National Archery in the Schools Program

Posted by Robert T. Chambers 
on Jan 26, 2016
 
                 So you want to be Katniss or Peeta in The Hunger Games or you know nothing of archery;  in either case that is where Gaylord Hibl comes in.  Gaylord is the Director and Head Coach of the Wahpeton Youth Archery program.  Members of the Wahpeton Rotary had the opportunity to hear about the program from Mr. Hibl at their regular noon meeting at Prante’s on Tuesday January 26th.
                                  Gaylord Hibl
                The program is a National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) created in 2001 with the purpose of educating students in micro and macro motion, concentration and listening as well as teaching about the National Wildlife Program, character and self-reliance.  It began in Kentucky with the assistance of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and Mathews, Inc. a leading compound bow manufacturer.  Their goal was to involve twenty-four thousand students in three years.  It took one year and since then the program has grown to a national and beyond program.  The program has been in North Dakota for eight years and in Wahpeton for seven.  In North Dakota there are one hundred and fifty schools with archery in the curriculum.  Cooperating with the Wahpeton School District and the Wahpeton Department of Parks and Recreation, 4H as well as local wildlife organizations the program involves children from age eight to graduation from high school.  The program had been capped at sixty but recently they had to add time and coaches as there are eighty four students in the program.
 
                The bow is standard: a Genesis compound bow that can be adjusted from ten to twenty pounds and a thirty inch draw length.
                Locally a tournament circuit with a traveling trophy has been set up involving Hankinson, Wahpeton and Gwinner with other communities interested.  Local students also compete at the state, national and world levels.  Once the students reach nationals they can win scholarships valued at up to twenty thousand dollars.  Spencer Brockman from the Gwinner organization has competed at the national (tied for 5th) and world competitions.
                Over six hundred young archers competed at the State tournament.  Recently Mr. Hibl and Mr. Brockman (Gwinner organization) and others have formed a 501© The North Dakota Youth Advisory Committee with a board of eighteen individuals from across the state including two members of the Bow hunters Association and involvement from the ND game and Fish Department.  The goal is to create scholarships at the State tournament level.  If they are able to develop the funds the national organization will match them with up to ten thousand dollars.