Natalie Bartley: Educator program brings archery to schools

During the summer, teachers catch their breath and prepare for the upcoming autumn classes.

Physical education teachers in Idaho are joining with the National Archery in Schools Program to bring international-style target archery to their schools.

A free, eight-hour instructor certification class is offered this summer in Southwest Idaho, and interested educators, bow shooting club members and others working with youth programs are encouraged to sign up. The next course starts on Wednesday. For information call Charley Henry at 343-5732.

Once certified as archery instructors, the teachers join with the NASP in bringing archery into their physical education classes, while following the National Physical Education Standards.

During the last school year, 25 schools across Idaho held archery classes, including Eagle, Parma and several Nampa schools.

They are part of 4,923 schools in the United States, plus one in New Zealand and one in South Africa that held archery programs this past year.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game serves as the local coordinating agency for the NASP Basic Archery Instructor Training, providing funding for the teachers and instructional books.

Archery equipment for the program is valued at $6,000, but schools partner with the Idaho State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and receive discounted equipment rates of $2,800 to $3,100 per school.

Supplies include targets, bow rack, arrow curtain and compound bows and arrows for 10 students.

Henry, a certified NASP instructor trainer and treasurer of the Idaho State Chapter of the NWTF, said any student can become competent at archery in a very short period of time.

Educators, youth programs or shooting clubs interested in getting involved with archery start with the instructor training class.

During their training, they learn how to set up a safe indoor archery range. They also learn about archery gear, storage, maintenance and repairs. Instructor candidates must pass a written test and teach each others in a classroom setting.

Instructor shooting practice include the same methods the instructor will use to teach students.

They shoot at a 31.5-inch diameter stand up target placed in front of a 10-foot-by-20-foot safety curtain.

If the archer misses the target, the arrow hits the curtain and drops to the floor.

"You can have students shooting arrows at targets in Olympic- style shooting in 10 minutes," Henry said.

Once certified, instructors implementing an archery program in their schools work with the Idaho State Chapter of the NWTF to secure funding for the archery kits.

For more information go to www.archeryintheschools.org or www.NWTF.org

Natalie Bartley is a freelance outdoors writer. E-mail: natbartley@.earthlink.net.