The crowd roars as you bend down to receive your medal... you see your friends and family in the crowd... the Star-Spangled Banner begins to play... you heart pounds... YOU DID IT! This is not just anyone's dream: it's yours! And YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN! It will take perseverance, dedication, and many hours of training to get there, but the road to your Olympic dream begins now.

You've already taken the first step. You are part of a shooting program. Through that program you will learn gun safety, good citizenship, shooting techniques, the mechanics of firearms, and the various shooting sports. Programs like the one you are a part of give you the first opportunity to hone your marksmanship skills.

The next step is to begin shooting in competitions. Not only will competing help you advance in the shooting sports, but they will help you build mental strength. It has been said that competitive shooting is 90% mental. Once you have the mechanical skills necessary, your performance depends on your ability to stay mentally focused and to perform under pressure.

The winners of state Junior Olympic matches who shoot a qualifying score are invited to compete in USA Shooting's National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships held once a year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The top finishers become members of The National Development Team and have the opportunity to compete at the National and International level.

The National Shooting Team is selected based on performance in competition. 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kim Rhode has been a member of the National Team since she was 14 years old, while 2000 Olympic gold medalist Nancy Johnson began shooting with the National Development Team when she was 19 years old. Members of the National Team compete in International competitions like World Cups and the Pan American Games in order to shoot a high enough score to qualify for the Olympic Games. Several months before the Olympic Games, team members compete for the opportunity to be a member of the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team.

It takes a lot of work to become a member of the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team. You can do it! And with members of the National Shooting Team ranging in age from 15 to over 50, it's never too late (or too early) to start down the road to the Olympics.