April 1, 2023 – The National Rifle Association will launch a new program for Millennials, young Americans in their 20s or early 30s, at its upcoming Annual Meetings & Exhibits, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The new MRA (Millennial Rifle Activities), program will feature a series special events for Millennials that will be held across the country. These MRA “gatherings”, unlike any other NRA competition discipline, will be unique. Participants in MRA events will be awarded a participation badge or trophy. Second, although shooting at targets is encouraged, actual gun-handling will not be required. Millennials can opt to watch the event instead. Scoring will be an option for those who choose to shoot at MRA events. Scores will not be published and scores will remain confidential. According to an NRA news release, all participants will be winners at MRA events. The NRA’s MRA activities program targets “Millennials”, the young Americans who grew up on video games and the internet. If you don’t know what “Millennials” means, it refers to Americans born between 1980-2000. They are “the first generation to grow up with the internet, and the first to incorporate technology into their daily lives.” READ MORE. Millennials Have the Option to Score Matches
It was difficult to create a competition program specifically for Millennials. Millennials have short attention spans and are often distracted. They lack the motivation to practice or prepare. Millennials are self-absorbed and have been raised to expect “instant gratification”. These personality traits seem to be contrary to the self-discipline, focus, and mentality required for serious competition. The NRA has a new approach to MRA matches. Scores won’t be counted and the emphasis will be on participation. One member of the NRA Competition Committee stated that these were the children who received ‘participation trophy’ for playing soccer. We offer the same rewards. You will be recognized for simply showing up at our Millennial Matches. Scoring is optional. Participation is the main focus, not winning. A spokesperson for the NRA told us that they had done extensive research on the Millennial population. This generation is very different from older generations. They expect to be rewarded and not be judged on objective standards such as numerical scores. We also discovered that they enjoy doing activities in the moment, without planning. MRA events will not allow for actual shooting. Many participants will arrive unprepared, without ammo or a gun. They can still participate and be acknowledged… that’s what it all about. We want to get more Millennials involved in shooting, regardless of whether they shoot. “NRA Millennials Outreach follows Success of NRA Women Programs
NRA’s outreach programs have helped the organization grow its membership base. The NRA has seen a significant increase in female members over the past few years. The NRA offers many programs specifically for women, such as Women on Target instructional shooting clinics and women’s wilderness retreats. The NRA also offers a dedicated website for women, NRAWomen.com. This site is full-featured and promotes women’s activities. It also recognizes top female shooters.
Dennis Santiago is a veteran match director with decades of experience managing NRA matches. He stated that it was difficult to find a formula for the new Millennials Match “gatherings”. “Designing a competitive course for the new MRA Millennials discipline isn’t as easy as you might think. Millennials are short-attention spans, so it is hard to get them to look away from their digital devices. Range commands must be appealing to them. We are considering sending commands via Twitter or streaming match instructions over TikTok. “Dennis also pointed out that an NRA shooting competition with optional scoring is something new and exciting. “The idea of recording and reporting scores was hotly contested. We decided to make scoring optional. We concluded that mandatory scoring would discourage participation by Millennials. We wanted to create a safe space and non-threatening environment for a new generation of competitors, a generation that has been rewarded simply for showing up.
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