About Your Instructor

Tom Fiumarello has a BS and MEd degree in Physical Education and and a MEd in Sports Psychology and Human Performance. He has spent 33 years teaching and coaching. His teams in Baseball, Soccer, and Gymnastics have won numerous League, Sectional, and Regional titles on both the High School and College levels. In 2005, Tom was inducted into the Wappinger's School Dist., Tom Macrini, Sports Hall of Fame, as a Coach. Tom has been shooting trap and skeet since the early 1970s, and now shoots Sporting Clay's almost exclusively. Tom is certified by The Guild of Shooting Instructors,UK, Dan Schindler's, Paragon Center for Instructor Study, as a Sr. Paragon Instructor teaching,  Trap, Skeet, and specializing in Sporting Clay's. Tom has also studied under Mr. Peter of Harris of the Guild of Shooting Instructors. (UK). Tom is also an NSCA Level II Instructor.  TOM IS ONE OF ONLY FOUR  INSTRUCTOR IN THE U.S. THAT ARE CERTIFIED BY THE NSCA LEVEL II, SR. PARAGON, AND GUILD OF SHOOTING INSTRUCTORS, UK.  Tom is also an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor, as well a a member of the DT Systems and Kinetic Dog food Pro Staffs.  He also represents Sound Gear Hearing Protection, and Ranger Ready Insect Repellents.

   In 2012, Tom was a featured speaker at "Pheasant Fest", in Minn. Minn, presenting lectures on Wing Shooting to over 1000 Fest attendees.  He also spoke to over 1300 SCTP shooters, Parents, and Coaches, with a speech entitled, "Respect and Responsibility in the year 2013", and was also a featured presenter 2014 and 2015.  He will also be a featured speaker in 2020.  In 2019, Tom and his dogs, Meg and Ginger, were featured at Scott Linden's Fur-Feathers-Friends, a Hunt for Veterans in Topeka Kansas, and in September, 2019, he was a featured speaker on Scott's Podcast, Upland Nation.  Top spoke about, Shooting, Hunting, and his Dogs.   

Tom's varied background in teaching students of all ages and genders will make your instruction time meaningful, but more importantly, fun. Tom is truly the epitome of a teacher while still being an active, competitive shooter. Tom's years on the field, and in the gym and classroom, can provide your shooting experience with everything from the hard nosed coach to the compassionate mentor.  Because of his background, Tom specializes in youth shooters.  
     Remember, teaching is not something Tom just does. tom has been a professional educator for over 40+ years. His teams and the athletes he has taught and coached are his legacy. To Tom, you are not just another appointment, lesson, or shooter. You are the most important appointment, lesson, and shooter. Tom teaches because, HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES, NOT BECAUSE HE HAS TO!

Let Tom's infectious enthusiasm for the sport consume your time in the shooting box, Translating into two things; more X's on your score sheet, and more smiles on your face. Remember, you have my personal guarantee. If after your lesson, you are not satisfied for any reason the lesson is FREE OF CHARGE. So what have you got to lose... only a few "0's" on our score sheet. Give me a call and schedule a lesson.  References are always happily given.

Tom Shoots

In Memoriam

We all meet people, who for some reason or another just click with. Gary Parenteau, a fellow Paragon instructor was one of those people. Sitting in our instructor class, at dinner, and on the range, Gary's eagerness to learn, and infectious personality was like a light bulb in a dark room. Whether it be the laughter at dinner, with me poking fun at Gary, or the profound statements he voiced, with all of us laughing to tears, you always knew Gary was in the room. Our last day at Paragon, Gary, Dave Dobson, and I sat in a small diner in South Carolina, promising we would not let these 5 days be our only meeting. We would get together again this summer, and renew the stories, laughter, and "ink" more than our share of clay birds. We lost Gary only months after this last luncheon. At that time, a part of each one of the Paragon Instructors in that class was lost. I miss Gary, and can only say; He is now checking tonsils in Heaven................a quip only the Paragon 7 will understand. Rest well Gary, we will all be breaking birds with you again somewhere in the future. Shortly after losing Gary, the Paragon family also lost another instructor, when Darin Wurzer was killed in a freak accident, attempting to assist a Midwest town during the flooding last summer. Darin was as rough as 100 grit sandpaper on the outside, but as polished as a diamond on the inside. "Caveman" as we fondly called him, touched everyone he came in contact with, and his legacy with everyone he helped in his home town, was far larger than the man exhibited in the shooting box. Darin's constant smile will forever be with me, every time I step into the shooting box, teach a student or see a young person shooting, which was Darin's reason for learning to be an instructor. Darin keep Gary in line in Heaven, and make sure you "Ease Away",on those tough crosser's. You will be missed by all of us. Lastly, only months ago, Bob Lockett, a man I respected more than anyone else in the clay target game, was taken from us.  I say US, because Bob was a man who gave so much, and asked for so little in return.  He was an amazing teacher, shooter, father, husband, F4 Phantom Pilot, and I was blessed to call him my friend.  We spoke every week, and the phone call I received from his wife when he passed.............cut through me like a knife.  I am still not over it.  I do know though, if there is sporting clay's in Heaven, he is shooting now with Gary & Darrin.  I miss you buddy.  Your wit, wisdom, and knowledge will be forever with me.  Thank God you taught me how to hit rabbits...................And as sure as I am writing this, I know we will be together again sometime down the road.   I look forward to the day we are together again.