Wisdom from the Batcave: Keeping Right on Target

Week 8: Spring Blogging

2010-03-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

Greetings Shooters!

Commissioner Gordon here. I would first like to start off by congratulating all the shooters who took part in last weekend's Spring Airgun Championships and by thanking our wonderful volunteers who made the event as great as it was. Being my first ever shooting event, I had a wonderful time and am learning more and more about the sport each and every day.

Now let’s get down to business. Spring is rapidly approaching so it is time for some fantastic spring ideas to earn a little cash.

1) Spring Cleaning – This time of year gets everyone in the cleaning spirit. It’s time for you eager shooters to give a helping hand. A few afternoons of helping a family member or neighbor clean around the house can put some cash in your pockets.

2) Garage Sale – Whether you call them garage sales, yard sales, or tag sales; getting rid of your unwanted items is a great way to earn some cash. You could even combine this activity with “Spring Cleaning” and ask your family members or neighbors if you could place their unwanted items in your garage sale.

3) House Sitting – While many people may not be taking their vacations until the summer months, it is wise to get a head start on this project. Do you know a family that likes to travel? Chances are they are looking for someone to house sit when they are gone. This could be as easy as going to the house every day to water plants, bring in the mail, or feed a pet. Remember, there is some responsibility that comes with the job and it may be wise to ask a parent for some help, but I am confident you shooters have what it takes. Travelers breathe a sigh of relief when they leave their house in the hands of a responsible sitter.

Now for some reminders courtesy of Robin:

The deadline for Junior Olympic first-round invitations is rapidly approaching! We must receive a confirmation of your acceptance by March 12th,2010. You can accept your invitation by faxing the YELLOW entry form sheet to (719) 866-4884, or you can mail it to:

USA Shooting
NJOSC
1 Olympic Plaza
Colorado Spring, CO 80909

Before I leave, I would like to share this article by Kim Fundingsland of the Minot Daily News. It is a wonderful article about the North Dakota Junior Olympic State Championship Shoot and the work of Eric Pueppke. Thank you to Rick Jorgenson for bringing the article to our attention.

Until next time…

Commissioner Gordon

Week 7: Greetings from the Commissioner's Office

2010-02-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

Commissioner Gordon here. I decided to give Batman and Robin the day off from blogging and let them focus on fighting crime.

As I understand, one important function of this blog is to provide the young shooters out there with ways to fund your trip to the Junior Olympic Championships. The caped crusader and boy wonder have asked me to share some of my ideas, so here they are:

Dog Walker: Many people, like myself, work long hours, and when they get home the last thing they want to do is take the dogs for a walk. This is where you come in to lend a helping hand. Asking your neighbors to walk their dogs is a good way to earn some cash and hang out with man’s best friend.

Dog Washer: Maybe my head is stuck on dogs, but who can deny that they can get quite dirty? All you need is a hose, some dog shampoo and some old rags and you can get to work. You could even ask the dogs’ owners if they have pet shampoo because chances are they have some in a cabinet.

Tutor: Everyone knows shooters are bright, intelligent individuals. It is time for you to take your skills and put them to good use. As we get closer to the school year’s end, more and more parents are looking for tutors to help their children pass their classes. Charging a reasonable, hourly-rate is a good way to for a young shooter to earn some money.

Those are some of my ideas. Now get to work! More ideas will be shared in the near future.

-Commissioner Gordon

Week 6: New Addition in the New Year

2010-01-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

We hope 2010 is off to a good start for everyone. The new year brought a great new addition to our Competitions staff- Adam Sunshine. Adam, a.ka. Commissioner Gordon, will be joining us until after the World Cup in May 2010 and will dropping in on the blog throughout this season as well. Please give him a warm welcome when you see him around!

The National Junior Olympic Championships will take place April 8-26, 2010 in Colorado Springs, Colo. All state qualifying scores are due to Nicole Levine via mail AND email at nicole.levine@usashooting.org by February 5. First-round invitations will be processed that following week and will be mailed out by the middle of February. A list of first-round invitees will be posted on the USA Shooting website at that time while you are waiting on the mail.

Just a reminder that the current cutoff scores will serve as a starting ground for us. We will lower qualifying scores as feasible up to range capacity. The final cutoff scores will be posted alongside the list of first-round invitees on www.usashooting.com.

Please click on the link below for a list of current cutoff scores for rifle and pistol.

http://www.usashooting.org/downloads/2010_Cutoff_Scores.doc

Please click on the link below to view a complete schedule of the National Junior Olympic Championships.

http://www.usashooting.org/downloads/2010%20RP%20JO%20Full%20Schedule.xls

Good luck with the remaining State Junior Olympic matches!

Signing off from the batcave...

-Batman, Robin, and Commissioner Gordon

Week 5: Happy Holidays

2009-12-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

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

Week 4: Gobble, Gobble

2009-11-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

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

Week 3: Let the Game’s Begin

2009-11-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

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

Week 2: Fallin' forward

2009-11-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

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

Week 1- Let's get this thing rollin'

2009-10-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

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

Welcome to the Batcave!

2009-10-21T09:40:00.001-07:00

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.