The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) is entering its 16th year having launched on March 3, 2002. Since then, NASP® participation has grown considerably beyond its original state of Kentucky to forty-seven states, as well as eight provinces, and eleven countries worldwide. This largest of all youth archery programs has enrolled more than fourteen thousand schools with more than 2.4 million participating students. To say that this NASP® is popular would be the understatement of the year as the youth of today are jumping on the archery train like wildfire in a drought-stricken forest!
However, the program wouldn't have run as smoothly, as it has been for more than over a decade now, without the help of state and provincial coordinators. Coordinators perform an extremely essential role in NASP® because they are the talented individuals who are responsible for recruiting schools, training teachers and parents to present archery lessons and they organize regional and state NASP® tournaments. Coordinators travel the country to participate in conferences where ideas are shared to strengthen the NASP®, and they even hold "archery academies" to aid parents, teachers and coaches to benefit their students. Most coordinators come from a conservation background and have other duties besides the ones required for NASP®. The archery program is always changing with the growing amounts of schools and students. Turnover among coordinators is among the biggest changes that occur each year. Over the past several weeks, four new NASP® coordinators from the states Connecticut, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Oregon, have come aboard.
Keith Hoffman, new NASP® coordinator for CT, works for the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Wildlife Division. He holds a B.S. in Conservation Law Enforcement from Unity College in central Maine. Before coming on as a NASP® coordinator, Hoffman worked as a Wetlands Compliance Officer for CT Municipality. Hoffman says, "When I became aware of the CT NASP® coordinator position, I was interested because I felt it is an avenue to further introduce young people to an outdoor activity." Hoffman began his hunting and archery journey at the age of twelve, and today he has continued his archery and hunting passion as a Volunteer Hunter Safety Instructor. Both positions, Safety Instructor and NASP® Coordinator, he finds similar because both "encourage a connection with the outdoors," something he feels is missing from today's society.
Lisa Frye is the newest NASP® coordinator for the state of Kentucky. She has been with the program since its birth, March of 2002, and she was formally the coordinator for regions six and seven. Frye is recently a retired school teacher of twenty-seven years, and resides in Frankfort, Kentucky with her husband and four daughters. "Following two great state coordinators, I know that I have big shoes to fill. I look forward to working with NASP® to introduce KY students to archery," says Frye.
North Carolina's also has a new NASP Coordinator, Lee Scripture. While Lee might be new to NASP®, he is well versed in many outdoor pursuits such as hunting, fishing, and camping. He has a B.S. in Biology and certification in Middle Grades Science Education. He spent the last twelve years with the NC 4-H camping and shooting sports, and during this time, he taught a variety of shooting sports to children and adults. To top it off, Scripture was also a NC 4-H Shooting Specialist. When asked his thoughts on becoming the newest NC NASP® coordinator, he had this is say, "I have been lucky enough to see the positive impact of shooting sport programs. Seeing this impact has lead me to further my career with this great organization and its network of dedicated staff and volunteers. I am also excited to see NASP® grow throughout NC."
Miranda (Leek) Huerta grew up knowing a thing or two about archery. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, her father introduced her to the sport at the early age of five. She and her father would spend quality time together with their compounds at local, regional, an eventually, national events. At age twelve Huerta was introduced to the Olympic style recurve, which lead to her training for National US Archery events including: Jr. Dream Team, 2009 Youth World Team, 2010 Inaugural Youth Olympic Team, 2011 Senior World Team, 2012 London
Olympic Team, and finally, 2013 Senior World Team. Huerta graduated from Iowa State University in 2016 with a B.S. in Environmental Science, and is currently working as Oregon's newest NASP® coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). "ODFW is excited to begin implementing NASP® in the state. We see this not only as an opportunity to introduce school-aged children to the sport of archery, but also to connect them and their families to Oregon's fish and wildlife resources."
Congratulations to all the new NASP® coordinators. NASP® is equally excited to have them on board, to see the amazing impact they will have on the present and future youth of the archery program!
NASP® is the largest archery organization in the world, and is continuing to flourish due to the outstanding staff and these accomplished leaders across the United States and Worldwide. Welcome to the NASP® family, coordinators!
For more information regarding NASP®, please visit
www.naspschools.org.
