OCCC Junior Marksmanship Program

Do you have a family member or friend who has a young person interested in shooting? As part of our mission, we are looking to grow our Junior program to introduce young people to the fun, challenges and responsibilities of the shooting sports. This is important to ensure our American shooting and hunting traditions remain intact for the future. Odessa Community Conservation Club's Junior Programs provides a positive, responsible environment for promoting the safe handling and use of firearms. The Program helps young people develop confidence, self-esteem, personal discipline, concentration, respect, responsibility, teamwork, and sportsmanship; all important qualities which carry over to many aspects of school and life. The OCCC, along with Schuyler County 4-H sponsorship, provides safe gun-handling training, marksmanship training, competitions and most importantly a program that recognizes shooting accomplishments and improvement made by each Junior. They participate in Club, local, state, regional and national matches. OCCC's Junior Program is organized into two program groups; BB Gun and airgun/22 caliber disciplines. BB Gun is for Juniors between the ages 8 - 14 and airgun/22 caliber is for Juniors ages 12 - 18 or to the end of their senior year in high school. Shooters attending a junior college or college are welcome to continue as junior OCCC members. All juniors are assessed annual OCCC membership dues and fees of $29.00. Thanks to generous grants funded by the National Rifle Association and our local Friends of the NRA (FNRA), the OCCC provides all the necessary safety equipment, shooting equipment and supplies necessary for junior participation. All junior program members are required to attend a safety orientation each year before any shooting activity will start for them. Shooting equipment used by the Juniors is primarily comprised of target and competition level BB guns, air rifles, air pistols and 22 caliber target rifles. We also have sporter class 22 rifles with telescopes. These firearms and air guns are consistent with equipment that supports state level, national level and collegiate level competition. The OCCC Junior Program starts each year when school starts in the Fall and continues indoors at the OCCC range through April. In May through June the older juniors get to shoot outdoors at the Broome County Sportsmen's Association 50 yard range. The BB gun program is currently conducted on Sundays in parallel with the airgun/22caliber program and both start their training or matches at 1:00pm ending at 4:00pm at the latest. A new Junior member can start at any time. See the OCCC calendar for the Junior schedule on the main page of the OCCC web site. The shooting activities for the above have incentive awards for developing and improving marksmanship skills under the coaching of a NRA certified rifle and pistol coach. Individual junior progression is self-paced and scores are challenging, but attainable. Study materials are also provided for any junior wanting to study at home. Performance is measured against established scores and any shooter who meets or exceeds the scores is entitled to awards for each rating classification. Each classification level has a skill rocker, medal, and certificate that recognize the achievement. The courses of fire in this qualification program will take a junior shooter from beginning skill levels, through intermediate levels up to the pinnacle skill level of Distinguished Expert.

The OCCC Juniors’ Golden Triangle for Safe Firearms Handling

• Always Keep you gun pointed in a safe direction
• Always Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot
• Always Keep you gun unloaded until ready to use