GREENFIELD, Iowa (KMTV) — Hundreds of Iowa kids participate in Iowa Archery in Schools. It's part of a national program, coordinated by the Department of Natural Resources, that encourages kids to take an interest in the outdoors — even if they compete inside.
- Nodaway Valley coach, Bill Newbury got involved because of his daughters: “It’s just neat watching kids that don’t necessarily have the athletic abilities, come in and grab hold of a bow and figure out how to shoot it and do awesome."
- In Atlantic, archers can start in sixth grade. The team regularly qualifies for nationals. Coach Clint Roland says his aim is to teach kids life lessons.
- “A lot of mental discipline,” said Roland. “You’re going to learn a lot through archery that you’re going to use the rest of your life.”
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Every weekend at schools across Iowa there are wrestling tournaments and basketball games and speech contests — and archery. I’m southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel in Greenfield where Nodaway Valley Schools are hosting an archery tournament.
Talyn Slater: “I think it’s a lot about patience and calm and like being in the moment.”
Archery in schools is a national program, started in Kentucky, coordinated locally by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
I learned about it because of this kid: my cousin Payton Harris is a ninth-grader at West Des Moines Valley. I asked if it was distracting having me there.
Payton: “No, I like it. I like just having family here.”
Nodaway Valley coach, Bill Newbury got involved because of his daughters.
“It’s just neat watching kids that don’t necessarily have the athletic abilities, come in and grab hold of a bow and figure out how to shoot it and do awesome,” Newbury said.
Lincoln Van Horn, 13: “Archery has taught me to focus on one thing at a time.”
In Atlantic, archers can start in sixth grade. The team regularly qualifies for nationals. Coach Clint Roland says his aim is to teach kids life lessons.
“A lot of mental discipline,” said Roland. “You’re going to learn a lot through archery that you’re going to use the rest of your life”
Atlantic junior Madeline Blake: “I love competing, I love going against everybody and just having fun with everyone.”
Talyn Slater, senior, West Des Moines valley: “A lot of Atlantic kids I’ve become friends with. They’re a very competitive school.”
“Kids that are about the same size as a bow can get in there and shoot and enjoy shooting archer,” said Newbury.
Briley Bates, 16: “Getting to know people who you usually wouldn’t really talk with.”
Payton Harris: “Just to be like patient with myself. I think that's also, like, the hardest part. Just to know when to calm down and take the extra second."
The state tournament is on Feb. 28, where teams are shooting for a spot in the national tournament.
