and it has. I have them load their own shells and have them pick up powder and shot for me(while I pay for it) and they are now seeing what all is innvolved and at what cost. They are now starting to help out with the work and costs.
Unfortunately, thats the way the younger (generation) kids are today for the most part ... They didn't see the opportunity because they didn't have to see it for their lifes to go on ... It was a lot different when I was a kid and thank God I knew a good deal when I saw one, these kids obviously don't know the difference or care ... Someone obviously has some explaining to do for them to wake up and smell the coffee ... Good Luck ... WPT ... (YAC) ...
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Karla, that's a great idea!! It's sad that the number of tickets sold was nil. This wasn't the kids fault at all, It's the IDIOT parenting that showed up!! Make a list of the ones that bought that 10% of the tickets, give them the usual break, all the rest pay the full load!! That will change some but certainly not all the parents will participate even then. What a sad thing to hear of! Hap
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Rick is right....
Take all the support & perks away except for the ones they actually worked to obtain!
Curt
Take all the support & perks away except for the ones they actually worked to obtain!
Curt
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I think you shouldn't generalize all youth shooters in that same category. I was one only a few years ago and was lucky enough to shoot on an SCTP team with some great guys. And, lucky enough to have a club throw us free targets, which we greatly appreciated, a coach who put time in to help us, etc.
The problems I usually see people associate with youth shooters can USUALLY be traced back to their parents. Most younger youth shooters have no concept of a hard-earned dollar anyways, since their parents simply throw down some plastic for their ammo/rounds anyways.
Fortunately by the time I picked up shooting seriously, I was working part-time and going to school, so I knew the value of a dollar. Hence the reason I bought a reloader, bought my own components, bought my own gun, etc. I do believe that I'm in the minority, however, we're out there.
Shooting has become increasingly expensive and regulated, which requires more parental involvement than usual. Not to mention all these new yuppie parents. I'm lucky enough to have a father that understands 'learning for one's self.' But I see overbearing parents everyday at the range.
Just something to think about.
Sam
The problems I usually see people associate with youth shooters can USUALLY be traced back to their parents. Most younger youth shooters have no concept of a hard-earned dollar anyways, since their parents simply throw down some plastic for their ammo/rounds anyways.
Fortunately by the time I picked up shooting seriously, I was working part-time and going to school, so I knew the value of a dollar. Hence the reason I bought a reloader, bought my own components, bought my own gun, etc. I do believe that I'm in the minority, however, we're out there.
Shooting has become increasingly expensive and regulated, which requires more parental involvement than usual. Not to mention all these new yuppie parents. I'm lucky enough to have a father that understands 'learning for one's self.' But I see overbearing parents everyday at the range.
Just something to think about.
Sam
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Sam, had you been at the shoot Karla is talking about when you were in the program, I'd say you would have bought some of those tickets for resale too. Figure out which ones need and wants to help themselves, the rest pay the full load. Good post Sam! Hap
Back in youth sports, each member of our team or leage was given X amount of tickets/candybars/whatever to sell. We either sold them our our parents ended up buying them. Kids could sell more than were required and the top sales person/team was given rewards.
The key was everybody sold at least a miniumum amount, I dont really know what would have happened if we didnt, nobody challenged it. -Rich
The key was everybody sold at least a miniumum amount, I dont really know what would have happened if we didnt, nobody challenged it. -Rich
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They should jump on the opportunity now. If they plan on shooting in college, it only gets worse, unless you plan on going to Lindenwood.
We're doing a raffle here at ISU (see my post, shameless plug) just to support our travel expenses, etc. The school pays for almost nothing at this point. Getting to keep some money out of it is one HECK of a deal.
We're doing a raffle here at ISU (see my post, shameless plug) just to support our travel expenses, etc. The school pays for almost nothing at this point. Getting to keep some money out of it is one HECK of a deal.
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At my work (and elsewhere) I often see kids fundraisers (candybars, flowers, pizzas, subs...you name it) brought in by the kid's parents for the employees to buy. Never once have I seen the kids for them to explain to me what we are buying this stuff for. Only a note from the parents. This is sending the complete WRONG message to our children. The kids should be hawking this crap to neighbors, family or to whomever, NOT the parents. If parents do everything for the kids they come to expect it and sometimes demand it. (Some) kids today don't know what is like to do anything for themselves, don't know how to fail on their own or how to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. In all fairness I know some kids who are real go-getters. You know ...the ones if they want something will do just about anything in order to EARN it. They will always find a way to be successful instead of sitting around expecting someone else to do it FOR them. JMHO
JB=Jerry Beach 8503917
JB=Jerry Beach 8503917
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I teach kids everyday. More and more, kids think life is a handout. We have our kids literally involved in everything under the sun. We take them to scouts, we that them to soccer, we take them to basketball tourneys, we take them to wrestling tourneys. Just getting our kids where they need to be is a "full time" job for parents.
Kids don't understand the sacrifices that adults are making for them to give them everything they want.
Whose fault is it? I say it is the adults. We just keep giving and giving and not expecting the kids to do anything for themselves.
Somehow, somewhere, we have made some terrible mistakes in putting our children on a pedastal. We are trying too hard to be perfect parents.
I say it is time that our kids come along for the ride instead of being the focal point of the ride. Time for America to quit being so damn nice too kids and let them earn their keep.
