U.S. OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER, Colorado Springs, Colo. ― A young skeet shooter from North Carolina is a step closer to his Olympic dreams, after four days of intensive coaching and evaluation at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Jonathan Kacmarcik, 18, of Fayetteville was selected by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to attend this year’s U.S. Junior Olympic Development Camp. The North Carolina teen was among the top talents in NSSF’s Scholastic Clay Target Program, a national youth shooting league with nearly 10,000 students competing in 2007.
Only 18 were selected for the camp, which concluded Aug. 26.
Each was selected through an application and interview process. NSSF sponsored a portion of the camp costs. USA Shooting, the national governing body for Olympic shooting sports, was a major partner.
At the camp, Kacmarcik honed his skills in the international style of skeet shooting with U.S. Olympic shotgun coach Lloyd Woodhouse and his staff.
“Without a doubt there are potential, future Olympians at this camp. I’ve picked up several team members here through the years,” said Woodhouse. “Certainly not all will care to continue the international style of shotgunning because it is so difficult and so challenging. But this is how we find those athletes who are willing to dedicate themselves to the training it takes to excel in this sport.”
The national coach for over 20 years, Woodhouse knows how to spot emerging talent and get the most from his athletes in big matches. Olympic shooting includes rifle, pistol and shotgun events, and of the past nine shooting medals won by the U.S., six were by Woodhouse-coached shotgun shooters.
On the first day of camp, Kacmarcik said, “I would like to be an Olympian, especially after being at this facility. It’s unreal. And the dedication that these coaches have to shooting has far surpassed anything I’ve ever seen. Plus, being here gives me an opportunity to learn more about the different disciplines of skeet shooting so that I can go back and teach other people about our sport.”
Daily training at the Junior Olympic Development Camp starts early and goes late. Most of the day is spent at the U.S. Olympic Shooting Park at Fort Carson. Skeet and trap shooters split into separate groups to work with coaches who specialize in those sports. Various drills help shooters fine-tune skills and, at the same time, help coaches identify athletes with special aptitude as well as attitude. Evening classroom work teaches goal setting, team structure, physical and mental preparation for high-level competition, and much more.
The young shooters were housed in the athlete dormitories and fed in the athlete cafeteria alongside scores of other Olympic hopefuls from many different sports. With the 2008 games in Beijing now less than a year away, the training center also buzzed with seasoned Olympic veterans, including previous medal winners.
Top U.S. shooters in both trap and skeet also met with camp attendees.
Since its inception seven years ago, NSSF’s Scholastic Clay Target Program has grown rapidly. Participation by students in grades 12 and under increased nearly 20 percent, with youth competitions in trap, skeet or sporting clays held in over 40 states, in just the past year.
Woodhouse said, “I’ve not observed any other shooting sports program that touches so many young people in this country. I don’t know of anything that even comes close. It’s just incredible. It’s the greatest program that I can think of in the shooting world.”
He added, “the young people selected for these camps are the highest caliber of young people that I’ve ever encountered,” but making Olympic dreams come true is a special challenge.
“It’s a long road. To train to be a world-class athlete is very hard work. You have to be willing to give up things that your peers are enjoying. Your classmates may be going to a prom, but you have to be willing to miss out in order to do that extra bit of training, extra shooting practice, extra eye exercises. You must be willing to do countless little things that might seem insignificant, because it is always the seemingly insignificant things that come together to make a champion,” said Woodhouse.
Zach Snow of NSSF said, “It’s only a matter of time before we see a Scholastic Clay Target Program shooter on the Olympic medals stand representing our sport and our nation. In fact, several alumni of our program are now among the top contenders for Beijing.”
Athletes attending the camp included:
Tim Baker, 18, La Porte, Ind.
Justin Black, 16, Las Vegas, Nev.
Tanner Brooks, 16, Walkerton, Ind.
Morgan Craft, 14, Hughesville, Pa.
Matt Fountain, 15, New Albany, Pa.
Owen Harris, 17, Collierville, Tenn.
Jonathan Kacmarcik, 18, Fayetteville, N.C.
Grant Meyer, 16, Carleton, Mich.
Alik Miller, 17, Rochester, N.Y.
Kimberly Peters, 17, Surprise, Ariz.
Cory Smith, 16, Dandridge, Tenn.
Daniel Tate, 16, Ione, Calif.
Austin Tischler, 17, Sparks, Nev.
Clarence Van Camp, 17, Marysville, Mich.
Garrett Walters, 15, Burr Oak, Mich.
Collin Wietfeldt, 16, Hemlock, Mich.
Brittany Wright, 15, Washburn, Mo.
Print Zutavern, 15, Broken Bow, Neb.
Nine volunteer coaches from the Scholastic Clay Target Program also attended the camp to learn advanced skills in coaching shooting sports.
NSSF, formed in 1961, is the non-profit trade association for the firearms industry. NSSF directs a variety of outreach programs to promote greater participation and a better understanding of shooting sports, emphasizing safe and responsible ownership of firearms. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.
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