NSSA - National Skeet Shooting Association

The National Skeet Shooting Association is the world's largest organization dedicated to the sport of Skeet Shooting.

Final Shots: Betty Jean “B.J.” Yates

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BJ YatesAn NSSA icon, Betty Jean “B.J.” Yates, passed away on September 4 in Tullahoma, Tennessee. B.J. was well-known among shooters at the World Skeet Championships, having refereed at World Shoots for many years. Having refereed for at least 40 years, B.J. was an inductee in the NSSA Referee Wall of Fame and was an NSSA Referee of the Year. She was a longtime NSSA Director from Tennessee and a former Tennessee State Champion.

B.J.’s friend Steve Knight, along with Barbara Griffith, contributed some memories of B.J.:

NSSA and TSSA lost one of their greatest ambassadors to the shooting sports when Betty J. Yates (better known to all skeet shooters as B.J.) passed away. B.J. was my longtime friend and shooting partner for the last 30 years. B.J. was Chief Referee in the state of Tennessee for the past 10-plus years, and as such, was in charge of many state and local shoots in Tennessee. B.J. also traveled to Grayslake, Illinois and St. Joe, Missouri, to referee several shoots. She also served as president of the Tennessee Sheet Shooting Association on more than one occasion.

B.J. was a fan of everything outdoors, from shooting skeet to bird hunting, to fishing. We spent a lot of time fishing for crappie and bass, and she especially loved fishing for crappie. She also introduced me to the sport of sheet shooting in the late 1980s, and we continued to shoot together over the next 20 years. We traveled to many of the major shoots being held around our area and beyond.

During this time we refereed the World Skeet Championships many times, and B.J. was always in the Shoot-Off Stadium for the first box or boxes of the shoot-off events. Many skeet shooters passed by her eyes on their way to gun and World Championships. B.J. made many friends during her life she will be missed by all who had the honor of knowing her.

B.J. was a straight shooter – what you saw is what you got! At the end of a shoot, all B.J. wanted was to sit on the club porch and enjoy a cold brew and a good cigar!

Just a few facts on B.J. and what she accomplished during her too-short time with us here in this Life. She was born November 14, 1937, and died September 14, 2019, at the age of 81 years, just a few short days short of her 82nd birthday. She was a teacher of mathematics at Coffee County High School, a tool and die maker at Whirlpool Corporation, a referee at the state and national level, a Tennessee State Champion skeet shooter, Tennessee Chief Referee, a member of the National Referee Wall of Fame, and NSSA Referee of the Year — a pretty nice resume for this amazing woman! Rest in peace, my friend!”

A memorial service will be announced at a later time. NSSA members and staff extend their condolences to B.J.’s family and many friends, and she will be missed.

New Hospitality Rooms Available at World Shoot

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For the first time at the World Skeet Championships, the National Shooting Complex has two new hospitality suites that are being made available for rent to World Shoot participants and vendors. Located in the newly constructed third vendor building, the new units are each 20 feet x 30 feet (600 square feet), with a glass store-front view to the north and easy access with numeric keypad lock.

Shooters may rent the suites by the day for use by a squad or friends before and after shooting, for parties, or just a place to relax. Each includes two couches, coffee table, a high-top table and chairs, TV with cable channels, refrigerator, and heat/air conditioning. It also includes two reserved parking spaces on the day the unit is rented.

The suites are available starting September 23 through October 4. For the World Shoot, the suites are being offered at an inaugural rate of $175 per day. To reserve one, contact Olivia Gracia at nscrv@nssa-nsca.com or 210-688-3371 ext. 244.

BOD Ratifies Change in Definition of a Rookie

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The NSSA Board of Directors has ratified a change in the definition of a Rookie for All-American purposes, as recommended by the Rules and Classification Committee. Voting on the rule change ballot closed on August 26. The new definition is:

    Rookie for All-American honors is defined as an individual who shoots NSSA standards as required for concurrent categories, was not a “classified shooter” [see definition in V-A-7a] in any gauge with receipt of their current-year classification card or in any prior shooting year, nor has ever held an “initial classification” or “regular classification” under previous classification systems in any gauge or doubles. A shooter is only eligible to compete for Rookie All-American Honors for one shooting year during their lifetime. Such a shooter may shoot their initial registered targets of a shoot year and, if they do not become a “classified shooter” in any gauge or doubles by December 31 of that year, will be eligible for Rookie All-American honors and may enter single-shoot rookie concurrent events the following shoot year. In the spirit of this concurrent event, a shooter is eligible to compete in shoots as a rookie and be eligible for Rookie All-American honors only once in a lifetime based on this maximum two consecutive shoot years.

Click here to see how your director voted.
 

Officers Address Membership on Endowments

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The Officers of the National Skeet Shooting Association wish to address and update the NSSA-NSCA membership on a matter under discussion:

      To our membership,

      Members, sponsors and others have, from time to time, given gifts to the NSSA-NSCA. Sometimes the donor has specified their intent for these donations, such as ‘Youth Shooting.’

      Because we have determined that there is substantial interest among our members and friends in supporting the work of the Association, we are exploring the potential benefits of soliciting gifts and donations to the Association in a more formal and ongoing way.

      The officers have had numerous discussions with respect to forming an endowment program to assist in this task. Since the NSSA-NSCA is organized as a 501(c)(3), there can be significant tax benefits to the donor.

      We have targeted the fall of 2020 to have completely reviewed this topic and will be able to make a recommendation to the Executive Committee at that time.

      We will continue to keep you informed of our progress in this important initiative.

      Thank you,
      Officers of the NSSA

 
 

Register for the 2019 World Skeet Championships

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The 2019 World Skeet Championships is back September 27 through October 4 in San Antonio, TX, at the National Shooting Complex. Registration is already open! You can find the registration form and other information on our World Shoot page. To ensure you get your squadding preferences, complete the registration form and mail it and your deposit to:

NSSA
Attn: 2019 World Shoot
5931 Roft Road
San Antonio, TX 78253

Please note that shooters wishing to shoot together MUST send in deposits together.

RV Park: To reserve an RV space, contact the National Shooting Complex at 210-688-3371 Ext. 244 or email at nscrv@nssa-nsca.com. The NSC RV Park is open year-round and may be available at daily rates for early arrival to and late departure from this event. More information about RV rentals.

 

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