Friday, December 18, 2009

Week 5: Happy Holidays

Jingle bells, jingle bells…yes it’s that time of year again for everyone to be jolly. Over in the batcave, we have been brainstorming ways of keeping the cheer all Junior Olympic season long. Last blog, we asked you to take pictures at your Junior Olympic events, and you responded! Below are some pictures courtesy of Washington and North Carolina and their successful matches.

This week, instead of listing ideas for fundraising, we thought we would share some ways of giving back to your family, friends and community.

Start small.

  • Get wrapping. Offer to help wrap gifts for other family members or help your parents decorate the house for the holidays.
  • Put on an apron. Join the fun in the kitchen and help bake those delicious treats for family, friends and neighbors.
  • Clean up while you unwrap. Offer to collect the used wrapping paper and help clean up while you share this time with your family.

Go big.

  • Raid the cupboard. Ask your parents if there are any extra canned goods in the house to donate to local food drives.
  • Hit the toy store. Many local toy stores and department stores have bins to collect unopened children’s toys to give to local shelters and families in need. Tap into that piggy bank and ask your parents if you can donate a toy.
  • Soup kitchen. Ask your parents if you can volunteer at a soup kitchen and help serve a meal to your local community in need.

On behalf of USA Shooting, we would like wish everyone a safe and merry season. The office will be closed on December 24-25. We will return to the batcave in the new year!

Happy Holidays,



-Batman & Robin


Spokane, WA





North Carolina
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=745363820803%3A1237570196&cm_mmc=site_email-new_site_sharecore_-View_photos_album

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Week 4: Gobble, Gobble

We have a short week in the USA Shooting office this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but before we head out to devour some turkey and stuffing, we want to leave you with some more wisdom from the batcave.

Holidays are known for creating lasting memories. Good food, good people and good times are sought after every year. But how do we make these memories last? With pictures!

Yes! Mom and Dad are not just running around with a camera to drive you crazy. There is a method to their madness, and their goal is to offer you a memory that will last for years to come.

Well, Batman and Robin would like to join the fun. We are asking coaches, shooters and match directors to take some snap shots at their Junior Olympic qualifiers this year and send us the pictures. We will post them on our blog for our members to follow this season’s excitement.

So send us your pictures from around the range and help us create some lasting memories of this year’s Junior Olympic season! All pictures can be emailed to Nicole Levine at nicole.levine@usashooting.org.


Happy Thanksgiving!

-Batman & Robin

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Week 3: Let the Game’s Begin

The Junior Olympic season kicks off this month with matches in Louisiana and Washington (see dates below). Good luck to all shooters who are competing!

In honor of pumping up Junior Olympic involvement and increasing awareness, this week’s goal is to increase our number of blog followers. The Junior Olympic process can get confusing and current information is always needed. So help us spread the word and inform at least one person you know about this site. Our weekly updates are designed to help you, so join the movement and let us know your thoughts. If you are reading this blog and aren’t yet a member, join so that you can leave comments on our page. Encourage your fellow shooters and match directors to look here for the latest information and updates.

Remember, we want to hear from you! Together we can make this an effective and productive venture.

Upcoming events

November 13-15, 2009 LA (Southwest Gun Club) – State JO for Smallbore Rifle and & Air Pistol, contact Mickey Brondum at 504-343-7597

November 21, 2009 WA (Washington State Rifle & Pistol Association) – State JO for Smallbore Rifle, contact Doug Shellenberger at 253-846-6767


A note to match directors: The spreadsheet on which to submit your electronic results is now available under the Competitions- Match Information tab on the USA Shooting website. If you have any questions on how to fill out the form, please contact Nicole Levine at nicole.levine@usashooting.org.


Thanks for tuning in!

-Batman & Robin

Monday, November 2, 2009

Week 2: Fallin' forward

Idea of the Week: Fall Pickup

With the change of seasons, Fall not only provides beautiful scenery but a great way for earning some extra cash. So try to spread the word throughout your neighborhood, roll up your sleeves and earn some dough through some old fashioned hard work.

1) Rake leaves! Leaves are falling like crazy right now, and many people simply do not have the time to pick them up. So grab a rake and some trash bags and head outside.

2) Mow Lawns. Since you just picked up all of the leaves, it is a perfect time to finish the job and mow the lawn.

