An opportunity is “nocking” for Pennsylvania’s student archers.
The 2016 National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament is set to be held March 11 in State College. It’s shaping up to be the biggest student archery tournament ever in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is encouraging all schools participating in the program, commonly referred to as NASP, to register to compete.
There is an $11 fee per archer to register, and the first day for registration is Feb 1. Registration remains open through Feb. 19.
The NASP state tournament has been growing each year since its inception in 2011, and the March 11 tournament to be held at the Penn State Multi-Sport Facility figures to include close to 1,100 participants from more than 45 schools across Pennsylvania.
The program has been growing in Pennsylvania and worldwide.
NASP, which started in Kentucky in 2002, came to Pennsylvania in 2005. The Game Commission began coordinating the program in 2010 and, so far, the program has expanded to 210 schools.
The tournament always is a sight to see. Ninety-five lanes, each with two archers, will be operating at once. About 9,000 arrows will fly each hour. And somewhere near 46,000 arrows will be fired on the day.
This year, more than $5,000 in scholarships will be handed out to the state’s top performing student archers, helping them pay for college.
Registration can be completed online through the Game Commission’s Web site, www.pgc.state.pa.us, or directly through the NASP Tournament Web site, http://nasptournaments.org.
To use the Game Commission’s Web site to register, place your cursor over the “Education” tab and then click “National Archery in the Schools Program.” Registration is just a few more clicks away.
Teams are encouraged to register early this year as space is limited.
NASP helps school districts in Pennsylvania meet physical-education curriculum requirements set by the state Department of Education, and at the same time introduces students to the world of competitive archery.
Tournaments are held at the state, national and international levels, and Pennsylvania sent more than 100 students to the 2015 national competition, which was held in Louisville, Ky.
To get NASP started in a Pennsylvania school, contact Todd Holmes, at the Game Commission headquarters, at 717-787-4250, ext. 3330. Also, “PA NASP” can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennNASP.