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Custer
Sportsmen's Club is proud to support "Team Gotta" -- a National
Championship-winning crew of junior shooters who compete in the
"action" pistol sports. The team was originally organized
to compete in Scholastic Steel Challenge (SSC) events in 2010 but
has expanded its focus to include bowling pin, falling plate, and
traditional Steel Challenge events spanning the Northwest.
Scholastic
Steel Challenge focuses on middle- and high-school-age juniors,
organized in 4-person squads. Most of the shooting sports do not
recognize teams, so Team Gotta will typically field anywhere from three
to six juniors at any given event.
Team
Gotta's season begins with the school year, focusing on
training its new members, competing in local events, and raising
funds. Once the school year ends, the season kicks into high gear. The
team trains more intensely then, and travels to major events.
Thanks
to the generous support of various sponsors (Ranier Ballistics, Montana
Gold Bullets, and Custer Sportsmen's Club) team members can qualify for
an allotment of gunpowder, primers, and bullets -- which they are
expected to fashion into 9mm ammunition with the assistance of one
of the coaching staff, or family members with appropriate equipment and
skills.
Travel
costs are similarly subsidized by participating in raffles, work
parties, and other fundraisers.
For
2012, the team is raising funds to support trips to the MGM Junior Camp
in Parma, Idaho, the SSC Intercollegiate Nationals in Fort Benning, GA,
and a range of smaller events staged in Washington and Oregon.
Volunteer
Ethic:
The
team members help run the competitive events at Custer. Among other
things, they act as the tear-down crew for Custer's Speed Steel matches, and
put on the "Wood and Steel" championships in July.
Individually, team members help produce everything from
bowling pin matches to USPSA/IPSC events, depending on their particular
interests. This kind of volunteerism combined with competition is highly
encouraged.
Team
members are expected to attend a list of events at Custer during the
year, along with scheduled practices (date and frequency varies). New
members and seasoned competitors alike will shoot .22 rimfire pistols
extensively, with the more senior members switching to centerfire
9mm pistols for designated events, depending on ability.
Shooters
interested in joining, or competing alongside Team Gotta are encouraged
to contact 2011/2012 Head Coach Robin Taylor at (360) 391-1551, or robin@uspsa.org
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HISTORY:
Team
Gotta got its start in 2010, under then-head coach Kim Gorham. It
rapidly became the highest-ranked SSC team in the nation, winning the
overall title in 2011. Team Gotta's middle- and high-school age shooters
came from the shooting families around Custer, bringing with them a
blend of excellent coaching and material support. They defeated all
comers in 2011, including all the intercollegiate teams (including
one from Yale). Second-fastest that year was the Coast Guard Academy's
Combat Arms Team.
2009/2010
Captain: David Nonhoff, Head Coach: Kim Gorham, Ass. Coach: Robin Taylor
2010/2011
Captain: Sean Hughen-Corio, Head Coach: Kim Gorham, Ass. Coaches: Robin
Taylor, Tim Huff
2011/2012
Captain: Keith Neher, Head Coach: Robin Taylor, Ass. Coaches: Tim Huff,
Kim Gorham
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