League Founder Jim Sable Passes
It is with profound sadness that the USA Clay Target League announces the passing of the League’s founder, Jim Sable.
In 2001, a recently-retired Jim was named the Youth Program Director at the Plymouth Gun Club, just a few miles outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jim approached the problem getting young people involved in clay target shooting sports with the same logic and determination as he had during his long career as an advertising executive – when asked where he was going to start, Jim responded, “In the schools – that’s where the kids are.”
The first year, Jim entered the mentoring program at Orono schools, bringing six students to the club every week to shoot trap and skeet. The students had a lot of fun, and Jim did too. The next year he had a few more students, and then a few more wanted to join up.
Word spread quickly, and in 2008 the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League started with just three teams and 30 student athletes.
This year, over 52,000 students participated on nearly 2,000 school-approved teams nationwide. Clay target teams are in high school yearbooks, thousands of students have earned their school letters, and many have gone on to earn scholarships at colleges across the country.
As the founder of the USA Clay Target League, Jim has had a tremendous effect on the clay target shooting community.
“The success of the League is because of Jim’s vision, determination, and kindness,” John Nelson, President of the USA Clay Target League. “Jim’s devotion to youth shooting sports, and his unrelenting drive to create a lasting, safe, school-based program resulted in the League being a beacon in the shooting sports world.” Jim stepped down from his role with League in 2019 to spend more time with his family. But his legacy lives on.
His efforts have led to over a million parents, coaches, and students being exposed to clay target sports, and over 250,000 high school and college athletes have participated in League programs since its inception.
In less than 20 years, the organization he founded has become the largest clay target shooting sports organization in the world, and the League has done more to create the next generation of clay target enthusiasts than any other initiative, ever.
Thank you, Jim.
