Sources of Support
The strength of the collegiate shooting program comes from many different sources. The National Rifle Association is a major source of support, and so are areas such as: • ROTC departments with support staff, ranges, and equipment • Knowledgeable Coaches and instructors • College administrators with support of budget and space • Literature to become a better shooter and coach • The National Collegiate Athletic Association All these areas play an important part in keeping the shooting program active and growing.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
The strength of the NCAA in collegiate sports is known throughout the country, and is best noted in the sports of football, baseball, and basketball. Its image permeates the college campus, and goes beyond the sport itself to encompass the academic and social life of the students. The NCAA provides this same vehicle for many lesser-known sports, such as rifle shooting. In 1980, the NCAA affiliated rifle as a sport. In the collegiate shooting arena, there is a prestige associated with an NCAA rifle team, and rightly so. The NCAA provides a positive image of shooting to the campus and public at large. With rifle as an NCAA sport, there is an annual shoulder-to-shoulder championship, bringing together the top collegiate shooters in the nation to compete for national individual and team honors. The level of competition and pressure associated with the championship is surpassed only by competition for the Olympic and World Championships tryouts. The NCAA Rifle Championship has brought with it the type of competition necessary to prepare these shooters to vie for a place on the U.S. Shooting Team. Many of the top collegiate shooters in the country are members of NCAA rifle teams. Top competitors thrive in such an environment. It is an area that has been created through the image of the NCAA’s presence, and needs to continue. This is a strong part of the collegiate shooting program. NCAA sports are tied to the university’s athletic department where, depending on the university, scholarships and coaching staff may be available. The National Rifle Association has always been a vital part of collegiate shooting programs and remains so. It sees the NCAA rifle program as giving collegiate rifle shooting a major boost, a way of strengthening its program, and providing collegiate shooters with a chance to excel and strive to the very elite class of shooting.
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