American Legion Junior Shooting Sports - Indiana

The American Legion Junior Shooting Sports program teaches marksmanship fundamentals to shooters under 18 across Indiana. It's structured around three core elements: rifle safety education, qualification awards, and competitive air rifle shooting using .177 caliber rifles.

Participants start with comprehensive safety training—the program has never recorded a single rifle-related injury in its history. Once you've mastered the basics, you move into skill-building courses through NRA-trained instructors or the Civilian Marksmanship Program. From there, competitive shooters can enter postal matches (targets mailed for scoring) or shoulder-to-shoulder competitions.

Shooters compete in sporter or precision categories depending on equipment and skill level. The pathway leads to state and regional postal matches, then qualifying rounds, with the top 30 junior shooters in the country earning an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Championship in Colorado Springs—the same facility where Olympic shooters train.

2012 Olympic gold medalist Jamie Corkish was the 2002 American Legion Three-Position National Champion, proving that junior shooting sports can launch serious athletic careers.

Anyone under 18 (or high school seniors up to age 20) can participate—this is a co-ed, adaptive sport where mental toughness and discipline matter more than physical size. Disabled youth are specifically encouraged; competitive shooting creates an equal playing field for all competitors.

Contact your local American Legion post, Sons of The American Legion squadron, or Auxiliary unit to affiliate as a club or individual member. Sporter equipment starts at a few hundred dollars; precision setups run into the thousands. Many posts lend gear or rifles to participants. Registration fees typically cover facility costs and instruction.

• •Up to $13,000 in scholarships available for participants.

• •Indiana Legion Headquarters: 5440 Herbert Lord Road, Indianapolis, IN 46216 | 317-630-1300

For questions: [email protected] or 317-630-1301