MISSION STATEMENT
The purpose of the USTA is to have fun,
while building friendships, old and new,
through organized competition that
supports all USTA clubs
and gives back to the shooting community
by providing a healthy environment
that fosters the growth of trapshooting in Utah.
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Chad SorensenUSTA President "Where Shooters Matter!"
"Message" from the President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—May 1 2014
From Sparta, Ill., May 1, 2014
The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) announces the historic acquisition of TRAP & FIELD Magazine (Indianapolis, IN). Both entities, in business more than 100 years through their predecessor organizations, have worked in a unique and synergistic partnership, but as separate companies. Iconic businessman Dr. Beurt R. SerVaas, who passed away in February, owned T&F for nearly 56 years. The SerVaas family has arranged for the ATA’s acquisition of T&F.
“It was my father’s desire to see the baton passed to the ATA,” according to Dr. SerVaas’ son, Eric. “Under my father’s ownership, the chronicling of the sport’s records was begun, and under the staff’s direction, it expanded exponentially over the years.” T&F has long been known as the official record-keeper of the ATA.
ATA President Terry Roush said, “This first-rate magazine, T&F, initiated and developed the record-keeping. All these years it has faithfully publicized and recognized ATA registered trapshooting and the association’s members for feats and accomplishments in their sport.”
TRAP & FIELD Magazine has been in business since 1890. Forerunner of T&F was The Sportsmen’s Review, which changed its name in the early 1950s to reflect its focus on trapshooting. The ATA had predecessor associations governing the sport until 1923, when the Amateur Trapshooting Association was formed.
“This is a monumental and historic union of the association and its official magazine,” said Rob Taylor, ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President and incoming 2015 ATA President. “The ATA’s goals have been to preserve the history of our sport and to secure the records of ATA trapshooting, and we appreciate the SerVaases caretaking all these years and their understanding and passion for the sport, same as the ATA.”
The current staff will remain on board, and daily magazine operations will continue in Indianapolis. According to T&F’s Editor-in-Chief Terry Heeg, “This is of grand importance in the trapshooting world and big news in the sports media. All of us at T&F look forward to this consolidation of two great organizations and continuing to promote the time-honored sport of trapshooting.”
About the Amateur Trapshooting Association
Established in 1923, the ATA promotes and governs the sport of trapshooting, primarily in the United States and Canada. In the 2013 target year, more than 28,500 members participated in the sport, competing in one or more of the 6,000 sanctioned tournaments (shoots registered by the ATA organization) on the local, regional, state, zone and world championship levels.
Trapshooters fire at clay targets (approximately 4-1/4 inches in diameter and 1-1/8 inch in height) launched at varying angles. In singles events, all entrants stand at the 16-yard line and fire at one target at a time; in handicap, participants are assigned a yardage from 18 to 27 yards (according to averages and known ability) and fire at one target at a time; in doubles, two targets are released at the same time and each contestant, standing at the 16-yard line, is allowed one shot for each.
Trapshooting celebrities have included Annie Oakley, John Philip Sousa and Roy Rogers. The sport’s stats and records are chronicled and maintained by Trap & Field, the official magazine of the ATA.
If you are interested in trying trapshooting, call the ATA at 618-449-2224 or visit the association’s web site www.shootata.com to find a local club near you. The ATA was headquartered in Vandalia, Ohio, for more than 80 years and in 2012 relocated offices to Sparta, Ill.
Contact:
Troy Kueker
618-449-2224, Ext. 116
Amateur Trapshooting Association
P.O. Box 519
1105 E. Broadway
Sparta, Ill. 62286
