4/2/2007

Third annual Archery in Schools State Tournament set for April 14

The third annual Minnesota Archery in the Schools State Tournament will be Saturday, April 14, in Becker. Approximately 400 students are slated to compete for team and individual honors beginning at 9 a.m. in the Fieldhouse at the Becker school campus. The event is open to the public.

The competition is open to students in schools that are participating in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), a project sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

With more than 150 Minnesota schools enrolled in NASP, an estimated 60,000 students will participate in physical education based archery classes in 2007, and an additional 10,000 will utilize the gear at summer camps and after-school programs.

The State Tournament is a culminating event for students who participate in archery as an in-school unit. All participants use the same equipment that they use in class. The NASP program utilizes the Genesis bow, full-length aluminum arrows, and the same 80-centimeter target used in the Olympics. Each participant shoots 15 arrows at 10 meters, and 15 arrows at 15 meters. Participants compete both as an individual, and as members of a team in the elementary, middle school, or high school division.

Archery is proving popular with teachers and students because everyone can compete fairly, regardless of size, gender or athletic talent. In fact, archery is often most popular with students that lag behind in other athletic activities.

According to the DNR's Kraig Kiger, who coordinates the NASP efforts in Minnesota, archery is breaking down a number of stereotypes.

"Inner city schools in Minneapolis and Saint Paul have successful programs, and will be competing side by side with kids from suburban and rural schools," Kiger said. "We are reaching an ethnically diverse population with archery, but we are also breaking gender stereotypes. Girls are embracing archery in record numbers."

Linda Beck is the tournament chairperson and the lead instructor for NASP in Minnesota. She sees the state tournament as an opportunity for parents to come and cheer on their children in a sport they can participate in for the rest of their lives. "Archery is a sport that whole families can do together," she said. "Unlike football or basketball, kids can expect to shoot archery for decades after they graduate."

Beck knows what she is talking about when it comes to youth archery. She was named the 2006 Developmental Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Archery Program.

Beck started coaching eight years ago after more than 20 years as a competitive target and 3D archer. Her coaching endeavors include work with a Junior Olympic Archery Development clubs in Central Minnesota and Fort Wayne, Ind.

Beck said that as much as she enjoys shooting, her passion is teaching archery to beginners and coaching young, elite shooters. She spends much of her spare time from her job as manager of technical services for Cargill Foods, coaching archers. In 2006, Beck was named as a Regional High Performance Coach for USA Archery. Kisik Lee, USA Archery National Head Coach, asked Beck to be an assistant coach at the 2006 Junior World Championships last summer in Mexico.

Beck was given the responsibility of the junior and cadet male compound teams. Both teams won gold medals in the team event.

Two of Linda's students, Adam Wruck and Corey Muellenbach, were members of the Junior World Championships Team where Muellenbach won the bronze.

For more information about the NASP program visit www.nasparchery.org or www.dnr.state.mn.us.