PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN NCAA RIFLE TEAM
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF XXXXXXX
TO:Mr. XXXX XXXXX
Athletic Director
Street address
University of XXXXXX
City, ST Zip
FROM:Committee
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Ad Hoc Committee for Xxxxxx Intercollegiate Shooting Sports has researched the possibility of forming an NCAA rifle team at the University of Xxxxxx. There is a vast, untapped amount of shooting talent in the state of Xxxxxx. A team at XXX would be able to draw the best of in-state talent and form a highly successful team in a short amount of time.
A team could be formed for a fraction of the cost of traditional sports. A large amount of outside funding is available through grants, sponsorship, and donations. With an endowment which we plan to establish, the team’s reliance on the Athletic Department would diminish in future years.
The University and Athletic Department would greatly benefit from a collegiate shooting program. First, rifle teams generally maintain a higher femalemembership percentagethan other sports and therefore will aid inTitle IX compliance. There is also a strong relationship between student-athletes and academics. The Committee believes nearly all in-state recruits will be eligible for the ???? scholarship. This amount of academic achievement would be a great boost to the Athletic Department’s graduation rate. Local support for the school would also benefit as the top riflestudent-athletes in the state currently leave to attend schools elsewhere with more prestigious rifle programs.
Air rifle, one component of collegiate competition, can operate in any room with the proper amount of space, as there are no special ventilation requirements. The Athletic Department’s current financial practices would aid in the formation of the team by spreading the start-up cost over multiple seasons. The expense of the team’s supply of equipment could be spread out over the first several seasons as many of the incoming student-athletes would own personal equipment.
It is the conclusion of the Committee that a rifle team should be established at the University of Xxxxxx.
PURPOSE STATEMENT
The Ad Hoc Committee for Xxxxxx Intercollegiate Shooting Sports recommends that an NCAA rifle program be established at the University of Xxxxxx. The Committee was formed to investigate the possibility of introducing the shooting sports to the University of Xxxxxx.
There is a well-documented relationship between academics and the shooting sports. A survey of Xxxxxx high school rifle student athletes found over 60% of rifle student athletes have a GPA over 3.5. The shooting sports also embody the same competitive and character-building traits desirable in any sport. Most important, the shooting sports are the safest of competitive sports, boasting more than 100 years of sanctioned competition without a single fatality, a claim unmatched by any other sport. The emphasis upon strict adherence to established safety procedures within a highly supervised environment is directly responsible for the shooting sport’s unblemished record and its unique ability to instill self-discipline and personal responsibility in virtually all its participants.
As a sport, shooting places no barriers to competitive excellence due to sex, age, stature, speed, or almost any other athletic quality. It is the last truly co-ed sport with women competing directly against their male counterparts and very often winning.
Jamie (Beyerle) Gray and Matt Emmons, graduates of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Mike Anti, graduate of West Virginia University, Emily Caruso, graduate of Norwich University, Jason Parker, graduate of Xavier University, Sandra Fong, a freshman at Princeton, and Stephen Scherer, currentlya cadet at the United States Military Academy, represented the United States in the Beijing Olympics. These athletes served as examples of what one might accomplish through competing in rifle at the collegiate level.
An NCAA rifle team at the University of Xxxxxx would be able to tap into the vast number of high school student-athletes competing in the shooting sports in Xxxxxx. The Xxxxxx High School Association has ? high schools offering three-position air rifle as a varsity sport. This is by far the largest program of its kind in the United States. Each year, the top ten athletes are named to the All-State Team. The majority of the athletes who are named All-State currently attend colleges and universities out-of-state. Over 60% of the athletes named to the all-state team do not attend college in the state of Xxxxxx. A program at the University of Xxxxxx could draw the best in-state talent immediately.
The Committee researched the researched the necessities of forming a team and surveyed high school rifle student-athletes. Potential resources have been identified to determine the feasibility of establishing and sustaining an NCAA team.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The rifle team would operate under the University ofXxxxxx Athletic Department and be subject to the same rules, regulations, and benefits of any other varsity team. The team should consist of at least eight student-athletes. The practice schedule should be set by the Head Rifle Coach to be in line with NCAA regulations.
