The report shows that 66% of new shooters are between the ages of 18 and 34. And 37% are female, a significant jump from the 22% which is what females represent in the already existing pool of shooters.
Of course, the good news about the increase in young, female shooters is, well, it's news.
Except, that is, for up in Vermont and specifically on the campus of the University of Vermont where the ranks of the https://www.facebook.com/UVMShootingSportsClub>UVM Shooting Sports Club are growing rapidly, and with the women often calling the shots.
The current president is Kevin Cafferky, but prior to his reign (always so tempting to include 'of terror' after that word) it was 'Madam President' with Cait Colacchio in charge from 2008-12 and Leslie Barnard for the 2012-13 school year.
After five years of a woman in charge, giving one of the guys a chance to call the shots is probably a good idea. Fragile male egos and all that.
Introduced to shooting during her freshman year, Laura Michalak is now captain of UVM's pistol team. Photo courtesy of Laura Michalak |
A Chicago native, Laura wasn't brought up around guns or had any experience with them until attending UVM when a friend invited her to go shooting with the team.
"I said sure, kind of on a whim, and was hooked!" exclaims the junior year English major who's also minoring in community entrepreneurship.
Getting 'hooked' is a pretty fair assessment because later during her freshman year she found herself competing at nationals on UVM's first all-ladies pistol squad.
While the constant turn over of graduation left them short an all-ladies squad last year, Captain Laura is looking to put together a new one to once again take on all comers down at Fort Benning where the the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will host the Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) Nationals.
Finding more women shouldn't be a problem though, as half of those in the club and only recreationally shooting are female. Add to that the club had over 160 students sign up during this year's orientation and UVM should have plenty of potential shooters to recruit from.
Filling out a ladies-only squad isn't Laura's only goal since growing the overall size of the pistol team is on her to-do list as well.
"We're absolutely interested in expanding the team," she explains. "The more people we have participating in our sport, the better. Plus, it makes us overall more competitive and stronger as a team."
The team has already scheduled a new shooter clinic this month which will bring those students new to shooting up to speed on safe firearms handling and the various disciplines UVM participates in. And for Laura it will give her and the pistol team their first chance to scout the new talent.
Laura, UVM's Jeff Hammersmith (center) and current club president Kevin Cafferky are among those that have helped make the UVM Gun Cats so popular. Photo courtesy of Laura Michalak |
As collegiate pistol shooting goes, UVM has been one of the most active even though it only formed the team in 2010. The club started back in 2004 and became an officially recognized club sport at UVM in 2008. Thanks to the hard work of the club's pistol coach Adam Nilson and head coach Michael MacDuff, members of the club have been shooting all the main disciplines so when the pistol team formed they were ready to compete.
And in New England that means facing off against a talented U.S. Coast Guard Academy squad.
"When I first joined the team two years ago we had a huge rivalry with the Coast Guard and kept getting beat by a small margin, but the first match of last year down at the Sig Sauer Academy we finally got a victory and haven't lost since. We keep expecting to see them down at nationals but they have yet to make an appearance," she laments, referencing the service academy's budgetary battle in this dreaded age of the sequester.
UVM has also built a strong relationship with both the Harvard and Yale pistol teams and is quickly forging one with the recently formed Marksmanship Unit at Texas A&M. For their part the Aggies have been quick to invite UVM down to enjoy the Lone Star State's warm hospitality.
"It's been great getting to know all the guys on the A&M team. We really solidified our positive relationship with them at an SPP match down in Harvard, Massachusetts last fall. They kindly extended an invitation for us to shoot at the match they hosted in Texas last February, but we didn't have the funds to make it. I'm really pushing to make it down there this year."
Because of the behind-the-scenes work of the coaches the UVM team has quickly become one of the most influential teams in collegiate pistol shooting by sharing information and mentoring fledgling programs that have reached out to them for advice.
As UVM's network expands so too does its competition opportunities.
Among the team's major matches Laura will have to lead her team in this year are the SPP New England Regional in October, the Southeast SPP Regional at the University of Kentucky in November, the Southwest Winter SPP Regional at Texas A&M in February and a return trip to the SPP Nationals in March at Fort Benning.
"We really look forward to all of our matches because each is an opportunity to test ourselves in a competitive environment and see familiar faces from other schools," said Laura.
And as she points out, competition provides the team with the "opportunity to compete against the best in the country and meet some of the top shooters in the world, like Shane Coley and Daniel Horner, both members of the USAMU."
The UVM Gun Cats feel right at home at the 'Home of Champions' as they pose with Shane Coley of the USAMU after nationals down at Fort Benning. Photo courtesy of Laura Michalak |
"It's also great having a sport where you get to know your competitors and start acknowledging each others success."
Unfortunately, while the popularity of the UVM Shooting Sports Club is increasing among students, the club's access to funds - and perhaps more importantly ammo - is not keeping pace.
And Captain Laura will be faced with some tough decisions when it comes to keeping new shooters involved and the competition squads training.
"Ammo is always something we're thinking about, especially lately. We're trying to start reloading as a team to make things more affordable, but it's expensive nonetheless," says Laura.
Ammo is just half the battle with a 12 member - and hopefully growing - competition squad. Travel expenses are a major issue, too.
"Funds, in general, are also going to be a big obstacle this year. As we grow and get more competitive we have wonderful opportunities to travel to matches all over the country. Ideally, we'd be able to travel to every single match, but what it really comes down to is making sure we have the money to compete at nationals and then using what we have leftover as best we can."
The UVM club has been doing its part. They have successfully gone after grants from the likes of the NRA and NSSF, as well as taking advantage of opportunities with the http://www.midwayusafoundation.org/>MidwayUSA Foundation.
Of course the calendar is popular, but oddly enough the shooters are popular with the folks putting the calendar together as the UVM Shooting Sports Club sells more than any other group with some estimating they account for 20% or more of the total sales.
But flying 12, 8 or even 4 shooters and a coach to Kentucky, Georgia and Texas takes a lot more than what they raise off a racy calendar. And that puts a whole lot squarely on the captain's shoulders.
"As we get more competitive we're hoping to pick up sponsors that are willing to help us. And with the overall club growing in size we have more people to help brainstorm and work on our fundraising," she says.
Of course she realizes that more members also means access to more of those friendly and hopefully very generous parents. A booster club in the making no doubt.
And as for her own personal goals as a shooter, there's just one: "Beat all the boys."
...Of course. Why did I even bother asking?
If you'd like to help Laura, and the rest of the UVM Gun Cats this season, then consider http://www.uvm.edu/~shootclb/?Page=store.html>donating. Supporting the team is tax deductible, but it's also the right thing to do. So what are you waiting for?
- Paul Erhardt, Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network
Got shooting sports news? Send us an email at nfo@shootingwire.com?subject=Between The Berms">info@shootingwire.com.