USA Archery

USA Archery is the national governing body for the Olympic sport of archery in the United States and a member of the International Archery Association.

Square1 Outdoors is host to a USA Archery Club for both adults and youth. Within the club we have Explore Archery for new youth archers and the Junior Olympic Archery Development Program, also for youth. The club’s base of operations is located near Booneville, Mississippi at the Prentiss County Sportsman’s Club, one of Square1 Outdoors’ properties.

Explore Archery consists of five lessons to help new archers gain fundamental knowledge pertaining to safety, equipment, scoring targets, and the 11 steps of archery. The lessons are objective-based and the length of time required may vary from child to child. This is most archers’ first introduction to the National Training System (NTS) 11 steps of archery. Ability-appropriate equipment is available for those interested in taking the first steps to learning the sport.

We have kids from ages 5-17 participating (and a few parents, too). Upon completion of each of the five lessons the archer receives an award in the form of “Dog Tag” engraved with the lesson title. Once all five dog tags have been earned, the archer is recognized for successful completion of the program. Beyond Explore Archery, there are two routes a young archer can choose – recreational archery or the Junior Olympic Archery Development Program (JOAD).

Recreational archery may include participation in club practice opportunities for target shooting, 3D archery, local tournaments, 4H Archery, and other club-sponsored archery activities. We welcome youth who participate in the Archery In Mississippi Schools (AIMS) Program to join us for additional practice, training, and equipment support.

JOAD requires USA Archery membership, which is $45 annually for youth. The first year’s membership is free to Explore Archery participants. Square1 Outdoors does not charge membership fees for youth participation. The USA Archery membership fee will be paid online when you join their national organization. As a USA Archery member and member of Square1 Outdoors’ JOAD Club (no additional fee) you can do all the things a recreational archer can do AND participate in USA Archery competitions and activities throughout the country.

JOAD archers earn awards as they progress in skill. There are eight skill award pins, award pins for special recognition such as the “300 Club”, Olympic Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for achieving advanced skill levels, and other benefits such as insurance. As a USA Archery member, you are earning awards and recognition that we cannot provide to non-members. If the archer decides to get involved in state and national USA Archery events, or any sanctioned event, membership will be required. Click the JOAD icon above or follow this link to visit the USA Archery JOAD website.

How do I get my child involved?

Bring them! Normal archery practice is on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings during the school year starting at 5pm. Last archers arrive by 7pm. There may be some deviations due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances and cancellations or changes will be posted in the FB Group, “Prentiss County Sportsman’s Club” as early as possible.

There may also be some variations during summer depending on other club activities. Join our FB Group to stay updated or ask to join our text group and email group.

AIMS for Home-Schooled Youth

Any home-schooled youth in grades 4-12 interested in participating in the AIMS Program and competing locally and possibly at the state level is welcome to join our Club. We will be fielding a HOME SCHOOL AIMS TEAM in the fall of 2022. Practice opportunities will be flexible to meet the needs of team members and their families.

WE PRACTICE YEAR-ROUND

Our adult volunteers consist of caring men and women who are Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) certified to serve as AIMS/NASP coaches and USA Archery Level 1 and Level 2 Instructors and Trainers, as well as one Level 3 NTS Coach. Our clubhouse provides indoor shooting out to 10m and we have an outdoor target range for shooting out to 50m. There is a 3D archery range on-site and hanging bag targets at varying distances to accommodate hunting bows and crossbows.

4H Shooting Sports

We encourage all our youth to participate in seasonal archery programs in order to enjoy archery year-round. 4H Shooting Sports kicks off its annual season with sign-up in December and January. Area 4H competitions take place in February and March and the District Competition takes place in April. Archers ages 8-18 may participate in 4H Archery.

Prentiss County 4H practice is conducted at the Sportsman’s Club during our normal routine with some added opportunities throughout the season. Lee County 4H practice is conducted at Sullivan Farms Recreational Shooting Area near Tupelo. We proudly provide material support to 4H in order facilitate training, practice, and provide equipment needed so that any local youth may participate and have a successful experience.

Contact us at square1outdoors@gmail.com.