View full article PDF here.Recap: USA Clay Target League – America’s Fastest Growing Youth Shooting Sport
The USA Clay Target League (USACTL) has grown into the largest youth clay target shooting program in the world, bringing trap, skeet, sporting clays, and 5-stand to high schools and colleges across the country.
Origins & Growth
The roots trace back to Minnesota in 2000, when aging gun club membership and declining youth participation led Jim Sable to create a program at the Plymouth Gun Club.
By 2008, the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League launched with just three teams and 30 students.
The growth was explosive—doubling participation for five straight years. By 2014, Minnesota’s State Championship was the largest shooting event in the world.
Schools in other states took notice, and by 2012, the program incorporated nationally as a nonprofit under the name USA Clay Target League.
Participation Explosion
2012–2013: 3,637 participants, 114 teams.
2017–2018: 26,426 participants, 804 teams.
2021–2022: 43,009 participants, 1,466 teams across 34 states.
2024: Nearly 52,000 athletes on teams in 37 states, with more than 13,000 new shooters this year alone.
Championship Events
Teams compete in a nine-week spring season ending in May, followed by state tournaments in June.
The year culminates in the USA High School Clay Target League National Championship in July, now the largest organized shooting event in America, drawing over 8,500 shooters across eight days.
College athletes have their own season, capped by the College Clay Target League National Championship in November.
Why It Works
School Approved: USACTL is the only fully school-approved clay target program in the U.S., often awarding varsity letters to shooters.
Inclusive: Co-ed and adaptive, welcoming both male and female athletes, and open to students with physical disabilities.
Safe: With safety, fun, and marksmanship as priorities, the league boasts a spotless record—not a single reported injury since its start in 2001. All athletes must complete firearm safety certification before competing.
Scholarships: Each year, thousands of dollars in scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors.
Final Take
What began as a small Minnesota experiment has become a nationwide movement. With over 50,000 athletes, national championships, and a perfect safety record, the USA Clay Target League is not just the fastest-growing high school sport—it’s reshaping the future of clay target shooting in America.
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