DANVILLE — Schlarman Academy students in grades 5 though 12 have been right on target this year with the establishment of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) at the school.

The 40 student members of the Schlarman team are now eligible to compete in the NASP meets, which introduce them to international archery.

Schlarman’s archery coaches are Scott Sprague and Jerry and Kim Kuchenbrod — the same coaches who seven years ago started programs that produced multi-state archery championships at Armstrong-Ellis Junior High and Armstrong-Potomac High School. Those high school students won three state titles, and the junior high students took six state championships and placed 12th out of 300 schools in the nationals.

“I’ve been involved in archery for 30 years,” Jerry Kuchenbrod said. “Archery is an honor sport where you score your own points. We have seen many positive changes in the kids who have come out for the teams in the past, and we feel the sport helps to build character, trust and honesty. In schools where archery is part of the curriculum, attendance is typically higher, the kids are more focused and disciplined, and they show improved social skills,” he added.

“It’s a mental game that’s all about concentration, form and repetition,” Kuchenbrod said. “It’s for both boys and girls, and it builds character.”

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is the partner and coordinator of this nationally acclaimed youth archery program that implements curriculum-based archery education into the public and private schools through the physical education departments.

The program is designed to teach international-style target archery, covering topics such as the history of archery, safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration, core strengthening, physical fitness and self-improvement.

The NASP has been successfully introduced in more than 40 states, with Illinois being one of the first 10 states to register for the program.

Schlarman physical education teachers Randy Skaggs and Joe Thompson have been certified as NASP instructors after completing the eight-hour NASP Basic Archery Instructor Training Program.

At least three times a week, members of the Schlarman archery team practice in two 90-minute sessions in the gymnasium of the school’s south campus. The 80-centimeter FITA (Federation of International Trade Associations) targets are placed in front of an arrow curtain at the south end of the gym. The equipment used is state of the art and designed to fit every student; the compound bows they use are adjustable from 11 to 20 pounds.

The coaches move slowly among students, giving individual instruction on form and style. The atmosphere is serious. There is no loud shouting or talking, because all the students are focused on the same thing — the targets placed in front of them.

Competitors shoot a total of 30 arrows. Fifteen are shot at a distance of 10 meters and 15 at a distance of 15 meters, with a perfect individual score being 300.

Why Schlarman?

About a year ago, Sprague and the Kuchenbrods approached Schlarman principal Bob Rice and his administration about adding archery to the school’s curriculum, and Rice embraced the idea.

“Mr. Rice and Schlarman have been very supportive of the program right from the beginning,” Sprague said. “We chose Schlarman because of their strong sense of values,” he added, “and we feel confident that the Schlarman team will be ready for the state competition in March.”

This year’s NASP state meet is on March 24, and the national competition is the second weekend in May. Sprague said that college recruiters regularly scout at this competition, and a growing number of scholarships are available for kids who make it to this level.

“We’re trying to expand the archery program to more schools,” Sprague said. “Georgetown also has an archery team, and other area schools districts, including Westville and Oakwood, have introduced archery into their PE classes.

He added that archery is the fastest-growing sport in the United States today and has been proven safer than all other sports — except for table tennis.

Rice said, “After their first meet, the coaches reported that the team’s overall improvement was excellent and their energy level is terrific. I am so pleased we were able to bring archery to Schlarman Academy. It’s a great alternative sport, especially for students who don’t want to play one of the traditional ball sports.

“In addition,” Rice said, “there is no expense to the Academy, because the program is fully funded by habitat conservation programs, and the coaches are volunteering their time. The students are responsible to pay for their team shirts and their entry fees for the tournaments.”

Nicholas Rademacher, Schlarman freshman, came to the Academy this year from Armstrong-Ellis Junior High, where he placed second in his division at the NASP state archery tournament. Rademacher is pleased to have followed his former Armstrong coaches to Schlarman, where he is a member of their newly formed archery team.

“I feel that our archery team at Schlarman has a lot or potential,” Rademacher said. “This is a sport that kids of all heights and weights can play.” Rademacher’s sister Maria, who is a sophomore, is also on the team.

Megan Chamberlain, junior, was introduced to a different style of archery when she was a counselor-in-training at camp last summer. Even though she is on the swim team and does other extracurricular activities, she finds the time for archery because she has taken a liking to it. “I like to read fantasy books, and archery is usually a sport that comes up in those stories,” she said.

Seventh-grader Weston Judd was taught the fundamentals of archery by his parents, who are both adept with a bow and arrow. He is looking forward to being part of the Schlarman archery team and said it was a thrill the first time he hit right on target.

Nicholas Labayog, also in seventh grade, said, “I find archery to be both a fun and a safe sport. I think we’re all getting better at it.” His sister Jasmine, who is in fifth grade, is also a member of the team.

Schlarman parent Kathy Hantz is pleased that her sixth-grade daughter, Sabrina, is interested in archery. “The coaches keep this sport very safe for the students,” she said. “It’s great to be able to offer the kids a new and different experience like this.”

Junior Erik Asmus, an exchange student from Germany, is on Schlarman’s archery team, as well as the school’s basketball team. “Archery is pretty cool and a lot of fun,” he said. He plans to continue with the sport when he returns to his high school in Germany.

During the school year more than 20,000 NASP-certified instructors are expected to provide archery training for nearly 2 million young people in more than 9,000 schools. To learn more about the archery program or how you can introduce the program to your school district, contact Scott Sprague at ssprague1@wildblue.net.