The Shooting Sports Education Center (SSEC) opened on the Statesboro campus of Georgia Southern University in 2015, and since then it has succeeded in providing a safe place for students, community members, and even athletes from across the nation to learn, hone their skills, and participate in competitive events.
The SSEC is led by Matt Horst, who has served as its director since the center opened. He has assembled an impressive team that makes the SSEC a hub for the shooting sports in southeast Georgia including Assistant Director Cassy Pelton and Head Archery Coach Amanda Velez.
Together they offer instructional programs, training classes, recreation, competition, and special events that serve everyone from youth, adults, and students to law enforcement professionals, hunters, first-time shooters, elite athletes, and all groups interested in participating and learning more about the shooting sports.
History of the SSEC
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Chris Clark initially brought the concept of the center to University leadership. Because of widespread local interest in building a center from hunters and outdoorsmen, they thought it would be a good idea to have a range not only for the public, but for students as well. They agreed that if the DNR was going to help fund it, it had to be open to the public as well. In hindsight, this was a great choice.
"Our facility would not be possible without the commitment from The Georgia Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Resources Division, the Easton Sports Development Foundation, the Archery Trade Association and the city of Statesboro," they share on their website.
Services and Requirements
At the SSEC, located on the corner of 301 and the Bypass in Statesboro, people can come in to learn how to safely use a firearm, as well as what to do if they are ever in a situation where they need to safely handle one. This goes for the use of a bow as well.
The shooting center offers courses and special events, as well as being a full-featured firearms and archery shooting range. Signature events like Ladies Night Out, Archery Date Night, Firearms Date Night, the Bowling Pin Shoot, and many more, make it a local destination.
You don't have to be a member to shoot during one of their events, but if you want to rent lane time, there is a safety protocol you're required to complete. But don't worry, you can apply to be a member and shoot the same day - the whole process only takes about twenty minutes.
Members of the public and students can utilize the firearms or archery ranges, but there is a safety protocol that the center requires visitors to follow:
- Have a valid permit, ID or badge
- Complete the membership application with the $20 fee (18 years and up)
- Watch the range safety videos
- Pass a written exam with an 80% or higher score from the videos
- Pass a hands-on test under the supervision of an SSEC staff member
Visitors must complete and pass the exam and hands-on exercise. The SSEC offers Firearms 101 and Archery 101 classes for those users who've never held or fired a firearm or bow.
The hands-on test requires participants to load a magazine, point at a target, pull the trigger, unload the magazine from the firearm, then place it on the desk showing that everything is clear. They also review some firearm and archery etiquette, like not pointing the barrel at other people and keeping it pointed down at all times, topics which are also covered in the mandatory safety videos.
The SSEC offers a family fun experience like no other. The purpose of their classes like Date Night and Ladies Night Out is to grow a community within the local shooting sports field. Not only does the SSEC give area residents another activity to do with friends, but participants also learn how to use firearms and bows safely. They even offer a list of helpful resources on their website.
While the center is for the community, the sports here are not to be taken lightly.
USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals
For the second year in a row, Georgia Southern was competitively chosen to host the prestigious USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals.
Over the May 16, 2024 weekend, nearly 450 athletes from 45 different institutions came here to compete. In total, the event brought roughly 750 people to Statesboro to participate and watch the national competition. Not only was this event big for the University, it demonstrates the value of the center as an important regional economic asset. The competition brought people here and gave them the full Eagle experience, they ate in local restaurants, stayed in local hotels, explored shops and activities over the weekend, and so on.
“Last year we had an economic impact of around $600,000, and it’s roughly about the same this year,” said Horst. While the weather tried to dampen their spirits, the event was moved inside and the archers were able to compete under the lights for the first time in a long time. Managing the event took the whole staff of the SSEC.
Southern Clay Target Team
Clay target shooting is a growing sport in the country, and Statesboro is no exception. The Georgia Southern Clay Target Team consists of 15-20 students, and they’re all extremely talented in the sport. The team has won three national tournaments over the last four years.
Their efforts on and off the range netted them the Georgia Southern Club Sports Team of the Year (2023-2024).
Women's Rifle Team
The SSEC is also home to the Georgia Southern varsity Women's Rifle Team. Last semester, they placed ninth in the country for the Women’s Rifle League. They were one-one hundredth of a point away from going to nationals to compete.
The best part about it is that five of the members of the team were just freshmen. That means they have plenty of time to come back even stronger next season.
After these women finish college and want to pursue precision shooting after their NCAA eligibility, they will be well positioned to tryout for the Olympic-level teams. In fact, just last week (June 17-21, 2024), acclaimed Olympics Sports Shooters Lucas Kozeniesky and Ginny Thrasher visited Georgia Southern (for the third year in a row) to lead one of their elite precision rifle camps.
The Successes of the SSEC, according to Matt Horst, Director:
- Our student employees: The SSEC is a space where student employees can apply the things that they are learning in the classroom, like leadership and personal development. Seeing their growth and seeing their confidence being built, watching them learn to communicate effectively with students and community members is a huge success for their team.
- Our commitment to the community: "We’re here for the community," says Horst. One of the SSEC's successes is improving awareness and teaching participants how to safely handle a firearm or a bow while offering fun opportunities for families, couples, and friends to experience something fun and unique.
- Our continual growth in participation and recognition as a family-friendly environment: “We had a grandpa and his grandson come in who wanted to shoot together and had a blast. These are just some of the fun things we get to do. We have couples that come in to shoot together. They have families, we have students who want to come in on their own, and we have people who are looking to go into law enforcement who want to be prepared for the Academy,” shared Horst.
What's next
"We want to keep increasing participation here to expose more people to shooting sports, and also keep having a safe and inclusive place to learn and practice shooting sports, regardless of physical ability," said Horst.
The SSEC has many ways to get involved with shooting sports. You can rent lane time, participate in a class, and they even offer summer camps for young children and teens. You can find a list of different camps that are hosted over the summer here.
Also, check out the different ways the center is involved in our community here.
The SSEC is located at 3271 Old Register Road in Statesboro, Georgia.