Teenage Girls And Shotguns The number of teenage girls participating in shotgun sports is up dramatically over the past five years, and there's every indication that parents are pleased with their daughters' new pastime. Across trap, skeet and sporting clays, the number of female participants age 12-17 rose 56 percent—from 133,000 to 208,000—between 1999 and 2004, according to a National Sporting Goods Association report. The upward trend also has been seen in SCTP, which in 2005 alone saw an 84 percent increase in participation by girls from elementary- through high-school age. In a survey of SCTP parents, 94 percent said the competitive shooting program is a positive influence in their child's development. In fact, the same percentage of parents would support shotgun sports as a school-based athletic program.