Missouri Youth Sport Shooting Alliance Completes Pilot for Student Air Rifle Program

The Missouri Youth Sport Shooting Alliance (MYSSA) has finished its pilot study for the Student Air Rifle Program (SAR) and plans to implement the curriculum, later this year.

A total of 19 Missouri schools, one range, and four summer camps participated in the Student Air Rifle Program pilot during 2015 – 2016. “We are excited with the pilot results and even more excited about the future of SAR”, noted Jan Morris, MYSSA Executive Director.

Over 45 teachers and other individuals trained as Basic Air Riflery Instructors (BARI), facilitated SAR curriculum to over 3,000 students during the pilot. At the conclusion of the unit, instructors were asked to fill out a 40 question online survey while students were asked to fill out a 10 question hard copy survey.

“We learned a great wealth of information from the pilot results that will help guide SAR down a sustainable path”, mentioned Morris. Over 15% of the students who participated in the Student Air Rifle Program pilot had never shot a BB gun or air rifle before SAR. In addition, 95% of instructors noted an increase in student attentiveness, over 50% of instructors reported a decrease in behavioral problems, and 97% of instructors noted an increase in student confidence during SAR.

“Participants benefit from the lifetime sport of target shooting, building confidence, self-esteem, and discipline. My students really enjoyed shooting air rifles during P.E. class”, explained Jenneth Poirier, a P.E. teacher at Hatton McCredie Elementary School; one of the original Student Air Rifle Program pilot schools and the school to host the first BARI training during January 2015. 95% of the pilot participating schools, including Hatton McCredie, plan to implement the program when it is available for launch this fall. A full detailed pilot report is available on the MYSSA website at www.moyouthshooting.org.

The Student Air Rifle Program, modeled after the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), uses school aligned units of study, teacher training, universal whistle commands, positive language, and standardized equipment to facilitate an introduction to the lifetime sport of target shooting to school-aged youth in grades 4 through 12.

Implementation plans for SAR are being finalized. Interested schools, potential sponsors, and fish and wildlife agencies can contact the organization at info@studentairrifleprogram.org for more information about becoming involved.

For more information about the Missouri Youth Sport Shooting Alliance (MYSSA), visit www.moyouthshooting.org.