minnesota state high school clay target league

What minnesota state high school clay target league does

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League (MNSHSCTL) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2008 that organizes school-based youth clay target shooting sports leagues across trap, skeet, sporting clays, and 5-stand disciplines. It operates as the Minnesota chapter of the USA Clay Target League system, headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, and serves students in grades 6-12 through school-approved teams coached by certified volunteers. The League's 2025 participation reached a record 55,832 student athletes across 1,973 teams and over 2,000 high schools and colleges nationwide, with programs now spanning all 50 U.S. states.

The League's core technology is the proprietary ClayTargetGO! application suite, comprising a Team Management System (TMS) for coaches and an Athlete Management System (AMS) for athletes and parents, supporting registration, roster management, score submission, performance reporting, and tournament entry. Supporting proprietary products include the Shooter Performance Tracker® (web-based performance ranking), True Team® Scoring (proportional scoring methodology), Clay Target Leaderboard™, and two certification programs: SAFE (Student Athlete Firearm Education, $25 per athlete) and CLASS (Coach Leadership And Safety Support, $25 per assistant coach, free for head coaches). Multiple products are registered trademarks.

Revenue is generated through per-athlete registration fees, certification fees, tournament entry fees ($50 per athlete for the MSHSL State Tournament), corporate sponsorships from outdoor retailers, ammunition manufacturers, and conservation organizations (SCHEELS, Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's, Federal Premium, Polaris, Beretta, etc.), grants (notably a $50,000 Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fund grant in March 2022), and championship raffles. A Free Team Initiative launched in July 2025 waives registration and safety equipment costs for up to five athletes per new team to drive expansion. Distribution is mediated entirely through coaches, shooting ranges, and school-approved teams; no direct-to-consumer product sales exist.

Name

minnesota state high school clay target league

Legal name

USA Clay Target League

Website

https://mnclaytarget.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that runs school-based youth clay target shooting sports leagues (trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand) for grades 6-12, serving 55,832 athletes across 1,973 teams and over 2,000 U.S. schools via its proprietary ClayTargetGO! platform and SAFE/CLASS certification programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports League Administration

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

Keywords

• Youth clay target league
• School shooting sports
• Firearm safety certification
• Sporting clay tournaments
• Trap shooting programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Student Athlete Registration Fees: Schools and student athletes pay registration fees to participate in league programs. The Free Team Initiative waives fees for new teams for up to 5 athletes.
2. SAFE Certification Fees: $25 per student athlete for the League's proprietary firearm safety certification program.
3. CLASS Certification Fees: Free for one head coach per team; $25 for assistant coaches or volunteers.
4. Tournament Registration Fees: $50 registration fee for MSHSL State Tournament including 100 targets, awards, and patches.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsors like SCHEELS, Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's, Federal Premium Ammunition, and others provide financial support and in-kind donations. Multi-year sponsorship commitments from major partners.
6. Raffle and Fundraising: Championship raffles with prizes valued at over $36,000 generate funds for the League.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates school-based youth clay target shooting sports leagues, including trap, skeet, sporting clays, and 5-stand seasons and championships. It provides registration, season scheduling, tournament organization, and proprietary safety and coach certification programs (SAFE and CLASS) for secondary and postsecondary schools across the United States.

Product overview

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League offers a comprehensive suite of products and programs centered around its ClayTargetGO! platform, which consists of the Team Management System (TMS) for coaches and Athlete Management System (AMS) for athletes. Supporting these platforms are the Shooter Performance Tracker for performance monitoring and analytics, along with the SAFE Certification (Student Athlete Firearm Education) and CLASS Certification (Coach Leadership and Safety Support) programs. The League also operates proprietary True Team Scoring to determine team standings. The organization provides clay target shooting sports programs including trap, skeet, sporting clays, and 5-stand to secondary and postsecondary schools across the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ClayTargetGO!: The League's exclusive online application suite for coaches and families that helps manage operations, online registration, communications, scoring, statistics, and more. Includes Team Management System (TMS) and Athlete Management System (AMS).
• Shooter Performance Tracker
• True Team Scoring
• SAFE Certification
• CLASS Certification

