Jessamine County archers are preparing for a trip to the world tournament in October, hoping to be one of the top 10 teams in the world for the third time in the last five years.
The Providence School archery team includes students from Providence as well as some from East Jessamine High School, West Jessamine High School and East Jessamine Middle School. Sixteen students from the team will travel to Orlando, Fla., for the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) world tournament Oct. 4-6.
The team is currently in the middle of fundraising for the trip. Providence has qualified for the world tournament each of the past five years but has only been able to attend twice — placing in the top 10 each time — because of the cost. The team has sold some discount cards and is hosting an individual archery tournament next week.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has sanctioned archery as a sport this year for the first time, so East and West will have their own teams this winter. Providence teacher Eric Sowers, who will coach all three teams, said the combined team has been a good bridge in recent years to bring the schools together.
Sowers said archery had changed behavior and helped attendance at Providence, the county’s alternative middle and high school.
“When they participated in the program, they started to relate better with the people in their school and on their team; they started to have a pride in what they were doing and about themselves that hadn’t existed before,” he said.
The individual tournament to raise funds for the archery team will be at Providence’s Physical Activities Center (PAC) on Computrex Drive in Nicholasville on Saturday, Sept. 29. The cost is $6 per shooter, and any student can participate. Awards will be given for boys and girls in first through fifth places in elementary-school, middle-school and high-school divisions. For more information or to register, email Sowers at eric.sowers@jessamine.kyschools.us.
