Nearly Indiana 1,100 Students to Compete in National Archery in the Schools Program
OutdoorHub 03.12.12
Indiana’s sixth annual National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament scheduled for Friday (March 16) at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie is expected to be the largest indoor youth archery tournament in state history.
Nearly 1,100 students will represent 60 participating schools in the competition that has experienced annual increases in participation. Last year, more than 900 students from 45-plus schools participated.
Indiana NASP coordinator Tim Beck said he hopes the growth will continue, not only with the annual tournament but also for in-school archery programs.
“It is our hope that this will lead to many new indoor and outdoor activities,” he said.
Doors open at 7 a.m. Friday. There is no admission charge.
Flight (shooting) times start at 7:30 a.m. New flights start every 70 minutes, with the last flight scheduled for 4:50 p.m. The top six scorers, both male and female, will compete in a shoot-off after the last flight to determine the overall individual winners in the 4th-6th, 7th-8th and 9th-12th grade classifications. An awards ceremony will follow.
The Indiana Field Archery Association will run the tournament, along with volunteers and Indiana Conservation Officers from the Department of Natural Resources. The Indiana Hunter Education Association is the underwriting sponsor.
Supported as a joint venture between school corporations throughout Indiana and the DNR, NASP provides international target archery training in Indiana’s physical educational classes, grades 4-12. NASP supports student education and introduces life skills through the lifelong sport of archery.
Tournament competition is open only to schools that have received the archery training provided by the DNR Law Enforcement Division and have the archery program as a part of their curriculum.
The program is supported and often funded through local school corporations, the Indiana Hunter Education Association, individual donations, conservation organizations, and corporate sponsors such as the National Wild Turkey Federation.
