Olympian Mackenzie Brown
Whether it be Legolas from The Lord of the Rings, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games or Princess Merida from Brave, you’ve seen a fictional person shoot an arrow. But how about an actual person? From Aug. 8-11, you’ll have the opportunity when more than 600 competitors attend the U.S. National Target Championships and U.S. Open for their chance to earn a spot on the U.S. National Archery team.
Every two years, the best archers in the Midwest come to Dublin to compete at Darree Fields, a park that now hosts other large archery events since the USA Archery Buckeye Classic began in 2016. Tournament Director and Ace Archers of Columbus Coach Chris Worthen says that this event has grown about 40 percent since its first year, with more than 60 to 70 percent of archers returning to the field.
“I’ll be honest, it’s going to be a little bigger, it’s going to be a little flashier. We made sure functionally it ran really well in 2016 and now we can have a lot of fun with it,” Worthen says.
In 2016, USA Archery was searching for a new venue in the Midwest to host a national championship. Worthen and Ace Archers went searching in Dublin for a venue, and once they found Darree Fields, they put together a bid for the event. The event has hit its mark ever since, especially because the archery community has drastically expanded.
“You have the opportunity to shoot next to pros and Olympic medalists and everything else, all in one field. It’s kind of a cool event.” - Chris Worthen
Previously a sport practiced primarily by hunters and scouts, archery has increased in popularity, especially over the past 10 years. Physical education programs have embraced the sport that emphasizes focus, accuracy and safety. NASP, the National Archery in Schools Program, is supported by many schools in the area, like Worthington and Dublin City Schools. This organization sets up tournaments specifically for students from elementary through high school, preparing them for college teams and other club team experiences. It emphasizes safety and sportsmanship even with the youngest athletes. Several Dublin Jerome High School students were involved in NASP’s Fairfield Christian Academy Spring Invitational this past year.
Many youth recreational programs have sprung up and pushed young athletes to compete at a higher level as well. JOAD, the Junior Olympic Archery Development program, has many clubs in the area and prepares archers to be part of a club team. Worthen says the kids who were involved at the beginning of this movement are today’s elite-level archers.
Olympic Gold Medalist Brady Ellison
That said, the youngest competitors at the USA Archery Classic are 13 years old. They don’t make up the majority though, as the largest growing category at this event is the masters division, designated for archers over 50 years old. Because archery can lead to better balance, increased hand and wrist flexibility, and better strength, archers can be involved in the sport for a very long time. This creates a great social setting for many generations to connect over a shared sport.
“There aren’t many sports where you can stand on the same field and compete at 13 and 85 as the same people who are silver and gold medalists from the Olympics,” Worthen says. “You have the opportunity to shoot next to pros and Olympic medalists and everything else, all in one field. It’s kind of a cool event.”
This event has led to a growth in other archery events as well. In the month of August alone, Darree Fields will host another massive archery event, the Buckeye Classic. There, 500 to 600 archers will come together from Aug. 24-26 to try to qualify for the U.S. team. Next year, Darree Fields will host the U.S. National Collegiate Championships with more than 500 archers.
The Buckeye Classic was started the same year as the USA Archery classic, and is co-hosted by USA Archery and the Ace Archers Club of Columbus. It is also the final qualifier of the year for the national archery team (USAT), making it a must-attend event for people who are serious about the competition.
Ace Archers not only hosts tournaments, but provides open houses for people to learn to shoot for free. It also provides extensive training and resources to help people learn how to shoot and enhance their skills. It coaches JOAD members and young people who might need a little boost of confidence on the field. It never hurts to have a support system, especially when the sport is so based in self-reliance and focus.
As for Worthen, he hopes that more people will continue to pursue archery, and that Dublin will become a bigger venue for archers around the world.
“We hope to keep growing this event, increase participation,” he says. “This is a stepping stone to the national team currently. We see it as a stepping stone to the Olympic team … and, possibly, we make it an international event.”
Maria Lubanovic is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
