What do you know about archery? I honestly don’t much other than what I’ve seen in the movies, and, here’s a shocker – that’s almost all entirely fake!
The sport has received a recent boost in popularity, especially among our youth, because of the hit trilogy “The Hunger Games” in which the star Katniss Everdeen displays amazing (and computer-enhanced) skill with bow and arrow. To see how these archery Hollywood movies would actually happen in reality, check out this amazing video.
The true value of archery, is found far from the movies and its fake characters. The real value is found right here in our backyard – Lake City, Florida, where our local schools recently held and competed in a statewide competition.
On February 20th, 14 of Westside Elementary’s 5th graders (6 girls and 8 boys) competed in the Florida’s Virtual Archery Tournament. The scores from all the participants – from the virtual tournaments all over the state – were scored with live tournament day results. Westside Elementary’s team placed first in the state and has an invitation to compete in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) in Louisville, Kentucky on May 13, 2016.
This program is designed to reach all students whether rural, urban or special needs. NO matter what size, ability or gender…every archer uses identical bows, arrows, and must learn to shoot at a variety of distances. You can see Westside’s students have worked hard to achieve this honor of the state champions. Going to nationals representing Florida is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students.
The Westside Wildcat Archery is only in their 3rd year of existence which makes this accomplishment that much more impressive. I spoke with Coach Andy Bennet and asked him some questions about his state champs.
Regarding his team’s preparation, Coach Bennett said, “We started practicing January 2016. The tournament in Fort White was held on Feb. 20th. We had a month to practice. We practice twice a week from 2:30-4 after school. We will practice all of April leading up until the tournament in Louisville, KY May 13th.”
For those reading at home, it’s a unique set up where the archers, coaches, and fans have no idea how well they did the day of the contest. When asked about this unique setup, Coach had a good feeling, “I felt we shot pretty well; coaches can’t get close enough to the archers while shooting. Getting feedback from the archers while shooting gives you a little ideas of how well they did.”
Coach Bennett has a background in coaching beyond Westside, so this was a natural transition following years coaching Columbia High School baseball. So, why archery? “I felt it was another opportunity for our students in sports. Not many students get a chance to be introduced to archery. Growing up around bows and arrows, I felt very comfortable giving our 4th and 5th graders a chance to experience something different and at the same time archery teaching them life lessons. Practice, discipline, focus, maintaining grades, great character and leaders.”
Coach speaks about this team like he does about his own kids. It’s a special bond between teacher and students, but when they go the extra mile and spend a lot of free time together it fosters an entirely new dynamic. “I am very proud of how well our archers shot. They have put in a lot of time and dedication at our after school practice and at home. Their dedication is paying off. I know they will represent Westside and Lake City, Fl with great skill, character and sportsmanship. I am honored to have the chance to coach these kids.”
Congrats Westside Wildcat Archery and we’ll be rooting for you next month in Kentucky!
