NASP® is an amazing program that starts in fourth grade, where students can learn to shoot target archery, even if they have never picked up a bow before. Or, if you are a kid like me who loves the outdoors, hunts, and fishes with your family and friends, the NASP® program gives you the opportunity to do something you enjoy at school as part of a team.
The National Archery in the Schools Program® promotes instruction in international-style target archery as part of in-school curriculum. Its mission is to improve educational performance and participation in the shooting sports among students in grades 4–12. You can see that mission fulfilled in schools like mine, which are very rural and where many kids already spend time outdoors hunting, fishing, and enjoying water-sports. You can also see it in schools like the team my target partner was on at The Championship last year—they were from New York City.
Being on a NASP® team, like any other sports team, has helped me set individual goals for myself, establish team goals, and grow my leadership skills as a mentor and leader. I have learned to better manage my time, balancing archery practice with honors classes and being on other sports teams like cross country, golf, and wrestling. It has taught me how to work effectively with adults, younger kids, and much older teammates. I still remember being a fifth grader and shooting with a high school senior. That was an odd feeling, partly because of the height difference, but also a great one because that senior kept encouraging me as I shot. They weren’t competing against me—where my next arrow landed was completely up to me.
Now that I’m a little taller and more experienced, I find myself in that high school senior’s position. Can I help a nervous fourth grader who’s battling a bad case of jitters? Or am I paired with a high schooler shooting for the first time? Can I give them the space and time to shoot, even if their shots are a bit off, and then focus on my own? Can I give my coach helpful tips about a kid I knew in elementary school who might need extra support?
NASP® archery is one of those unique sports where you can succeed individually while also helping your team succeed. It’s also incredible to meet so many people—archers, coaches, and NASP® staff—and to travel to new places. For kids like me and even kids from places like New York City, the program encourages us to get outdoors (or indoors) and discover the joy of all kinds of shooting sports, not just while we’re in school but as we move on to college and adulthood.
