501(c)(3) Nonprofit | Serving Middle TN & Southern KY

Tennessee Center for Marksmanship Education

TNCME is a youth gun safety education and marksmanship program built around safety, education, enjoyment, and competition.

  • Gun safety and education come first
  • Athletes begin with .177 caliber air rifle
  • Co-ed sport where boys and girls compete on equal ground
Learn More
Safety

Safety

Our number one priority. Marksmanship is built on safe habits, discipline, and respect.

First Shot

First Shot

Students begin with the fundamentals and build the right habits from the very start.

Learn

Learn

Participants develop skill, focus, patience, and confidence through steady progress.

Compete

Compete

Athletes can grow into competition opportunities as their skills and interest develop.

Is this the right sport for your child?

Not every student connects with traditional sports. Marksmanship gives young people another path to grow through structure, focus, and personal progress.

  • Great for beginners
  • No experience needed
  • Builds discipline and responsibility
  • Good for students who like individual improvement
  • Strong fit for youth who want challenge and focus
Get More Info
Youth precision rifle athlete
Gun Safety First

Fundamentals

Athletes start in a classroom setting where they learn safety practices, range behavior, and the basics of the sport.

marksmanship

Hands On Training

We work to get students on the firing line as soon as possible so they stay engaged and can apply what they are learning.

Safety is everything

All participants begin with rifle safety and the fundamentals. Safety is the foundation of every practice, lesson, and competition environment.

Feature
0

Meters, Air Rifle Target Distance

0

First Year Women's Air Rifle Was in the Olympic Games

0K+

American Youth in 3PAR Programs

0+

College and University Shooting Programs

Our Mission

The Tennessee Center for Marksmanship Education is committed to promoting firearm safety, marksmanship education, and competitive shooting sports.

Our mission is to provide a structured and supportive environment where young people can develop essential firearm handling skills, deepen their understanding of marksmanship, and engage in responsible and competitive shooting.

Through a focus on safety, education, and competition, we strive to build discipline, confidence, and respect for the shooting sports while fostering a culture of responsibility and excellence.

Star Safety Is Priority
Star First Shot Fundamentals
Star Inclusive Sport
Star Discipline and Patience
Star 4-H Shooting Sports
Star Boy Scouts Merit Badge
Star Girl Scouts
Star JROTC Programs

Aiming for Excellence

Scores are not the most important part of our training. Learning proper technique and developing a consistent shot process are what lead to strong scores over time.

Shooting sports can strengthen concentration, patience, and discipline. The focused attention required for accurate shooting helps athletes build mental skills that carry into other parts of life.

The mental skills developed through shooting sports can help with school, work, leadership, and other activities that require focus, patience, and self-control.

FAQ Questions

Youth shooting sports teach discipline, focus, and responsibility while promoting firearm safety and marksmanship skills. They build confidence, patience, and teamwork in a structured environment where young athletes develop mental resilience and respect for safety and precision.

Yes. Youth shooting sports are very safe when proper safety practices are followed. In fact, shooting sports are widely considered one of the safest organized youth activities.

We use two types of air rifles.

Sporter Air Rifle is designed for affordability and accessibility, using basic rifles with limited modifications.

Precision Air Rifle allows more advanced rifles, precision sights, and specialized shooting gear.

Sporter Air Rifle: Basic clothing such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, and jeans is used. Specialized stiff shooting jackets are not allowed.

Precision Air Rifle: Specialized shooting jackets, pants, and boots may be used to provide stability and reduce fatigue.

Yes. Our coaches are certified instructors through organizations such as 4-H or the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

Sporter Rifle can be compared to rec league sports with a lower cost of entry and more basic gear. Precision Rifle is more comparable to travel sports because of the specialized equipment involved.

Have More Questions? Learn More

Help us grow the sport

Whether you are a parent looking for opportunities for your child or someone interested in supporting the program, we would love to connect with you.

Join Interest List Donate