Williamsburg, KY – On February 12, 2023, nearly 100 youth archers, representing six different teams, traveled from across the state to compete in the 2023 Michigan S3DA Indoor State Championship. This record number of archers arrived at Flint Bowmen Archery Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan, ready to give it their all. These youth archers spent months working hard to prepare for this event.

In front of a crowd of more than 200 spectators, archers competed for the title of state champion. You could tell nerves were high, but the sportsmanship and friendships shined through. Many archers had personal bests. Hearing the “congratulations” and support among these competitors was heart-warming. The lifetime friendships that have been built among these S3DA youth members is truly amazing.

Jennifer Courtney, a parent from West Michigan Archery Center, said, “It was the first time for many of us to experience a shoot at the Flint Bowmen facility. This club definitely made us feel welcome and did a wonderful job hosting. It is always fun to reconnect with the parents from the other clubs and see all the kids doing what they love. We are obviously so proud of our archers! They have put in so much work both individually and as a team. The scores from this event reflect the dedication and love these kids have for the sport of archery.”

“Watching Michigan S3DA grow over the years has been a very rewarding experience. It is apparent the hard work that each of these archers is putting into improving their talent. I want to thank Flint Bowmen for hosting a great tournament. We are looking forward to continued growth in Michigan and continuing cultivating a love for archery and the outdoors in our youth,” said Michigan S3DA State Coordinator, Cara Waite.

Parents and coaches were seen conversing and watching as the archers shot their rounds. Podium finishers received medals as well as certificates for their outstanding performance. Young adult archers received several college scholarship certificates. Team champions were awarded in each of the four age divisions (Jr. Eagle, Eagle, Youth and Young Adult). Even those that did not perform as well as they had hoped for left with smiles on their face and a feeling of happiness.

Visit the Michigan S3DA Facebook page to learn more about the program!

About Scholastic 3-D Archery

Scholastic 3-D Archery (S3DA) is a unique, family-oriented youth archery program which has grown exponentially across the United States as a next-step initiative to follow introductory archery programs. The mission of the Scholastic

3-D Archery program is to foster, educate and guide youth in the areas of 3D, indoor target, and outdoor target archery as well as safe, ethical bowhunting practices. The goal of the S3DA program is to provide archery and bowhunting opportunities to youth in after-school settings, as well as with archery-affiliated clubs and businesses in the community. S3DA youth participate in 3-D and target archery using compound and traditional archery equipment. Youth members can participate at regional, state and national archery events and earn college scholarships from colleges and universities across the United States. 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 youth archers.

Contact the Scholastic 3-D Archery National Office at:

www.s3da.org or 410 Sycamore Street, Williamsburg, KY 40769, Ph: 606.524.3685

Media contact Kayla Bolton at kayla@s3da.org, Ph: 423.494.2204