American Legion Junior Shooting Sports A brief overview of how to start and run a program at your local Post.

I’ve Heard about JSSP and would like to start the program locally Where do I start? The national web site has information and a how to on starting a program. Other post here in Texas that are currently involved with JSSP.

Facilities Where are we going to host this program? Does your post have the room to run a JSSP program? Because JSSP uses air rifles it can be run indoors. Does your post have the space to set up an indoor range? What kind of space would an outdoor range need? Can the post provide a suitable area for that? Outdoors the issues are different depending on the location of the post. Neighbors. Local city or county regulations dealing with firearms.

Facilities continued Insurance! Insurance can and will be an issue. When running this program in your post you must have insurance. The NRA offers a policy that will cover the program and is affordable. These policies cover injuries and some property damage. As for your post general liability policy in most cases it will not cover this program. The tale of the Insurer in New York City.

Equipment What kind of Equipment will we need? To start a program try to keep it simple. You’ll need some kind of a targeting system. There are several commercial systems on the market. But you can build one of your own using supplies purchased at your local Lowes or Home Depot.

Equipment Shooting mats. There are a bunch of mats out there for purchase. For starters, a couple of old blankets, or pieces of carpeting can be used. Safety glasses. Every member must have and use them. Harbor Freight has some for a couple of dollars. Consider purchasing a dozen to have on hand for those that need them.

equipment As your program grows you may need additional items. Shooting gloves. Shooting jackets. Competition slings. Sighting scopes. Scoring tools. Air compressors. Etc.

Rifles To start again keep it simple. There are several styles on the market. You’ll be looking for a single shot, pump style rifle to begin with. Depending on the location of you range you might consider starting with 6 rifles. You’ll be able to run flights on the range. This will allow instructors time to work with the students. It will add to the safety of the range during the practice.

Rifles continued As the program grows, you’ll want to transition to compressed air composition rifles. There is a variety of quality rifles on the market. Let budget and style be your guide. Once the youth progress, they may get to the level where they’ll need to purchase a personal rifle fitted to their body and comfort. These rifles can cost well into thousands of dollars.

Rifles storage/care Where will you store your rifles and how will you care for them? Gun Safe. Gun storage locker. These types of air rifles don’t need a lot of care, but they do need to be maintained. Seals Sights Oiling

Partnering If your post can’t host a program in house, consider partnering with another organization. Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts have camps with outside facilities. 4H may have a program in your area. Church groups like Trail Life, may be willing to partner. Outside shooting clubs and ranges. You don’t have to go it alone.

Lesson planning The American Legion has a lesson plan that can be downloaded from the national web site. This plan offers training tips and material that can be used by all age groups. Depending on your program consider the NRA Winchester Marksmanship material and lesson plan.

Advisers/Instructors The local NRA offers an instructor training course. It’s a two-day course that is normally offered on the weekends. Post 159 has a certified NRA instructor who can be contacted for more information about classes in your area. Background checks. As the instructors are working with children, it is strongly recommended that all instructors be cleared with fingerprints and background check. Instructors should attend a youth protection training course. These trainings are giving by both the Boy Scouts/ Girl Scouts. Some Churches also offer this training from time to time.

Age groups What is the appropriate age of the student in your program? That will depend on your community. 8 to 18 is a good starting place. Understand that some younger students may not have the physical skills to handle a heavy rifle. A smaller BB gun may be where you direct those students. Bottom line is that we are teaching gun safety and shooting technique. Students should be comfortable in order to enjoy the experience.

Impact on schools As with any youth sports program, working with local schools is vital. School programs and events will impact what you are doing with your JSSP program. You may wish to partner with the local high school JROTC. Will your program be year-round or just during the school year? Summer can be a difficult time to keep the interest in your program going. Some student will suffer burn out.

In closing American Legion JSSP is a great program, that all post can be involved in. You can run it as a post or partner with other organizations in your community. It’s not cheap, but there is funding and grants that can help you in the process. If you have questions. Please feel free to contact myself or members of Post 159 JSSP, in Bryan Texas. Tom Marty Cell 714 586-7348 I’m also in the blue book.