Rachel Menale

Social Scientist

Rachel joined DJ Case in 2021 as a social scientist passionate about connecting people to nature and wildlife.

After completing her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a workshop coordinator and data manager for the Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program (CLfT), a professional development training initiative provided by the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. She currently holds a position in the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group for the CLfT Program.

Rachel is interested in the relationship between stakeholder values and wildlife agencies that serve as trust managers to public beneficiaries. This exposure and insight led her to a project evaluating the value orientations and attitudes of wildlife conservation professionals at Michigan State University.

She has a master of science in human dimensions of wildlife management from Michigan State University and a bachelor of science in natural resource and environmental management from Ball State University in Indiana. Her experience is in quantitative methodologies and research design, administration, and analysis.

You can find her biking, hiking, or hanging out with dogs when she is not at work.

Address

317 E. Jefferson Blvd.
Mishawaka, IN 46545
United States

Office Phone
574-258-0100
Rachel Menale
Report cover image with young archers at a competition.

April 2025

Recruiting Youth Shooting Sports Participants: Phase 2 Advertising and Marketing Materials

Youth shooting sports programs are among the fastest growing youth sports programs in the country, however, little is known about youth motivations and barriers impacting this trend, or how to best maintain and grow participation over time. By understanding the barriers and motivations of youth participants and addressing them though tested outreach strategies, coaches and other practitioners can more effectively increase shooting sports team participation.

In a previous, related project (Phase One), DJ Case & Associates (DJ Case) conducted nineteen focus groups across various shooting disciplines to develop a better understanding of what factors attract participants to clubs and school teams, as well as what factors act as barriers to participation.

Several motivations emerged from the focus groups, indicating elements that act as strong attractants for youth participants across the shooting sports disciplines. These attracting elements include making friends, having fun, participating in an activity that is both a team and individual sport, and enjoying the welcoming atmosphere of an activity that is for everyone. 

This report examines key communication strategies for youth shooting sports recruitment, developed based on these identified motivations and barriers, and assesses their effectiveness in engaging parents, coaches, and youth.

Female archer and male firearm shooter pictured on cover of report.

October 2024

Recruiting Female and Ethnically Diverse Youth Participants into Shooting Sports

Youth shooting sports programs are among the fastest growing youth sports programs in the country, but little is known about participation of underrepresented groups. By understanding the barriers these populations face, coaches and other practitioners can develop strategies to increase their participation and representation in the shooting sports. The goal of this project is to understand how to increase and improve efforts to recruit more diverse participants into youth shooting sports such as archery and trap shooting. This report summarizes Phase One of the project: findings of focus groups conducted by DJ Case & Associates to help inform the development of recruitment tools and efforts in Phase Two.

The DJ Case team conducted focus groups with shooting sports coaches and participants as well as with students who do not participate in shooting sports. Findings include insights into:

  • Why students do/don’t participate in high school sports, in general
  • Why students do/don’t participate in high school archery teams
  • Why students do/don’t participate in high school shooting sports teams

These findings, combined with the findings of past studies, were used to develop recommendations as to how high school shooting sports teams could best attract more diverse participants. These recommendations include the use of:

  • Diversified imagery and representation to showcase different genders, ethnicities, and physical abilities
  • Strategic messaging and imagery to address perceived barriers
  • Specialized new shooter events to bridge first-time to competition-style learning
Photo of cover of The Wildlife Professional

January 23, 2023

Research Article

Attitudes of The Wildlife Society members toward the use of wildlife

The Wildlife Society Professional

Michigan State University Logo

2019-2021

M.S.

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Thesis: Value Orientations and Attitudes of Wildlife Conservation Professionals