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USA Youth Education in Shooting Sports (USAYESS) operates as a national youth organization dedicated to clay target shooting competition. Based in Pleasant Grove, Utah, USAYESS manages competitive programs in over 30 states, with active teams ranging from Alaska to Texas. This is a student-first org...
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01 // OVERVIEW
Location details and information
USA Youth Education in Shooting Sports (USAYESS) operates as a national youth organization dedicated to clay target shooting competition. Based in Pleasant Grove, Utah, USAYESS manages competitive programs in over 30 states, with active teams ranging from Alaska to Texas.
This is a student-first organization. Athletes compete in shotgun-based clay target sports while maintaining academic eligibility through their school districts. USAYESS doesn't just run competitions—they've built a framework that treats athletic participation as a pathway to character development.
Competitive Structure: - Teams organized by state and school - Multiple skill divisions: Novice, Intermediate, Junior Varsity, Senior, and College/Trade School - Regional championships leading to national competition - 2026 Western Regional and National Junior Clay Target Championships scheduled
Every athlete signs a detailed safety pledge before competing. The standards are explicit:
"I will treat every firearm as if it is loaded at all times. I will keep my firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times. I will only load my firearm when I am at my shooting station."
Athletes commit to these rules in writing, understanding that safety is everyone's responsibility. USAYESS does not allow release triggers in any event.
USAYESS coordinates teams across:
| Region | Active States | Example Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific | AK, WA, OR, CA | Colony Knights YESS, Colville Shooting Stars, Klamath Basin Top Guns |
| Mountain | ID, MT, UT, CO | Boise Buckshots, Davis County Clays, High Plains Drifters |
| Great Plains | WY, NE, IA, KS | Karp and Krow, York 4-H Claybusters |
| South | TX, NC, SC, OK | Byron Nelson High School, Fort Worth Claymores, Gaston Young Guns |
Idaho alone has 7 active teams including Boise Buckshots, CDAHS Skeet and Trap 2.0, and Coeur D'Alene High School Viking Skeet & Trap Team. Utah operates 11 teams including Wasatch Wing & Clays Youth Program and Davis County Clays.
Athletes receive scholarships, access to firearm insurance partnerships, and connections to industry sponsors including Webley & Scott and SSP Eyewear.
USAYESS offers:
Members commit to more than marksmanship. The athlete pledge includes:
Parents sign behavioral agreements too, committing to positive role modeling and sportsmanship both at competitions and on social media.
Athletes register through USAYESS at the start of each season (2025-26 registration open). The $50 membership fee covers basic participation. Head coaches must complete registration before their team is officially listed.
Registration requires: - Athlete and parent/guardian information - Birth certificate information for gender verification - Grade and division placement - Medical consent for emergency care - Signed waivers and safety pledges from both athlete and parent - Media release authorization
Contact Information: - Phone: 1-385-323-0815 - Email: [email protected] - Mailing: PO Box 842, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
USAYESS believes today's youth are caretakers of the future. Their mission: expose young adults and families to responsibility in outdoor activities within a fun, safe atmosphere. They emphasize that students are students first, athletes second. Competition teaches valuable lessons—both victory and defeat—that transfer to lives of service beyond the shooting field.
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