3) Take out the trash. This is a simple chore really, but nobody likes to do it. While you are dumping your leaves and trimmings, offer to take out the trash cans for people weekly.

4) Shovel driveways. For those of you in snow country, there may not be too many leaves, but there is plenty of work shoveling snow from people’s driveways.

5) Wash cars. Everybody loves a clean car but might not have the time to go to the local carwash or to do it themselves. Try offering your services instead.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Maybe you can make some flyers to help spread the word. Please always ask your parents for permission first and be safe while working. Good luck!

-Batman & Robin

Monday, October 26, 2009

Week 1- Let's get this thing rollin'

State Junior Olympic Match Dates Set

All Junior Olympic state matches have now been selected! A complete list is available at http://www.usashooting.org/. Don’t see a match in your state? No need to worry. You can travel to a nearby out-of-state match and compete as a non-resident. Or if you know of a local USA Shooting club in your area, encourage them to contact us about hosting a Junior Olympic match. We will sanction additional matches in states that do not already have a Junior Olympic sponsor.

A note to all selected state hosts- participant pins and medals have been mailed out. If you have not submitted your participant pin request form yet, please do! We will send pins out to you as soon as we receive your request. You can send requests to Nicole.levine@usashooting.org. If there is more than one host in your state, the medals were sent to your state coordinator. Please reach out to them for details.

The Junior Olympic season opens October 31, 2009. Good luck with your matches, shoot well, and happy Halloween!


JO Fundraising!!!

Did you know that shooting is the second most expensive event in the Olympics besides Equestrian? It not only does it take time and dedication to compete in this sport, but it can be expensive. Please use this blog as a tool to encourage junior shooters to get out in the community, promote the sport and hopefully make some extra cash for the shooting fund.

The Basics:

1) Before you do anything, be sure to set yourself a goal. Once that is determined, it will be a lot easier to tell people what you are doing.

2) Come up with some creative ideas (we will help with these too!)

3) Look for ideas that you might be able to do around holidays like Halloween, or Christmas.

4) Reach out to your family and friends first, word of mouth should keep your fundraising efforts going.

5) Advertise!

6) Always keep your parents in the loop and ask for permission before you start your fundraising efforts.

7) Avoid anything that may require going door-to-door.

8) Remember to always say thank you, even to those who may not want to donate to your cause.

9) HAVE FUN!!!

Idea of the Week: cell phone recycling
Project length: ongoing


Think about all of the cell phones that people hang on to and don’t use. Most Americans upgrade their cell phone every 1.5 to 2 years and end up stashing the old phone in the bottom of a drawer to collect dust or just throw them out. Well did you know there are companies that will pay you to send them old cell phones? I recently sold my old Motorola PEBL for $22, and they even paid for the shipping. I have recommended two websites below that are very easy to use, although there are many out there. I would suggest making some adverting (posters, fliers, e-mails, texts) for your project, letting people know what this is for and how they can contact you. You might also be able to pair up with a local store or school that will collect the phones for you or will provide a drop off box at their location. I will tell you that payment takes about 4-6 weeks once you have mailed off the phones, so plan accordingly to reach your goal on time.

This idea will help you save the environment, by keeping cell phones out of landfills and back in the hands of people who can use them. Not only will you be feeling good about your efforts, it should put some good old fashion cash in your pocket. Try it out and let us know your thoughts!

http://www.gazelle.com/recycle-and-sell-cell-phones?_gzl=1&gclid=CIKqnbC6250CFeFM5QodwVaMrQ

http://www.casholdphone.com/?gclid=CLnT-8q8250CFdZM5QodIkEgyA

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Welcome to the Batcave!

USA Shooting would like to welcome everyone to our Junior Olympic blog. This is a place where athletes, coaches, clubs and parents can be informed about what is going on each week as we roll into State Junior Olympic (rifle/pistol) season. Each Monday we will post a new blog providing updates on the program, upcoming State Junior Olympic matches and answer your questions. We will also provide creative ideas on how to raise money to help fund an athlete to the National Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs, CO April 8-26, 2010.

We will be looking for feedback, questions and comments as we launch this new initiative. We want this to work for you! So please do not hesitate to let us know your ideas and what information or topics you would like to hear about.