Breaking Barriers to Breaking Clays
Our Work
3RSSA's comparative advantage is our ability to bring clay target resources, knowledge, and experience to youth organizations. Our backgrounds as shooters, coaches, teachers, researchers, and businessmen bring a different mindset to the challenges youth teams face. We partner with youth oriented organizations with the goal of learning and identifying the underlying barriers and building long term solutions that promote youth shooting teams that athletes and schools can be proud of. See below the work we have been doing for youth shooting in our region.
October 2025
U. of Pittsburgh - Bradford Hosts First Home Event
The University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Clay Target Team kicked off their first home target competition this month, facing off against Mount Aloysius College and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy! Over the past 18 months, 3RSSA has teamed up with Pitt-Bradford to create a professional, schooliliated clay target team in Pennsylvania. This thrilling home opener celebrated a historic moment—it's the first time in over two decades that collegiate PA clay target teams have gone head-to-head! And the excitement doesn't stop there, as Pitt-Bradford not only secured first overall but also achieved several individual podium finishes! Read more here
October 2025
3RSSA presents at MidwayUSA Foundation National Conference
This month Paul and Carl Wojtaszek were invited to present at the MidwayUSA Foundation’s Annual Conference on the impact 3RRSA is having in Pennsylvania and their innovative ideas on how to engage and partner with schools. Paul also served as a discussant on a coaches panel discussion the importance of professional team management, modern youth coaching, and athlete engagement. Thank you MidwayUSA Foundation for the invite and great discussion. Click here to view their presentation.
Auguest 2025
3RSSA helps Mount Aloysius build new team equipment building
3RSSA, the MidwayUSA Foundation, and Mount Aloysius College have collaborated to construct a team equipment building for the Mount Aloysius Clay Target Team. This project, designed and built by students and volunteers on the club grounds, was funded by the MidwayUSA Foundation, 3RSSA, and the Patton Sportsman’s Club. It showcases how 3RSSA can unite resources and support to benefit school-sponsored teams and their host clubs.
June 2025
3RSSA helps West Point cadets conduct research
3RSSA is proud to provide support to the West Point Skeet and Trap team that helped several cadets complete research projects on biometrics and shooting performance. This research helped students complete course projects, improve team performance, and serve as preliminary research for larger Army sponsored human performance research. Click here to view the report.
April 2025
All Academy Clay Target Championship made possible by 3RSSA 3forFree Incentive
On April 6th, 2025 service academy teams from West Point, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine Academy competed at Clove Spring Range, NJ for the All Academy Championship. 3RSSA’s 3forFree competition incentive covered the cost of targets to help make this skeet, trap, and sporting clays competition possible for these schools.
February 2025
3RSSA helps market PA's new collegiate teams
In February 3RSSA sent letters and posters to over 100 PA clay target clubs that provide information on the colleges in PA that offer or are building clay target teams. Getting the word out to parents, coaches, and athletes helps these teams grow and keep young people engaged in the sport beyond high school.
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February 2025
3RSSA support student research on athlete biometrics
Looking to improve the performance of their teammates, cadets at West Point are participating in a research project that uses biometric readers to track student sleep, heart rate, oxygen levels, stress, and other measures to determine their impact on shooting performance on the field. 3RSSA helped support this research by providing biometric reader, coaching input, and research design assistance.
January 2025
Yearbook Photo Incentive
They say a photo is worth 1,000 words. Well for youth teams who are recognized by their school with a yearbook photo -- it is worth $1,000! 3RSSA will donate $1,000 into the MidwayUSA Foundation endowment of any PA youth clay target team who shares their 2025 yearbook photo with us. Click on the flyer for more details.
January 2025
Grove City College New Team
3RSSA is working with Grove City College this spring to help build out and resource a collegiate shooting team for the fall of 2025. Fundraising and search for a team coach has already begun.
December 2024
Pitt-Bradford New Team
3RSSA is working with the University of Pittsburgh - Bradford to help establish a varsity clay target team. Team uniforms, partnership with a local club, and the hiring of a coach are complete. Recruiting for the team begins in Spring of 2025. When established this will be only the second collegiate team in PA.
NOVEMBER 2024
Mount Aloysius Wins Gold
In November, the Mount Aloysius Clay Target Team traveled for the first time to the ACUI Upper East Coast Regional Championships, held in Maryland. Encouraged by 3RSSA's travel incentive and sporting new team vests supplied by 3RSSA, The Mounties had a strong first showing and took home gold in the Ladies Individual American Trap event. Congratulations MAC Clay Target Team!
OCTOBER 2024
White Sulphur Springs Offers Clays as New Adventure Activity
3RSSA partnered with White Sulphur Springs in Manns Choice, PA to pilot a clay target shooting adventure offering for their family weekends. 3RSSA provided portable MEC traps and introductory curriculum for a pilot event that proved popular and has set the stage for developing and resourcing a permanent facility on their property in 2025. 3RSSA will help develop curriculum, train staff, and secure funding to assist White Sulphur Springs in growing the sport.
