News

A Grand ol' time

Posted August 08, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

It has been a challenging year for the Amateur Trapshooting Association.

Almost seven months ago, officials with the ATA and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources held a news conference at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex to announce a "Memorandum of Understanding" had been reached to keep the Grand American in Sparta.

At the time, the state legislature was embroiled in a budget impasse that resulted in the complex being closed to shooting sports.

"In the event the IDNR fails to open the facility by April 15, 2016, IDNR and the ATA will endeavor to negotiate in good faith an amendment to the lease agreement, allowing the ATA to use the facility to host and otherwise conduct all shooting and camping activities at the facility," said Jason Heffley, chief of staff for the IDNR, in January.

A deal was struck to reopen the facility in April to limited shooting. Fast-forward to Monday and opening ceremonies of the 117th Grand American World Trapshooting Championships were held at the WSRC.

"The best shooters in the world are here," said ATA Executive Director Lynn Gipson. "We've got shooters here from Brazil, Australia, Africa, New Zealand and every state plus all provinces of Canada.

"This definitely is a 'world' championships."

The budget impasse - which was finally resolved with the passage of an 11th hour "stopgap" budget that expires at the end of the year - was not without its affects.

The strife cost the area the Scholastic Clay Target Program's National Championships, the WSRC's second-largest event next to the Grand American, and the roughly $8 million in economic impact the event brings with it.

SCTP, which moved its National Championships to Marengo, Ohio, this year, still has a year left on its contract with the WSRC.

"I don't know what they're going to do," Gipson said of SCTP. "I hope they come back, but I don't know if they will or if they won't."

To help make up for the loss of the SCTP, the ATA expanded its own youth event - the AIM Grand Championships - with the addition of Skeet Championship and Sporting Clays Championships.

Gipson confirmed both those events will return next year.

"One-fourth of our membership is under the age of 23," Gipson said. "That's a pretty sizeable amount with 14,000 kids."

Management of the WSRC's campgrounds, once undertaken by the IDNR, is now being handled by the ATA. Ditto for vendor spots.

"A lot of the folks renewed with us and I think that resulted in a lot more use in the campgrounds," Gipson said. "A lot of those leases were for 10 years and sometimes people aren't shooting anymore in 10 years."

Gipson noted that one vendor has left, but that was previously known due to the vendor's product line changing. A different vendor has since taken up that space.

"We feel that the vendors are such an important part of the Grand American, we felt we needed to get the state and vendors together," Gipson said.

"The new administration has been very active with the vendors."

Gipson noted the "Memorandum of Understanding" has since become a permanent amendment to the ATA's lease of the facility, which expires in 2026.

"On April 15 of any year for the life of the lease, if there's a budget situation, we will sit down with the state to make sure the Grand's here," he said.

Sparta Mayor Jason Schlimme also confirmed that the Grand American, which generates between $10 million and $12 million annually in sales tax revenue for the region, isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"There is an avenue to keep this from being shut down during the length of the contract, which was a relief to everybody," he said.

Gipson was asked if he felt the ATA has become a stronger organization after weathering the budget impasse.

"I feel like there's more people in this area and community that know more about the complex and the ATA, and I think the ATA is a little more active in the community," he said.

The ATA also has a new sponsorship program this year, "Southern Illinois Patrons of Youth Trapshooting." Gipson said 19 sponsors have signed on.

The program is expected to make a $2,500 donation to Southern Illinois Youth Shooting Sports.

"It's good for those local businesses too because they know the money they're giving is going to local kids," Gipson said.

As far as entrants go, Gipson said numbers for last week's preliminaries were up 5 percent from the previous year - including 19 percent in the first two days.

"The weather has allowed them to break their scores, so they're happy with that," he said. "We don't hear much negativity.

"I think the folks want to be here and keep the Grand here in Sparta."

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