While student-athletes would be allowed to bring their own equipment to use on the team and be stored in the team’s facilities, the team would need to have its own equipment for those who do not own it themselves. Equipment would include smallbore rifles, air rifles, shooting coats, pants, boots, offhand stands, spotting scopes, scope stands, prone mats, kneeling rolls, equipment bags, rifle cases, gloves, and palm rests. Other accessories could be purchased at the head coach’s discretion to include items such as riser blocks, sight extension tubes,extra butt plates, spirit levels, etc.
Home air rifle matches would likely need to be held in a different location than the air rifle practice facility. The match facility would need space for at least 20 firing points to 10meters plus room behind the firing line for equipment, spectators, and officials, and a separate room for scoring. The Head Coach and rifle team would construct backstops and target stands. The same stands and backstops for practice would be used for matches, with extras stored between matches. An alternative location for home matches is the ?.
The long-term goal of the construction of a modern shooting facility on campus for both smallbore and air rifle would have many benefits for the team and university. The facility would include modern technology such as electronic targets for scoring and for the enjoyment of spectators and for optimal training for student-athletes. Such a facility would also allow the University of Xxxxxx to bid for the NCAA Rifle Championships, further increasing the university’s athletic profile. Because potential student-athletes are drawn to the best facilities, recruits recruiting might also be enhanced.
SHORT TERM PLAN
A team at the University of Xxxxxx could follow many routes. One would entail starting out competing only in air rifle and joining the SouthEastern Air Rifle Conference (SEARC). The NCAA national rankings for rifle are dependent on both air rifle and smallbore scores, therefore it would be impossible for the team to be in the top 25. The team would not be able to practice smallbore until the completion of a university shooting facility. The team could compete in the SEARC until the facility’s completion. A number of college coaches believe a team at XXX would be a top competitor in the SEARC within the first three years of competition with the possibility of winning a conference championship within that time frame, or just after.
Another route would be to compete in smallbore and air rifle from the start and join the SEARC. The remainder of the schedule could include individual matches against schools competing in both disciplines. The team would still be a top competitor in the SEARC. Scheduling individual matches for smallbore competition would allow the team to choose its competition to best develop the team. This and the following routes which include smallbore would require either locating a nearby facility to practice smallbore, or the completion of a university shooting facility.
The team could compete in both smallbore and air rifle and join a conference such as the GARC (Great American Rifle Conference). This conference competes in both disciplines and includes the top teams in the country. The competition level would be very high. The team would not have the same success it would see in the SEARC, but would benefit from the level of competition.
Lastly, the team could compete in both disciplines and join both the SEARC and GARC. This would allow a team at XXX to have the best of both conferences in terms of success, development, and competition. However, the combined scheduling requirements of the conferences would leave very little room in the schedule for other matches.
LONG TERM PLANS
It would be important that the team join a conference competing in both smallbore and air rifle within four to six years. Not doing so would hamper the team’s development greatly in its smallbore shooting. Currently, the GARC would be the best conference for the team to join.
The formation of a rifle team at XXX would bring the total number of SEC teams to three, one short of the creation of a rifle conference. Currently, Ole Miss and the University of Kentucky are the other SEC members with rifle teams. Harry Mullins, Head Rifle Coach at Kentucky, has stated that should a team be formed at XXX, he believes that the team’s formation will be the last bit of motivation needed for one more SEC team to start a team, allowing the conference to form.
Recruiting would need to expand to seek out of state student-athletes for the team to become a contender for the national championship. In-state recruiting would stay very strong due to the ? scholarship. These out-of-state student-athletes would not be eligible for the ? scholarship, but would still be very proficient students. With the ? Scholarship aiding in-state recruiting, more of the team’s scholarships could be used on out-of-state recruits. The XXX rifle team would essentially have free, unlimited in-state recruiting money for some of the best prospects in the country.
Finally, the completion of a university shooting facility would be essential to the long term success of the team. Beyond allowing the team to compete in both shooting disciplines, a university shooting facility would catapult the program into the national stage. The university would be seen as a national power and could become a major center for collegiate shooting.
BENEFITS TO THE STUDENT-ATHLETES
The shooting sports provide a recreational and competitive outlet for any student-athlete regardless of age, sex, athletic talent, or physical strengths. It is a sport students slight in stature or with physical disabilities can master. Student-athletes would quickly develop into mature and responsible individuals by virtue of the sport’s emphasis on self-discipline, safety, responsibility, and team spirit. Safety on the range during both competition and practice is an integral part of the shooting sports and is an aspect that carries out into other areas of a student-athlete’s life. It enables the student-athlete to teach and demonstrate safe, sensible, and responsible behavior around guns of any type in any setting.
