Junior Shooting Sports

The American Legion Junior Shooting Sports Program is a gun safety education and marksmanship program that encompasses the basic elements of safety, education, enjoyment and competition. Shooters use the .177 caliber air rifle. Both males and females can participate, through Legion sponsorship; disabled youth are encouraged to join, as competitive shooting is a sport that creates an equal playing field for all competitors.

Junior Shooting Sports is a three-part program that combines the Basic Marksmanship Course, Qualification Awards and Air Rifle Competition into a well-rounded activity.

Air Rifle Competition

The annual 3-Position Junior Air Rifle National Championship is a tournament that begins with postal matches. State and/or regional champions are determined and advance to a qualification round (also a postal match) to determine the athletes who will earn expense-paid trips to compete in the national championship. The national championship is a shoulder-to-shoulder match held each July at the USA Shooting range facilities at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Shooting Sports

Post 46 sponsors a Junior Shooting Sports team through West Carteret High School, NJROTC.

Shooting sports is one of the few sports where men and women compete equally. It requires mental toughness and discipline as well as physical fitness and stamina. The sport not only promotes gun safety and sportsmanship, it helps develop discipline, responsibility, time management, and leadership skills. The students also learn to manage themselves under pressure, be a good team mate, evaluate their performance and learn from mistakes. The skills developed as a competitor carry over into virtually every other part of the participants life.