New high school archery coach!

[rallen]

Fellow archers,

Looks like I will become the first archery coach at our high school next fall! We have never had a team at our school (some 1200 students). Luckily, I will "inherit" at least two middle schoolers who were good enough to make it to nationals just a couple of weeks ago in Louisville , KY. I also have several students who already hunt with compounds. I hope to have a good season next year.

I love bowhunting and archery! However, I am by NO means an expert! Not only will it be a challenge to share what I know with these kids, but I also have the "honor" of raising enough funds to obtain the Genesis bows and accessories that we will need to accomodate each student. I already have a commitment from our local bowhunting association, but I'm sure we'll need even more! If any of you have ideas, suggestions, contacts, etc. that would help us obtain the necessary equipment, I'd appreciate an email from you! I'll be happy to answer any questions, or put you in contact with our school's atheletic director or the county superintendent.

Most of all, I need your prayers. I already have too many irons in the fire! It's difficult enough to make time for my own two little boys, yet alone run such a program/team with 40 - 50 other kids! Yet, I love shooting bows and I want to pass that passion on to these kids. For some of them it will be the only thing that they will involve themselves in during their high school years. Some of them have no adults that they can even relate to. And as a minister (yes, I do that too!) I will see it as a ministry. I am not one who forces my beliefs on others. However, I know that many of these kids have no positive influence on the lives. If I can be a coach who can make a positive influence on them, encourage them in archery, and help them acedemically, then it will be worth it.

I'll welcome any advice, encouragement, financial support, and certainly your prayers- for me AND the kids on the team.

Blessings on you all and may the Lord direct your lives (and your arrows)!

Richard Allen
"Bow Minister"

[Esquire]

One place you might ask is over at http://www.kentuckyhunting.net/forums/. I used to post there quite a bit but do very little now. However, I'm guessing that GSP on that site would be able to answer some questions about whether any funds are available in KY that you could tap into. There are a number of guys over there that really believe in the archery in the schools program. Put this post up over there in the cyberhunters of KY public forum and also PM Rick Allen (GSP). Tell him <mike.one> sent you. He will also know my real name.

Those guys might have some useful tips for you.

Congratulations! You are going to be very good for those kids and for that program.

Mike

[Bob Gordon]

Richard...Congrats!!! You will have fun with the kids and teach them something that they can get into for the rest of their lives. Once you get over the hump of starting something new like this you and the kids will enjoy your time together. One of the local archery clubs here had a great kids program and charter a bus and haul them to some 3-D shoots on the weekends. Maybe down the road you can bum a big yellow bus and do the same thing. Congrats again, have fun and be safe....warf

[steve morley]

Richard...Congrats, I think it's cool that archery is taught in Schools. It's never been taught over here in English Schools, only at Scouts.

The Future of archery is in this younger generation and need all the help and support they can get, Richard youre the man for giving your time and support to these people :bow2:

[Eaglearcher]

Richard
Just a word from another Brit.
Good on you!
As Steve has just said the kids are the future of archery
Too many people take up the sport when they are adults and have lost the opportunity to grow up with the sport.
I have taught at a local college and have seen the enthusiasm that is just waiting to be unleashed.
My daughter is 8 and shoots with me every week. She shot her first arrow into a target when she was 3 and has never looked back. Teaching her to shoot was a joy and a labour of love. Myself and my wife have held shooting days at my daughters school holiday club, teaching 4 to 13 year olds and i think that we got as much out of it as the kids.
Archery teaches self reliance, self dicipline and concentration skills.
Talking to other parents of kids that shoot, it is suprising how many of them are near to or top of their classes at school. Coincidence?
Too many kids spend their time in front of the TV. Archery gets them outdoors and can also give them a better understanding and appreciation for mother nature.
Go for it Richard, and the best of luck to you

Shoot Straight Shoot True :shooting:

Eaglearcher

[thisbucks4u]

Congratulations Richard! That should make for some very, very interesting practices. Make sure and let us know if theres anything we can help with.

[Grey Ghost]

Hi Bow Minister,

If you can get your name in the pot early enough, you might seek some Grant funding. http://www.iac.wa.gov/iac/grants/farr.htm Also, talk to the State and see if there are any schools dropping out that got the "Set" from the Equipment folks last year. One school, here in Western Kentucky, (so I have been told) dropped out this year, and they turned their equipment over to the local 4H group.

gg

[Floxter]

Bow Minister, you might want to contact the National Alliance for the Development of Archery wwwteacharchery.org They offer complete archery equipment packages at very reasonable prices as well as associated materials such as targets, training aids, course materials, etc. Some of their equipment packages can even be rented if purchasing is too expensive. They are also the organization responsible for creating, and administering NAA Level I and Level II instructors courses.

[Cato]

Get a kid really interested in archery, and you have put the odds in his or her favor that they will not migrate into some of the many things out there that are so bad for kids today.

We're proud of ya dude.

[rallen]

First, I wanted to thank all of you for the words or encouragement, the advice, and all of the other helpful info! This is one of the things I appreciate so much about the archery community! Everyone is so helpful.

Today, I spoke with our assistant superintendent of our school system. The archery team has been approved for next year. Our only other hurdle is that we will also have to be approved by our school's site-based council. If that happens the school will then provide most of the monies, equipment, etc. to help us get started! I meet with our school principal and athletic director tomorrow. We will begin to prepare to develop our "proposal" to the council. For those of you who pray, PRAY!!!!!!!!

Thanks again,

Richard :highfive: :thankyou: :shooting:

[Esquire]

Great news Richard! They'd be crazy not to approve it! (Tell em I said so :) ).

[rallen]

Great news Richard! They'd be crazy not to approve it! (Tell em I said so :) ).

Esquire,

Should I also tell them that you're my "brother" (in the Lord) and that you're an attorney! LOL :bow2:

[Esquire]

Let em know I'm partial to the 3 kick rule, long as I go first. :)

(see post No. 4 @ http://tradtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46).

And tell em were brothers, by all means, brother.

Mike

[tuffshot]

I am glad to see that your school is even concidering the archery program and wish the best for you and your soon to be archers..
:shooting:

We could not get anything like that around here because the schools are using sports programs as hostage or leverage to get levies passed from their mismanaged funds.