CT: 2009 David Thompson Shoreline Classic Junior Rifle Tournament

An upcoming Junior match in CT on Decemebr 5th and 6th.

As Fall arrives and we return to our indoor ranges and start our Junior programs again, the Niantic Sportsmen’s Club wants to open our doors to all of you for our traditional Christmas Season Match that was founded some 30-plus years ago by CSRRA Hall of Fame member and Niantic Sportsmen’s Club member David Thompson.  Many of you may remember shooting the match way back when David was the Junior Director; I even think we may be able to dig up some photos of some local coaches on this list who were able to compete in this match.

Since my involvement with Niantic started last season I cannot say enough about the support David has provided to our Juniors–not to mention the three decades of service he has dedicated to our sport locally and nationally.  I have included for you all, in addition to the program, a short description of David’s shooting career as a competitor and teacher. While the man is humble and soft spoken, his bold actions and kind heart are the reasons this match honors him.

It’s not about only past achievement: While preparing for this and other matches for the 2009-2010 indoor season, David, with the help of many of our friends, remounted the target pulleys so they are now Junior-friendly (and even vertically challenged Adult-friendly too)!

So far I have received sponsorship from Hoffman’s Guns, and Eley, as well as private sources for awards and prizes.  We are in the process of finalizing a presentation rifle for the match winner of the Three-Position match and hope to have a similar award for the Sub-Junior Prone match winner.

As we did last year, we will have the kitchen and lounge open for competitors and their friends.  New this year, we are planning to develop a small, one-or-two target, Air Gun Range and a few other challenges for competitors, their parents, and coaches.

-Lisette Grunwell-Lacey

pdf David Thompson Shoreline Classic Match Program

About Hap Rocketto

Hap Rocketto is a Distinguished Rifleman with service and smallbore rifle, member of The Presidents Hundred, and the National Guard’s Chief’s 50. He is a National Smallbore Record holder, a member of the 1600 Club and the Connecticut Shooters’ Hall Of Fame. He was the 2002 Intermediate Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion, the 2012 Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion a member of the 2007 and 2012 National Four Position Indoor Championship team, coach and captain of the US Drew Cup Team, and adjutant of the United States 2009 Roberts and 2013 Pershing Teams. Rocketto is very active in coaching juniors. He is, along with his brother Steve, a cofounder of the Corporal Digby Hand Schützenverein. A historian of the shooting sports, his work appears in Shooting Sports USA, the late Precision Shooting Magazine, The Outdoor Message, the American Rifleman, the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s website, and most recently, the apogee of his literary career, pronematch.com.
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