Williamsburg, KY –– What do hot July weather, Superman, archery and kids have in common? Simple, the 2019 S3DA National Outdoor Target and 3-D Tournaments being held just outside of Metropolis, Illinois on July 10-13th. The mission of the Scholastic Archery Association is to successfully bridge the gap between beginning archery programs like NASP and 4-H and more advanced skills such as target archery and bowhunting. Clearly, the fulfillment of that mission is well underway as approximately 1,000 youth archers and thousands of parents, vendors and spectators are set to arrive at the Mermet Lake State Conservation Area for the 7th annual S3DA 3-D National Championship and the 3rd annual S3DA Outdoor Target National Championship. The event, held in conjunction with the Archery Shooters Association (ASA), just prior to the Superman Classic and ASA Classic will bring youth archers from across the country ready to battle for their chance to be crowned a “National Champion” in their division and class. The overall facilities and ground staff are second to none with abundant forest coverage, ample parking, and amazing wildlife viewing opportunities which make these events a must-see for all ages.
Archers and their parents will also have fun participating in some great novelty events. The Pope & Young North American Big Game Bowhunting Challenge will feature ten North American “Big Game” foam 3-D targets such as elk and mountain lion. The QDMA Family Whitetail Challenge will showcase ten whitetail deer targets at various distances and situations. New this year will be the Whitetails Unlimited Long-Shot Challenge where archers will have a chance to hit a specific spot on a 3-D target at a distance much greater than their normal maximum.
The festivities will kick off Tuesday, July 9th, with the opening of the novelty events and continue into the Outdoor Target (field target) Championship on Wednesday and Thursday. At the conclusion of the Outdoor Target event, archers will begin a two-day, two-round 3-D tournament culminating in shoot-downs on Saturday for final awards and thousands of dollars in college scholarships!
Started in December 2012 by the Scholastic Archery Association, S3DA has grown exponentially as a next step program to follow introductory programs offered as part of 4-H or the National Archery in Schools Program. S3DA addresses the need for a program to bridge beginning target archery experience and more advanced activities such as 3-D shooting and bowhunting. The program currently operates across the United States with hundreds of certified coaches serving
thousands of young archers, grades 3–12. For more information on S3DA membership go to: WWW.S3DA.ORG or email: infos3darchery@gmail.com. Check out S3DA on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.