One of the fastest growing segments of the outdoor recreation industry is that of the clay target shooting sports. Clay target sports offer participation for people of all ages and abilities, and are as much a relaxing social activity as they are a highly skilled and competitive endeavor. Clay target shooting is divided into three separate disciplines of skeet, trap and sporting clays. Each discipline has governing bodies, the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA), the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA), and the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA). There are also divisions for International and Olympic Clay Target. The National Governing Body (NGB) for International and Olympic shooting in the United States is “USA Shooting”, which is chartered by the US Olympic Committee, with headquarters at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.

Todd Bender has maintained a position on top of the National Skeet Shooting Association for three decades. Over the years he has compiled 16 NSSA World Championships and been named to a record 25 consecutive Men’s First All-American Teams. He is the first shooter to record three back-to-back 400×400s in 1987, and the only shooter to do it twice, 400×400, 400×400, and 550×550, in 1991. He is also the only shooter to record three perfect seasons, 1200×1200 with the 20 gauge in 1987, 1550×1550 in the 12 gauge event in 1991, and 1600×1600 with the 20 gauge in 2000. He holds the highest average in skeet history, .9972 HOA Average on 5750 targets.

Todd was named the first Master Instructor for the National Skeet Shooting Association, has been trained by the UK’s Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA) and is an Honorary Fellow in England’s Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors. His teaching methods have taken him around the world and created a number of like world champions. Todd is recognized as the leading authority in shooting instruction. For 15 years, his series of best selling DVDs have set the standard for instructional shooting videos within the industry. Todd was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame in 1999, and in the same year was inducted into the first class of Trinity University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

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