POLICY FOR TEAM MEMBERSHIP
Basic Requirements and Rules for All Athletes

➢ Each of three sub-seasons will average 7-12 weeks. Fall Skeet begins in September and ends in December, Winter Trap begins in January and ends in March, Spring Sporting begins in March and ends in May, and Prep for State is May through start of State. The clay target sports year concludes with the AlaskaYESS State Championship in June. 

➢ AlaskaYESS athletes will comply with all rules governing extracurricular activities set by the school district, USAYESS, and, for the most part, National Governing Bodies (NGB) for each discipline (ATA/Trap, NSSA/Skeet, NSCA/Sporting Clays). This will include academic requirements of a minimum 2.0 grade average, practice requirements, behavior expectations, citizenship, TAD Policy, and registration with USAYESS.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE NOTE: Breaches of the SPIRIT as well as the LETTER of USAYESS, AlaskaYESS, team and shooting facility rules, including the AlaskaYESS Philosophy & Values Agreement, will be grounds for suspension or expulsion from the program.

➢ AlaskaYESS athletes must act in a respectful manner throughout the entire season, during school and while participating in any AlaskaYESS activity, to all faculty, coaches, officials, range personnel, teammates, competitors, and adult volunteers.

➢ AlaskaYESS athletes must display a level of vigilance and responsibility with regards to the practice of safe firearm handling, whenever handling or in the presence of firearms, at all times. Furthermore, athletes are to follow the firearm regulations of local, state and federal law, as well as the rules and regulations of AlaskaYESS and the NGBs with regards to firearm practices.

➢ AlaskaYESS athletes must be able to break down their shotgun or the shotgun they are using, clean it, and reassemble it correctly after every practice or competition. A clinic will be held each season to teach this skill to AlaskaYESS athletes.

➢ AlaskaYESS athletes are expected to attend and participate in 90% of scheduled practices unless excused by the head coach. Participation in a different sport, vacation or other voluntary absence is not considered an excusable absence.
Athletes will have a schedule of practices and competitions prior to signing up for the year and should plan their activities around their team obligations. Non-participation in team practices and/or competitions may result in removal from the team.

➢ AlaskaYESS athletes are expected to fully participate in any fundraising or community service activities with their team.

➢ Remember that your membership with a team is based on the approval of the Coaching staff. Continued membership
with your team depends upon your attitude, coachability, teamwork, sportsmanship, fundraising, and participation levels.
Members of a high school clay target team may not be members of other clay target sports teams at the same
time.

RECRUITING:
Every team should start out the season with one brand new athlete per 5 athletes (so, 1 new and 4 veterans). These new-to-shotgun sports athletes will be designated as Entry Division but will register with USAYESS as Junior Varsity. The purpose of this policy is to: 1) Grow shotgun sports within our communities and 2) To allow Entry level athletes to compete on a level playing field with other athletes also new to shotgun sports. It is the responsibility of every athlete to promote their team and recruit new members, particularly within the high school teams!

VARSITY DIVISIONAL STRUCTURE:
The Senior Varsity [SV], Junior Varsity [JV], or Entry division distinctions would be strictly for AlaskaYESS competition and Lettering purposes within AlaskaYESS. SV and JV will be set with the first sanctioned event of the year, and throughout the year as necessary: 80% or better will be SV. JV will be athletes who are not new to shotgun sports and shoot below 80%. Entry athletes who shoot 60% or better in two tournaments will be promoted to JV. JV athletes will be promoted to SV with 80% or better in 2 out of 3 AlaskaYESS sanctioned events. Entry level athletes will be promoted to JV for State Championship if there are not a minimum of 7 Entry athletes competing.

ATHLETE AWARDS & RECOGNITION:
All 3 events in each Series will count towards HOA Champion and HAA by Division awards. Athletes must participate in all events in the Series for their scores to count towards HOA/HAA. There will be 1st-3rd medals for each separate event in each division. Results will be posted for each event by total score.

TEAM AWARDS:
HOA Team for each Series would be a minimum of the top 3 scores by team, non-divisional, but no more than 5..

Lettering Criteria

The following criteria must be met to qualify for a high school Letter:

1. Meet all the basic requirements stated above.

2. Complete Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clays Seasons as an active member of the team, competing in all scheduled competitive events throughout the 2025-2026 Season.

3. Must have attained Senior Varsity status by the end of the 2026 Spring Sporting Clays Season.

4. Always exhibit exemplary behavior and good sportsmanship toward other shooters, coaches, staff, facility, and officials.

5. Always attentive to coaching staff, being “coachable.”

6. Mentoring other athletes, whether in clay target sports or simply protocol and etiquette, showing team leadership and always setting an excellent example.

7. Show marked improvement in practice and competition scores over the length of the 2025-2026 Season.

8. Must have a thorough understanding of the rules of each Discipline, including Trap, Wobble, Double Trap and Skeet, Double Skeet, 5-Stand, Sporting Clays and Super Sporting.

9. Must be able to competently act as a trapper/scorer for all the above disciplines.

10.Must compete in all events of the 2026 AlaskaYESS State Championship.

Exceptions to any of these requirements will be at the discretion of the coaching staff, provided the exception can be supported and is without bias or favoritism, and must be approved by the State Administrator’s Office.

Either the Head Coach or the Team Manager will present a list of athletes who should be awarded Letters to their high school Athletic Director’s office within two weeks of completing the season and will make arrangements to pick up the Letters and/or pins and distribute them to the appropriate athlete(s) during a team ceremony, which may be held at a practice or at the discretion of the Head Coach.

All loaner shotguns, team vests, and any borrowed equipment must be returned in good condition prior to receipt of Letters.