Summer Air Rifle Camps Host Record Number of Athletes in 2014
By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer

For over a decade, the CMP Junior Air Rifle Camps have been a popular destination for junior marksmen during the summer. High-school age (9-12 grade) athletes learn intermediate and advanced air rifle marksmanship skills through various exercises and demonstrations. Throughout the course of the camp, juniors learn tips for both the physical and mental aspects of competition shooting, including positioning, goal setting and proper use of equipment.

This year, a record number of juniors participated in the camps – nearly 1,075, compared to last year’s record-attendance of 700 athletes. The 3P Camps were held in Anniston, AL; Camp Perry, OH; Phoenix, AZ; Kerrville, TX; and Fountain, CO.

Sommer Wood (left) led the juniors and counselors as the CMP Junior Rifle Camp director. She was pleased with the efforts of staff and participants in this record-breaking year in the camp’s history.

Christopher Hines, 17, of Leland, NC, fired an aggregate score of 644.9-23x to become the overall sporter winner, while Kimberly Butkiewicz, 17, of Crosby, TX, was the overall precision winner throughout the 11 summer camps conducted over the summer. Butkiewicz fired a combined score of 695.3-45x to also set a new Army JROTC National Record.

Also during the summer months, 285 juniors earned their final Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) points at various events to receive their Distinguished Badges. Among those, 51 athletes produced their remaining EIC points at camp and were given special recognition by the Distinguished counselors present at the venues.  

Over 1,000 junior marksmen signed up for the 2014 CMP Junior Rifle Camps – over 300 more compared to last year.

Twenty-six student athletes from the top NCAA rifle teams in the country, many of whom participated in the camps themselves as juniors, led the camp goers in discussions and drills. The 26 counselors compiled the highest number of student staff members ever for the camps. CMP staff members also assisted.

Talented collegiate marksmen from around the country serve as counselors for the junior shooters. This summer, 26 student athletes were hired on to instruct the participants – the most ever for the camps.

“I am pleased with the effort by our outstanding staff this summer,” said Sommer Wood, CMP Junior Rifle Camp director. “I think it was evident to the participants that each member of our team took great pride in coaching and providing the high quality experience that people expect when attending a CMP event.” 

During the camps, junior athletes learn tips on all aspects of the air rifle sport, including positioning, mental preparedness and proper use of equipment.

She went on to say, “Watching our counselors develop their coaching skills is as exciting for me as seeing our high school athletes improve their shooting skills. This is part of the beauty of the CMP Junior Rifle Camp program: We are pushing the bar higher at every level of our sport – from our coaches, both our staff and the adult leaders who attend with their teams, to our athletes.”

“I can't wait to get started on the 2015 program, and I hope to have even larger participation numbers next year,” she said.

For more information on the Junior Air Rifle Camps, visit http://thecmp.org/3P/Camp.htm.