Last year the National Sporting Clays Association began a search for someone to act as team manager for NSCA. It seemed a daunting if impossible task to find someone based off of the NSCA requirements coupled with the fact that there is no pay for the job. It also shown a somewhat harsh light on the reality of the Team USA situation. At the same time however, getting a person into this position was a necessity to get something positive going.
Enter Jeff Demmon, the man selected for the job…
International Sporting Clays.com: Introduce yourself. What is your background and involvement in sporting clays?
Jeff Demmon: I’ve been shooting Sporting Clays for about 9 years now. This was my first non-military shooting experience and I was quickly hooked. I’ve met a bunch of really great people shooting and have made many fast friends. I’m a AA-class shooter and shoot all the competitions I can get to. I’m a Level 2 Instructor, International Certified FITASC Referee, National Delegate from Georgia and was recently elected to the NSCA Advisory Council.
ISC: Why did the NSCA feel there was a need for a team manager?
JD: There is a surprising amount of work involved in getting the Teams signed up and organized to compete in World Championships for both English Sporting and FITASC. In the past, these tasks were loosely organized and accomplished by a combination of NSCA Staff and some of the members of the Team. The International Committee recognized the need for some consistent planning and organization of these activities to insure that nothing falls through the cracks. The NSCA Staff does a great job, but, as you can imagine, they have lots of other activities competing for their attention.
ISC: What are your official duties as team manager and what is your personal vision for the team?
JD: Believe it or not, there is actually a “Job Description” for the Team Manager. The official duties are all around communicating with the Team Members and coordinating travel, housing and participation in the official events associated with the World Championships. I’m also the official representative of the Team at the World Championships, attending the technical meetings and being part of the protest jury.
2009, my first year as Team Manager, was spent learning what had to be done and trying not to drop any important balls. I also talked to A LOT of people about Team USA trying to figure out how to help the Team. I learned a lot and will hopefully do a better job in the future.
In my mind, the Mission of the Team USA program is to field the most competitive teams possible to compete in World Championships for the disciplines of English Sporting Clays and FITASC Sporting and to win these championships for the USA. A successful Team USA program benefits the NSCA and its members, as well as the sport, by promoting it in a positive and patriotic manner.
We have some barriers we need to overcome to achieve this Mission. The impression of the Team USA Program is currently neutral to negative within our sport. As I talked to people throughout the last year, I heard everything from “I don’t know anything about it” to “That’s just a group of professional shooters that get paid by their sponsors to shoot the World Championships”. It became clear to me that we have a perception problem that we have to overcome in order to change the impression of the Team.
ISC: The position is one that offers no compensation for what could be a lot of work. What made you want to do it?
JD: No compensation? I just thought the check was in the mail. Actually, although the pay is low (zero), the benefits are pretty great. I’ve really gotten a lot out of our sport and this is one way I can give something back. I also get to hang out with the best of our competitors and have made more fast friends in the process.
ISC: Have you had any discussions with the NSCA or team members as to the future of Team USA? Have any goals been set?
JD: Sure, in order for us to field the BEST teams, we need to turn the impression of the Team USA Program from neutral / negative to very positive. This is a perception challenge and we need to attack it with an organized plan. We need to tell the story of Team USA as often as we can. We have put forward a Promotion Plan to the International Committee of the NSCA Advisory Council and have received great, positive feedback. I expect full support when the AC meets later this week in San Antonio.
ISC: How do you feel about the lack of funding for the team compared to other countries?
JD: Funding is a major hurdle to fielding the best Teams possible. As you know, most of the funding for the Teams comes from the Team members themselves. Although some of them get some help from sponsors, I don’t know of anyone who gets full funding. NSCA does provide some financial assistance and a LOT of great staff support.
What would it cost to fully fund the Teams? Between $80,000 and $140,000 would fully pay for travel, lodging, food, local transportation, team clothing, registration and incidentals, depending upon whether the World Championships for English Sporting and FITASC are held in the US or overseas.
Some other countries get full funding from their National Federation. Of course it would be great if NSCA would prioritize Team USA to the top of its agenda and fully fund the program. I just don’t think that’s a realistic expectation, so we are going to look elsewhere. Changing the perception of the program is a prerequisite to successful fundraising.
Krieghoff International stepped up at the end of last year in a big way to support the Team. They have donated a K80 Gold Superscroll valued at ~$18,000 to be raffled off, with all of the proceeds going to Team USA and the All American Programs. We are selling a maximum of 375 raffle tickets for $100 each. The drawing will be held at the Nationals in October. This means that Team USA will get $18,750 in financial support from this donation. And… Krieghoff International has committed to do this for each of the next 5 years. That is leadership in my mind, and we should all thank them for this help.
Although we will solicit support from the usual shooting-industry suspects, and appreciate their help, every program is hitting them up. We will also work on some non-traditional possibilities. Wouldn’t an international airline be a great travel partner? How about a hotel chain for a lodging partner? Maybe a sportswear company for help with clothing? But first, we need to make sure that when they investigate the Program for funding they will get a positive response.
We will also solicit donations from NSCA members. Again, we need to promote the Team more effectively before we will be successful with this channel. I have heard a lot of concern about whether donations to Team USA actually get to Team USA. I’ve looked at the transaction flows and am confident that they do get to the Program. Our Promotion Plan calls for disclosing donations on the NSCA website.
Several people have given me great ideas for fundraising. We’ll go after every channel that we can once we get the perception issue resolved. If anyone has ideas or leads, I’d love to hear them. You can also send your individual donation to Team USA directly to NSCA.
ISC: The NSCA has just gone back to a selection shoot system, what’s your take on that? What do you feel is the best system?
JD: Using a modified All American Points calculation system last year generated a LOT of feedback. Some was positive. What most people liked was the ability to follow the calculation and see how the Team was selected. The objective math-model removed the perception (not reality) that selecting the Team happened in a smoke-filled back room and was purely subjective. The other feature most liked was posting the results along the way on the NSCA website.
The most negative feedback came from those who perceived that this system benefitted those who live in areas where there are lots of big shoots and have the financial resources and time to attend the most shoots. Several perennial Team USA members actually said that they were certain that they would not be able to qualify for the Team again because they had jobs or couldn’t afford the money or time to accumulate all the points necessary.
I think that going back to Selection Shoots is the right answer, while retaining the features of a known calculation method for qualification and posting the ongoing standings throughout the year on the website. This allows those who want to be on the Team the ability to schedule a few large shoots into their plans. I’d really like to see the Team comprised of people who really want to represent NSCA and our country on Team USA. I’m sure we will see more tweaking of the system, as we should, but I believe this is the right way to go to field the best team.
You can help out the team by purchasing a raffle ticket for the Krieghoff Gold Super Scroll K-80 Sporter or Pro-sporter, winners choice. All proceeds from the K-80 will go towards supporting NSCA Team USA/All-American Team and NSSA All-American Team. Tickets are $100 each and limited to 375.
The winner will be drawn at the 2010 NSCA National Championships in San Antonio, TX October 26-30. To purchase your tickets call Glynne Moseley at the NSCA, 210-688-3371 ext. 119
ISC thanks Mr. Jeff Demmon for his cooperation. Photo copyright: Shami Biffle
By weekday an experienced award winning Director of Photography and Gaffer. I have made films for clients such as NBC, Hallmark Channel, Atlantic Records/Fall Out Entertainment, ION, RHI, TLC and HighNoon Entertainment. By weekend I am a sporting clay Addict! I love the smell of nitrocellulose in the morning! 
