The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) will discuss a motion at its February 24, 2025, board meeting to address gender equity in the sport by establishing an ad hoc advisory committee.
The motion, detailed in the meeting agenda [USPSA Board of Directors Meeting Agenda, February 24, 2025, p. 17] proposes a committee of 10 female and transgender shooters under 40 who have competed in at least one national event. The committee, chaired by Stephanie Thome (USPSA# L650), will prepare a confidential report—unless unanimously approved for public release—assessing the current environment for female and transgender competitors, evaluating policies, and recommending growth strategies and marketing campaigns according to the meeting agenda.
This initiative shows that the USPSA is putting in even more effort to broaden the appeal of practical shooting, a sport that has seen some pretty astronomical growth as has the rest of the competitive shooting world over the last decade.
The motion follows recent USPSA rule changes, such as the Limited Optics division introduced in 2023 and the Production Division capacity increases in 2024 which I think indicates that the board is more open to change than they have traditionally been in the past.
However, the age restriction to under 40 has sparked discussion, as it may exclude some very experienced female shooters, which could potentially limit the diverse perspectives the committee hopes to gain via the new committee. The confidentiality clause, requiring unanimous board consent for public release, could also raise transparency concerns among members, although the live meeting will be broadcast via uspsa.org/live.
The USPSA as an organization and particularly the board of directors have fallen under a lot of scrutiny in recent years which have admittedly been quite turbulent from a leadership perspective.
Whether these new initiatives will have the intended effect as stated by the Board remains to be seen. As with any change in policy or rules, the USPSA is no stranger to backlash from its roughly 37,000 active members.
Other topics that are going to be discussed in this meeting include some proposals for budget adjustments, and reiterating old business surrounding banned members reapplying for membership. The entirety of the Meeting agenda can be read at the link below.
http://s3.uspsa.io/agenda/USPSA%20Board%20of%20Directors%20Meeting%20Agenda%20%E2%80%93%20February%2024%202025.pdf?ref=uspsa
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