I see kids shooting all the time. Parents are fitting the bill for these kids mostly. And they are shooting Kreighoffs and Perazzis. I just don't get it. Make them work a little for what they have. Let them understand the responsibility and costs involved in shooting every weekend.
QUIT GIVING KIDS A FREE RIDE. LET THEM EARN IT THEMSELVES. THEY WILL BE MUCH BETTER ADULTS FOR IT. WE ARE SCREWING UP OUR YOUTH.
Kids don't understand the sacrifices that adults are making for them to give them everything they want.
Whose fault is it? I say it is the adults. We just keep giving and giving and not expecting the kids to do anything for themselves.
Somehow, somewhere, we have made some terrible mistakes in putting our children on a pedastal. We are trying too hard to be perfect parents.
I say it is time that our kids come along for the ride instead of being the focal point of the ride. Time for America to quit being so damn nice too kids and let them earn their keep.
I see kids shooting all the time. Parents are fitting the bill for these kids mostly. And they are shooting Kreighoffs and Perazzis. I just don't get it. Make them work a little for what they have. Let them understand the responsibility and costs involved in shooting every weekend.
QUIT GIVING KIDS A FREE RIDE. LET THEM EARN IT THEMSELVES. THEY WILL BE MUCH BETTER ADULTS FOR IT. WE ARE SCREWING UP OUR YOUTH.
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Keep in mind our Jr. Olympic shooters were handed a Perazzi at age 11 and shot on their dad's dime until they were sponsored.
Not all of them, but I bet most of them. It's certainly one way to get good at something...and remove the fun at the same time, but who's counting, right?
If I'm wrong, someone let me know.
Not all of them, but I bet most of them. It's certainly one way to get good at something...and remove the fun at the same time, but who's counting, right?
If I'm wrong, someone let me know.
Karla,
That was a great gesture and a new approach to raise money for the kids, but I don't think anyone knew about it.
I was at the Mo High School Shoot all day yesterday with my kids and I didn't know anything about this raffle until I read it on this site today, We were there for 12 hours from 8 till 8 the kids shot 100 targets in the freezing cold and wet weather and then about 600 kids and thier parents crowded inside the clubhouse waiting for results. You couldn't hear the PA system and there were so many people standing around you couldn't see a sign if they were placed in plain site.
I agree with you, there are a lot of kids and a lot of parents that are getting used to having everything handed to them but if everyone knew what was being offered, I'll bet the response would have been much greater than 10%
Thanks for your efforts
Clays
That was a great gesture and a new approach to raise money for the kids, but I don't think anyone knew about it.
I was at the Mo High School Shoot all day yesterday with my kids and I didn't know anything about this raffle until I read it on this site today, We were there for 12 hours from 8 till 8 the kids shot 100 targets in the freezing cold and wet weather and then about 600 kids and thier parents crowded inside the clubhouse waiting for results. You couldn't hear the PA system and there were so many people standing around you couldn't see a sign if they were placed in plain site.
I agree with you, there are a lot of kids and a lot of parents that are getting used to having everything handed to them but if everyone knew what was being offered, I'll bet the response would have been much greater than 10%
Thanks for your efforts
Clays
I was at the Missouri State High School(not SCTP) shoot from 7:45am on 4-14 until 6:30 pm after the shoot offs. I spent from 9:30 until 1 out on the line watching our teams shoot and all of the rest of the time was spent in the club house. I did not hear any announcement or see any flyers about a raffle to benefit the youth trap shooting sports of Missouri. How can we support something that we dont know about? ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE.
Joe
Joe
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Last year at Fairfield, Ct., the SCTP was set up with a table at the entrance of the main building selling tickets. All young people doing the selling.
You could not get to the skeet registration desk without passing the table they had set up.
Nothing to do with SCTP, but I was at a shoot yesterday and was approached while sitting in the main building with the gang and asked if I would be interested in purchasing tickets for a shotgun. More than a few tickets were purchased by those in my immediate area.
Location, location, location...
RE: I am still looking for the program that tries to attract new adult shooters who can pay their own way.
Funded by dad...
All joking aside. Many times when you talk to SCTP kids, they are the only shooters in the family, many from single parent homes. In some cases, using granddads shotgun.
The one thing that could make shooting more affordable is reloading, but as I understand it, reloading is not allowed. Imagine if a team could purchase components at cost and reload at a central location?
A good idea mentioned was having the team work at the home club, either for a shoot or in a workbee situation. Gets them a little more involved and at some point they may want to become the four or five out of every two-hundred members that do all the work at the club.
You could not get to the skeet registration desk without passing the table they had set up.
Nothing to do with SCTP, but I was at a shoot yesterday and was approached while sitting in the main building with the gang and asked if I would be interested in purchasing tickets for a shotgun. More than a few tickets were purchased by those in my immediate area.
Location, location, location...
RE: I am still looking for the program that tries to attract new adult shooters who can pay their own way.
Funded by dad...
All joking aside. Many times when you talk to SCTP kids, they are the only shooters in the family, many from single parent homes. In some cases, using granddads shotgun.
The one thing that could make shooting more affordable is reloading, but as I understand it, reloading is not allowed. Imagine if a team could purchase components at cost and reload at a central location?
A good idea mentioned was having the team work at the home club, either for a shoot or in a workbee situation. Gets them a little more involved and at some point they may want to become the four or five out of every two-hundred members that do all the work at the club.
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