Female student-athletes will find the sport’s gender neutrality very appealing. The lack of any barriers between the male and female competitors in collegiate rifle is a boost to diversity. This is an excellent opportunity for female student-athletes to experience and promote gender equality in college sports.
The program would provide a worthwhile experience for student-athletes by teaching them the meaning of integrity and ethical conduct. The character building aspects help him or her to mature emotionally, to develop an acute sense of responsibility, and to acquire knowledge necessary to work and live with others. The student-athlete learns to master his or her attention and emotions. This attention to detail carries over to the student-athlete’s academic career at the university and often helps him or her to focus more sharply on academic work.
The student-athletealso benefits from the commitment the XXX Athletic Department makes to their academic success. For some student-athletes, an official keeping track of his or her grades is a motivation to do better. For those who may struggle in their studies, the tutors and study facilities designated for student-athletes can help them keep up with assignments.
Graduating from college is almost a necessity in today’s world, yet many students do not have the motivation or opportunity to attend college. A rifle team may be just the motivation one needs to go to college. For another, perhaps an athletic scholarship would provide the financial resources to attend college.
BENEFITS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF XXXXXX
A rifle program would be a benefit to the University of Xxxxxx in many ways. First, it would help in compliance with Title IX. Many collegiate rifle programs are more than 50% female, helping their sponsoring institutions add to their count of female athletes. This team would be no different.
Rifle student-athletes are also known to be exceptional students. It is the Committee’s estimate that nearly all in-state recruits will be eligible for the ? scholarship. Many more of those may receive further academic scholarships. In the survey distributed to high school rifle student-athletes in Xxxxxx, over 95% ofrespondents noted a GPA above 3.0 with over 60% reporting a GPA over 3.5. This amount of academic achievement would be something the University could advertise and would be abenefit to the Athletic Department’s graduation rate.
The University finished tenth in the NACDA Directors’ Cup during the 2007-2008 year. A rifle team would be a boost to the University’s performance in this competition. The team would quickly become a top performer in the SEARC Conference earning points for the school. Also, the formation of a rifle team combined with the rifle teams at Ole Miss and the University of Kentucky would bring the SEC to within one team of being a rifle conference, which would further benefit the University in the Director’s Cup.
The program would also be a source of local enthusiasm and loyalty for the University. Many high school rifle student-athletes currently head out-of-state to find schools for which to compete. With those student-athletes coming to The University of Xxxxxx, that local enthusiasm and support would be a boost to the entire university.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Rifle Safety:
All rifle student-athletes learn three basic safety rules:
- Always keep the rifle pointed in a safe direction.
- Always keep the rifle unloaded until ready to shoot.
- Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
These rules will be engrained into the habits of all student-athletes before they join the team. There will be zero tolerance for any student-athlete violating these rules. They are the reason shooting has such a safe history and will continue to have a safe future.
Rules for Guns on Campus:
Guns are allowed on college campuses for educational purposes such as an intercollegiate rifle team. The rifles for this program will only be used for this program. They will be stored in a safe at a designated location; most likely the on campus range. Most collegiate teams distribute the safe combination to the student-athletes on the team for ease of access to equipment. However, range access is often limited for students to daylight hours.
The rifles will only be allowed to be used in designated areas on campus. The only times the rifles are allowed in other areas of campus are with prior authorization and planning, or when they are being transported to or from the designated storage area.
Coaches:
An NCAA rifle program is allowed three coaches: a paid head coach, a paid assistant coach, and a volunteer assistant coach.
Facilities:
The air rifle practice facility would need to be 10m (32.6ft) in length in front of the firing line plus another 2m (6.52ft) minimumbehind the firing line, and at least 26ft wide to accommodate eightstudent-athletes. A larger room, which could accommodate 12 student-athletes, 38ft wide, would be ideal.
A larger 10m long area would be needed to hold a home air rifle match. There would need to be room for at least 20 student-athletes. The backstops and target holders for this and the practice facility would be identical. A separate room from the range would be needed for scoring and statistics. No special ventilation is required for the air rifle match facility.