PHOTO BY PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
NEW PROGRAM … The Archbold Area Schools club archery program qualified eight high school students for the National Archery in Schools Program competition that will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, in early May. Team Coach Jason Valentine (second from left) told Archbold Rotarians how he, his wife and other parents have worked together with the school system to create a club archery program for the 2025-26 school year that attracted 102 fourth through 12th graders. Pictured from left: Archbold Rotarian Leo Wixom, who arranged the program; Coach Valentine; and national qualifiers Brody Beck, Sawyer Owen, Luis Escalero, Kylie Wanemacher, Anna Krueger, Nicole Stevenson, Griffin Valentine and Caleb Wanemacher.
In its very first year as an Archbold club sport, the archery team qualified eight high school students to compete in the National Archery in Schools Program competition that will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, in early May.
Team Coach Jason Valentine explained that while it was the team’s first year as a school-recognized club sport, it wasn’t the very first year that roughly 20 of the students have participated in archery.
For a few years, Archbold students traveled to Fayette to participate in that school’s archery program, which was one of the first school programs established in the immediate area about 10 years ago.
Valentine said he approached Archbold schools a little over a year ago to see if they would approve archery as a club sport for fourth through 12th graders.
He told them that he thought 50 or perhaps a few more students would be interested since 20 students were already going to Fayette to participate in archery.
After receiving school approval, he and his wife surveyed families to see how many would be interested in attending an informational meeting.
Families representing some 118 students responded favorably. After attending the first meeting, they ended up with 102 students and a number of parents who were willing to help by becoming certified to coach archery.
In order to be part of the National Archery in Schools Program, the school district must teach basic archery in school, usually as part of the physical education curriculum.
Both boys and girls must be able to participate, and all students use the same equipment to practice and in competition, with the only difference being the amount of bow tension allowed. Sighting equipment on the bow isn’t allowed.
“Archery is a sport for everybody,” Valentine explained. Since everyone uses the same style equipment and shoots at the same target from the same distance (rounds of 10 and 15 meters), it doesn’t matter how big, fast, old or smart you are, he said.
It’s a matter of practice and consistency — knowing how to aim, draw and release the arrow.
Archbold students compete in the Black Swamp Archery League, which includes 15 schools in northwest Ohio. Together, nearly 1,000 students now compete in archery.
He explained that in competition everyone shoots together in pairs. A high school junior could be shooting with a fifth grader.
However, the scoring is competitive by age and based on how many arrows stick within the target rings.
Valentine said the school and community have been very supportive of the program. People and organizations have donated money to purchase the targets and equipment needed for the program.
And, when parents and participants were surveyed, nearly all parents said that archery has been a positive experience for their archer.
