NSSA - National Skeet Shooting Association

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

NSCA Legend Lois Neely Passes

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It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Lois Neely, a true legend and cherished member of the sporting clays community. Lois departed this world on July 10, 2023, leaving behind a legacy that will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of our industry. Lois dedicated her life to sporting clays tournaments with an unwavering commitment to excellence, skill and service to our sportsmen. Her career began with the NSSA in member services in 1985. She moved to the NSCA in 1989, the first staff member to solely focus on the NSCA at headquarters, with member services until December of 1996 when she became the lead of the NSCA as Assistant Director.

In 2000, Lois struck out on her own as WyShotgun and offered tournament administration services to gun clubs throughout the country. Lois stayed on the NSCA Rules Committee and Hall of Fame Committee for another 10 years as an at-large member due to her knowledge of the game. Lois ran registration for every NSCA National Championship held in San Antonio from 1990 to 2022. Her tireless efforts earned her a spot in the NSCA Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Hal DuPont Service Award in 2021.

Our friend’s memory will forever live through the countless experiences, profound knowledge, and exuberant personality she generously shared with us. Funeral arrangement details will be provided when information is available. Let us be patient, understanding, and supportive during this difficult period, granting her family the necessary time and space to heal.

Amber Schwarz Marks 25 Years With NSSA-NSCA-NSC

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Amber Schwarz, NSSA-NSCA Director of Member and Club Services, celebrated her 25th anniversary with NSSA-NSCA on April 26. Amber started helping with shoots at the National Shooting Complex in 1996 and became a full-time employee in 1998.

Amber is known as a go-to person at the office who can figure out the answer to any problem, as there are few jobs there she hasn’t done, or practices and policies she hasn’t helped implement. “I’ve worked from one end of the office to the other,” said Amber, “doing anything and everything I could learn to get the job done.” She spent many years as Assistant Director of the National Shooting Complex, assisting with corporate, charity, and registered shoots, event personnel, marketing of the complex, and many other functions associated with NSC management.

In 2020, Amber was promoted to Director of Member and Club Services, managing the staff and practices involved with Headquarters’ most important function — taking care of its members and member clubs.

“Amber’s work ethic and desire to do a great job in everything she does is what makes her special and an incredible team leader here at Headquarters,” said Michael Hampton, Jr., NSSA-NSCA Executive Director. “No matter if its 6 a.m. or 10 p.m., she has a smile on her face and is doing whatever it takes to get the job done and is ready to do it all over again the next day.”

On behalf of the staff, membership, and governing bodies of NSSA-NSCA, we congratulate Amber on her 25th anniversary and offer our appreciation for her many contributions to our success.

 

NSSA-NSCA Response to CA AB #2571

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In observance of the recently passed California Assembly Bill #2571, NSSA-NSCA must cease all advertising and marketing activities directed at individuals 17 years and younger in California. This includes ceasing to distribute Clay Target Nation magazine, Target Talk/Target Talk Lessons newsletters, CTN Extra newsletter, event promotions, and other association communications to affected members. We have purged all mailing and email lists of affected members for magazines, newsletters, and other communications. Processes are now in place to maintain compliance as affected member numbers change.

In addition to ceasing all advertising, marketing, and other communications with affected members, we have taken the following actions to ensure compliance with AB #2571 and mitigate risk to our association, our clubs, partners and affiliates:

  • Requesting that member clubs immediately cease promotions to affected NSSA-NSCA members, as well as evaluating their communications and event/product promotions to ensure they are in compliance
  • Notifying our advertisers, sponsors, and industry partners of NSSA-NSCA’s actions being taken in response to AB #2571
  • Notifying MySkeet, Score Chaser, Winscore, other third-party registration and scoring platforms, and other vendors who communicate with NSSA-NSCA members, that they must refrain from marketing events to affected NSSA and NSCA members
  • Adding exclusionary language to digital and print publications, newsletter sign-up forms, and media kits
  • Instructing staff on maintaining compliance with this law
  • Notifying NSSA-NSCA Chief Instructors of AB #2571 and requesting that they refrain from contacting and marketing to affected members.
  • Notifying NSSA-NSCA governing bodies of the law and the actions being taken

You can learn more about California AB #2571 at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2571.

Any questions relative to NSSA-NSCA’s actions in response to AB #2571 should be directed to NSSA-NSCA Executive Director Michael Hampton, mhampton@nssa-nsca.com.
 

Updated Ammunition Policy for World Shoot

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The National Shooting Complex has updated its ammunition policy for the upcoming World Skeet Championships to address availability issues:

We have been working diligently with all of our ammunition sponsors to secure as much ammunition as possible for the World Skeet Championships. Despite our efforts to ensure that we have enough ammunition on hand, we unfortunately WILL NOT have enough on site for everyone to purchase for everything they are planning to participate in. We have a great deal of ammunition on hand, but knowing the demand will be higher this year, we want to ensure there isn’t a shortage.

Based on this information, we strongly advise bringing your own ammunition, especially sub-gauge loads, to the event. Bringing your own is the only way to guarantee you will have ammunition to shoot.

This does not mean you cannot attend if you cannot bring your own ammo. Our request for participants to bring ammunition is to ensure that EVERY shooter is able to shoot EVERY event they want.

Many shooters already possess or have local access to all the ammunition they need for the World Shoot and the rest of their shooting year, and many shooters drive to the National Shooting Complex, making it easy for them to bring ammunition with them. If that applies to you, we encourage you to consider bringing yours to allow those who do not have and cannot acquire it locally, international shooters who cannot bring or ship theirs, and those for whom shipping is cost-prohibitive to purchase what they need at the event.

Sub-gauge loads are our primary concern, especially 20-gauge. As a reminder, reloads are allowed for all events.

If you must purchase ammunition at the event, please be aware that you will only be allowed to purchase enough to cover your competition events. Verification of event entry will be required to purchase ammunition. No practice ammunition will be sold at the event.

For participants flying to the World Skeet Championships, we advise shipping your ammunition. UPS guidelines for shipping can be viewed at UPS Guidelines (Scroll down for Shipping Ammunition). Ammunition should be sent to the participant’s name and reference the event. The mailing address is 5931 Roft Road, San Antonio, TX 78253.

Again, we are not requiring every shooter to bring ammunition to the National Championship. If you are one of the fortunate shooters to have adequate supplies and a means of transporting it to the NSC, we are asking you to help us ensure that EVERY shooter has access to what they need.

We understand this is an inconvenience and apologize in advance.
 

NSSA-NSCA Acquires Property Adjacent to NSC

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Click image to enlarge map. This property overview shows the location of the new tract in relation to the original property and major features of the National Shooting Complex.
On December 31, NSSA-NSCA completed the purchase of 23+ acres adjoining the National Shooting Complex that creates a buffer from development and helps protect the association’s investment in its San Antonio, Texas, property.

The land purchase is an important investment in the future of the National Shooting Complex, preventing any type of encroachments of residential or commercial development adjacent to our property boundary. This investment received unanimous support from the joint NSSA-NSCA Finance Committee and the Executive Committee.

“The NSSA-NSCA bought this property as a buffer from the continuous growth that we’re seeing around the National Shooting Complex,” said Michael Hampton, Jr., NSSA-NSCA Executive Director. “We’ve long wanted to add this property to the complex, and we are very fortunate that it became available to us at a time when we were able to leverage the market strength and our futures portfolio to do this purchase without encumbering the association with long-term debt.”

The property adjoins the southwest side of the National Shooting Complex that has access off Gass Road. Twenty acres are under agricultural exemption. It includes a 2300-square-foot house and a deep, large-capacity well. It has almost 500 feet of frontage on Gass Road, and one side of the property has a gravel road that separates it from neighboring property. It has a 1200-foot common border with the original NSC property.

“As we all know, land is something that they will not make any more of, and when the opportunity arises to buy some that attaches to our current 600 acres, we need to take it,” said Hampton. “The property had been in the Skolaut family for over 70 years, and the family gave the association the first opportunity to buy this land, as we have been good neighbors to them. At closing, Mrs. Skolaut’s daughter said, ‘It’s sad to see it go, but we’re happy, and I know my mother is happy, that it’s going to the gun club.’”

For questions about the property acquisition, contact Executive Director Michael Hampton or an NSSA-NSCA officer.

 

 

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