NASP Schools

“... I had an encounter last year with a student archer during a practice session that still echoes over and over in my mind. First year archer and freshman at Taylor County High School, Nathan Lyons, made a profound statement. I was working with Nathan one on one teaching him on the importance of maintaining a consistent anchor point to get consistent results. Retrieving his arrows, Nathan said: ‘I am responsible for where the arrow goes, I am responsible, not the bow, not the target, not the person standing beside me.’  In a world of it’s someone else’s fault, there is a young man named Nathan who is growing into being a great young man!” 

Gregory Keith 
Taylor County Archery Assistant Coach

“On Wednesday we were working on scoring (NASP® archery class) and one young man was happy as can be that he scored a 2 (out of possible 50). If we all could experience the pure joy of a simple score. One non-verbal young lady when asked if she was having fun very quickly smiled and whispered “Fun”. I’ve never heard her speak in the 3 years I have worked with these kids. When the awards are given out tomorrow at the completion of the tournament I have no doubt there will be tears of love and joy.  May I just say “I Love Archery”. 

Jill Purkhiser 
NASP Coach, Seymour High School, Indiana

“Getting involved with NASP has taught me a lot about myself, time management, becoming a more organized leader, and how to be a team player. I found that the longer I was in archery the more I loved the sport, the better relationships I had, and accumulated life-long support from new friends. I will never forget the impact that NASP has had on my life or the opportunities it has bestowed upon me. I am grateful that even after my time with NASP has ended they still supported me in my education with this $500 scholarship, this will help me pay for nursing school and get me to my end goal of becoming a trauma surgery nurse practitioner.”
Nicole Theriac, NASP student

“I taught at Banks School, a rural middle school in Pike County, Alabama, and noticed that our students were very limited on opportunities to participate in sports or clubs. I spoke with an archery coach in a nearby school system, and they encouraged me to integrate the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) curriculum into our school. He stated that the program was not difficult and the kids would love it. He also noted that the support you get from NASP and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources would help make the implementation of this program very smooth. It was then that I decided to undergo training and begin the process. During the first year of the program, 108 out of a total of 190 students participated on the archery team. That’s over half of our school! We had a very diverse group, and offering this program really helped some of the kids that hadn’t found their place yet. Some of these kids had never planned to play “traditional” sports, but they found what they really loved in archery. After we started archery at Banks School, other schools in the district wanted to start archery as well. Now, across the district, there are close to 400 kids that participate in NASP, and Banks School is currently the host of the Regional Tournament. Overall, archery has changed the lives of many kids in the district. I have even heard stories of families participating in archery together.” 

Jonathan Thompson 
NASP Teacher, Banks Middle School, Alabama

The Alaska NASP program has grown to over 200 schools participating since it started here in 2004. The program is run by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and covers schools in a variety of cities and villages, some with as many as 300,000 people and others as small as 350 people. Alaska supports and promotes the involvement of schools and organizations in the NASP.

-- Katelyn Zonneville - Outreach & Education Coordinator, Alaska Department of Fish & Game

In watching the NASP program grow from the beginning, I've seen it grow into one the most well rounded, equal opportunistic sports offered.  All kids can participate regardless of athletic ability, size, strength or disability.  The NASP program promotes sportsmanship, integrity, friendships and family values.  My family and I have made life long friendships with other NASP participants and parents from across the country.  

-- Battalion Chief Charles Thompson Frankfort Fire & EMS (Father of Archer)