SEPTEMBER 2024
3RSSA Helps Navy Find Support
3RSSA is assisting the United States Naval Academy Skeet and Trap team, providing a shooting clinic for members and coaches and working with the alumni association to secure financial support that will allow the team to increase practice and travel to competitions in the region.
AUGUST 2024
3RSSA Survey Show Clays Produce Conservation
At the 2024 SCTP Nationals Competition, 3RSSA administered a survey to athletes, coaches and parents about their participation in clay target shooting and conservation. The major finding was that the clay target sports introduce new people to hunting and conservation. Both non-hunting athletes and parents become hunters or plan to hunt after joining a youth clay target team.
JULY 2024
3RSSA Survey Shows Importance of Facilities
3RSSA piloted the use of upgraded restroom facilities at the Scholastic Clay Target Championships. This clay target shoot features over 2,500 high school athletes from across the country. Our report and survey show how important appropriate facilities are for athletes, coaches, and parents -- and inform our community of a potential barrier to growing our sport. Click here to read the full report.
JUNE 2024
3RSSA Receives Support from MIDREX Technologies
No stranger to the Pittsburgh Area, MIDREX technology donated $5,000 to 3RSSA's mission of growing the youth clay target sports. We can't wait to put this donation to good use in our area.
JUNE 2024
3RSSA Sponsors Shima Shooting Clinic for Area Youth Coaches
Master Skeet and mental shooting coach John Shima visited Generations Skeet Club in Patton, PA. With the help of a MidwayUSA Foundation Coaches Training grant, 3RSSA coordinated and sponsored a tailored afternoon of instruction to focus on the art of coaching the sport. Four youth coaches attended the clinic, taking home new skills for providing professional coaching to their programs.
MARCH 2024
10 New Skeet College Skeet Instructors
With a coaching grant from MidwayUSA Foundation, 3RSSA partnered with West Point to hold a NSSA Level 1 Instructor Course at their facility. The weekend course certified 10 new skeet instructors for West Point, The Merchant Marine Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy clay target teams.
APRIL 2024
3RSSA Welcomes Olympian Josh Richmond to its Board of Advisors
Hillsgrove, Pennsylvania native Josh Richmond will serve on 3RSSA's board of advisors. The two-time Olympian in Trap and Army veteran will advise 3RSSA on industry outreach, training, and youth engagement in the Northeast. Welcome back to PA, Josh!
APRIL 2024
MidwayUSA Foundation and 3RSSA help upgrade traps for All-Academy Championships
With help from the MidwayUSA Foundation, 3RSSA helped purchase two new MEC skeet machines for Clove Spring Range -- which serves as the home field for the US Merchant Marine Academy and generous host facility for the annual All-Academy Clay Target Championships. Youth teams can help breathe new life into clubs.
MARCH 2024
3RSSA Helps Mount Aloysius Compete at Nationals
With support from 3RSSA's travel incentive program, the Mount Aloysius Clay Target Team made their first trip to ACUI Clay Target Nationals in San Antonio, TX. Five athletes and their coach traveled to the National Shooting Complex to represent Pennsylvania's only collegiate clay target team against nearly 1,000 athletes from over 100 colleges and universities.
MARCH 2024
MidwayUSA Foundation and 3RSSA boost the team endowments for Service Academies
In March, all five service academy teams (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines) face off in the All Academy Clay Target Championship in New Jersey. This year each team received $10,000 in their MidwayUSA Foundation endowment as a thank you for their service and to help sustain travel and head to head competitions like this.
MARCH 2024
3RSSA Helps Upgrade Western Reserve to Host Youth Team
3RSSA helped complete a site survey, write grants, and secure funding for Western Reserve's youth clay target team. The work included repairing trap machines, updating their restrooms, and providing feedback on how to better integrate a youth team into their club.
DECEMBER 2023
MidwayUSA Foundation Establishes 3RSSA Agency Endowment
The MidwayUSA Foundation awarded 3RSSA an agency endowment account. Their endowment accounts allow teams and organizations to secure long term funding, participate in MidwayUSA Foundation grants, and level up donations through a matching program. We are proud to link 3RSSA with this national organization and supporter of the youth shooting sports. DONATE NOW
OCTOBER 2023
3RSSA Received Grant from Richard King Mellon Foundation
3RSSA received grant support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to assist in the piloting and research of barriers to the youth shooting sports. Specifically, 3RSSA will seek out and partner with youth oriented organizations to build youth teams, train coaches, and pilot programs that incentivize youth teams to travel, compete, and build support that secures their long term success. We are incredibly grateful for Richard King Mellon's support and confidence.