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40 PULLUSA MAGAZINE SUMMER 2024 THE FIELD INSIGH T dads, little brothers and sisters, babies in arms, and the family dogs. They brought folding chairs, coolers, stroll- ers, wagons, and toys for the kids— everything they needed to survive for four days in the Michigan sun while they cheered for their sons and daughters on the team. It was like tailgating, car camping, a cookout, the state fair, and a soccer game all rolled into one. All those people, all that gear, and all the pocket money for T-shirts, c o r n d o g s, p r a c t i c e t o k e n s, a n d shooting accessories were there to support the athletes in an activity that they all seemed to genuinely enjoy. Now, don't get me wrong— t h e r e w e r e t e e n a g e r s w i t h t h e i r n o s e s b u r i e d i n t h e i r N i n t e n d o Switch and cranky babies, but by and large, everyone seemed to be having a great time. And there was a bonus at the 2024 Nationals that had never happened before: torrential flooding. There was significant rainfall in Michigan the week before the event, caus- ing 5-inch deep puddles all over the grounds. Rather than driving to the event, everyone was forced to take shuttle buses. I can attest that walk- ing around in all that water wasn't pleasant, and I saw hundreds of peo- ple lined up to catch the bus in the hot sun. I never heard a single person complain about any of it. I'm a parent of three (now adult) children, and I have been to my share of sporting events, talent shows, and science fairs, but I was truly impressed by nearly everyone, ath- letes and participants alike, that I saw at Nationals. It was a great event attended by a lot of wonderful people. I am grateful to be a part of it and that our work on this project will help more students (and their parents and d o g s ) fi n d t h e i r way into shooting sports. ✪ Since then, I've talked to coaches, parents, high school students on the trap team, and other students who have chosen not to be. I've attended practices, small meets, regional shoots, and a State Championship. My tour culminated with the USA High School Clay Target League National Cham- pionship in Mason, Michigan, July 10–14. I don't know what I expected to learn, but I was pleasantly surprised at every step of my journey. Everyone I spoke to was nice and cooperative. The coaches and the parents are all genuinely involved in the activity for the kids. That's great, but this isn't what surprised me. When you sit down to talk with people, you always find that most of them are pleasant. What surprised me was how much youth trap shoot- ing feels like a family activity. A few dads from the same team were sent in early to set up cus - tom-printed canopies and flags with the team's name and logo. They made sure there was enough room for the cornhole boards and grill. Then, when everyone else arrived later, it was more than the coach and the team. More than a handful of parents. It was several entire families. Moms, I have never had much exposure to organized shooting sports, especially youth shooting sports. Sure, I have plinked and even broken a few hand-thrown clay pigeons in my time, but that all changed when The Midwestern Association of Fish and Wild- life agencies hired my firm, DJ Case & Associates, to do some research. Our project explored how to recruit more high school students into youth shooting sports. A FAMILY AFFAIR by MATT HARLOW - Senior Communications Specialist And Engagement Strategist, DJ Case & Associates OBSERVATIONS FROM THE USA HIGH SCHOOL CLAY TARGET LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FUN FACT More than 3,000 student athletes from 456 high schools across the country competed in the 2024 National Championship.