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero reported injuries across all seasons with over 300 million targets shot
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SCHEELScoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2022Employee-owned outdoor retailer with three-year sponsorship commitment. SCHEELS has supported the League since 2015 and is a key supporter providing gift cards for raffles, sponsorship of events, and visibility for the League's programs. Steve D. Scheel, Chairman of the SCHEELS board, was among the seed investors that helped start the League in North Dakota.
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConservation organization that conserves and enhances habitat for elk and big game, opens and improves access for hunting and outdoor recreation, conducts science-based wildlife research, and ensures the future of hunting heritage.
• Walker's/GSMsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry standard for shooting ear protection and safety with over 25 years developing innovative hearing protection solutions for shooting, hunting, and commercial applications.
• SoundGearsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHearing protection and enhancement products manufactured by Starkey, a global leader in hearing technology headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
• Federal Premium AmmunitionsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAmmunition manufacturer sponsor providing products for League events and raffles.
• National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConservation organization supporting outdoor shooting sports and habitat conservation.
• Minnesota Army National GuardsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerState military organization supporting youth programs and providing recruitment opportunities at League events.
• Minnesota Deer Hunters AssociationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerState hunting organization supporting conservation and youth outdoor education.
• Alexandria Technical & Community CollegesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnical college in Minnesota supporting the League as a regional sponsor.
• Pine Technical & Community CollegesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnical college in Minnesota supporting the League as a regional sponsor.
• North Dakota State College of SciencesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCollege in North Dakota supporting the League as a regional sponsor.
• PullUSA MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial publication of the USA Clay Target League. Every quarterly issue provides athletes with interviews with top shooters, gear reviews, student and team features, tips, and League information. Free subscription provided to all registered athletes, head coaches, and shooting ranges.
• Ducks UnlimitedsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerWaterfowl conservation organization providing sponsorship for raffle prizes including Yeti coolers, camping gear, and firearms.
• Polaris (LaCanne's Marine)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOff-road vehicle manufacturer providing ATVs and UTVs as raffle prizes at championship events.
• Can-Am (Ollie's Service/BRP)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerATV manufacturer providing vehicles as raffle prizes.
• BerettasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFirearms manufacturer providing shotguns as raffle prizes.
• Do All OutdoorssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor equipment manufacturer providing target throwers and clay cannons as prizes.
• Decot Hy-WydsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerShooting sports eyewear manufacturer providing sport glasses as prizes.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) / Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP): Operates the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), the most direct youth clay target shooting league competitor in the U.S., running school-based teams in similar trap, skeet, and sporting clays disciplines.
• National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP): School-based archery program with state organizations and national tournaments. Closely analogous model (school approval, instructor certification, inclusive participation) targeting the same K-12 shooting-sports-in-schools niche.
• 4-H Shooting Sports: National youth shooting sports program administered through the cooperative extension system. Overlaps in target demographics (youth grades 3-12) and disciplines (shotgun, rifle, archery), competing for the same school and community participants.
• Babe Ruth League: Long-established youth sports league (baseball/softball) running a similar school-and-community-team franchise model with regional/district organization, national tournaments, and corporate sponsorships.
• Little League International: Iconic youth sports league with a comparable operating model (school/community teams, district organization, tournament pyramid, sponsorship ecosystem) that competes for the same K-12 extracurricular slot and parent attention.

Broad incumbents

• Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA): Governing body for registered trapshooting in the U.S. and the historical incumbent for the sport that the League's programs draw from; many adult shooters in League-adjacent communities are ATA members.
• USA Shooting: National governing body for Olympic shooting sports. Overlapping shooter pipeline and a potential upstream collegiate pathway for League graduates interested in competitive shooting.
• Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP): Congressionally-chartered program promoting firearms training and marksmanship, including school and youth programs. Competes for institutional sponsorship and youth participant attention in adjacent disciplines.
• National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF): Firearms industry trade association that runs the +ONE Movement and Project ChildSafe. Strategic counterpart for industry sponsorship dollars and youth recruitment messaging in shooting sports.
• National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) / National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA): Governing bodies for skeet and sporting clays — disciplines explicitly offered in the League's curriculum. Provides competitive pathway context and shoots many of the same partner ranges.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MNClayTarget
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usa-high-school-clay-target-league
• Instagraminstagram.com/usaclaytarget

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about minnesota state high school clay target league