Each year, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) presents a series of informative and hands-on camps for junior air rifle and small-bore rifle athletes. From May through August, CMP Youth Rifle Camps allow high school students to receive valuable lessons in intermediate and advanced marksmanship skills through various drills and demonstrations.
This summer, the CMP Junior Camps saw 462 juniors and 647 participants over a course of 16 camps in total. A group of 22 talented staff members from current NCAA rifle programs helped run the camps in eight different states and also attended events at the Camp Perry Nationals, 4-H Nationals, and California Nationals. the American Legion.
The CMP used the expertise of the new Junior Rifle Camp coordinator, Ryan Hinson, to organize each course effectively. Hinson, an NCAA rifle shooting athlete at Morehead State while in college, had previously worked as a CMP summer camp counselor for two summers, in 2018 and 2019, and served as assistant director for the summer of 2021 before being hired full time by CMP. this year.
“I think we really had a great year of camp,” he said. “Thank you so much to all the participants for bringing great attitudes to the camps and being patient during the coordinator transition. Thank you to the summer camp counselors for personally facilitating the transition for me, but more importantly, for being excellent coaches and leaders for this year’s youth. Without either of them, this year’s camps would not have been as special as they were.”
“The CMP is excited to bring some new ideas to the upcoming camps,” he added. “And we hope to see some new and familiar faces next summer!”
About CMP Junior Rifle Camps:
Junior Rifle Camps train young athletes in rifle fundamentals and techniques through group discussions and range drills. Camps are excellent tools to develop each athlete’s strengths within the physical and mental aspects of the sport while refining problem areas. Students are able to apply the constructive lessons learned at camp to their own marksmanship careers, with many moving on to college programs and beyond.
Athletes at CMP summer camps are coached directly, one-on-one, by qualified student-athletes from some of the top NCAA rifle teams in the country. During week-long camp sessions, youth learn the essentials of competitive shooting, such as:
- positioning
- goal setting
- anxiety control
- Optimizing computer performance
- Building self-confidence in the line of fire
- Many other meaningful lessons to use on and off the field
Outside of the one-week curriculum, other options for juniors include Advanced Standing Camps (designed to be a follow-up program for those who have attended one or more of the three-position camps or clinics) and Outreach Clinics (nearly identical to the full course, with a three-day compressed format).
Learn more about the Junior Rifle Camps and Clinics page on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/youth/junior-air-rifle-camps-and-clinics/.
The Civilian Aim Program is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearms safety and marksmanship training and the promotion of competitive marksmanship for United States citizens. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log on to www.TheCMP.org.