Photo by Archery Encounters
Tim Case sought to bring about change to an area where there was neither a USA Archery presence or even instructors. And so began Archery Encounters.
Started in 2017, Archery Encounters developed as a business, with the aim being to provide archery opportunities to children and adults in northwestern Pennsylvania and the city of Erie.
In the seven years since, Archery Encounters has continued to grow. The program has seen a recruitment growth of approximately 10% annually.
Tim noted, “We are invited back to events every year that allow us to put a bow in approximately 1000 people's hands from all over the country.”
Additionally, they have seen growth on the coaching side. They now have one Level 4 coach, two Level 3 coaches, and several Level 2 instructors.
In the last three years, Archery Encounters has had approximately 4000 shooters at events, 200 at camps, and 200 recruits. Their JOAD program continues to develop and their partnership with the nearby college, Gannon University, has helped their archers continue in the development pipeline.
Tim touched on the success of his club, “Besides the obvious smiles at events, we get enthusiastic requests for more archery opportunities around the country. Our adult and youth recruits love the coaches and archery; the parents have become active in their child's success. We expect to have several nationally ranked youth and collegiate archers next year.”
To continue to build upon the success of the program, Archery Encounters has been offering family-oriented archery activities and games to help bring in more archers.
Archery Encounters use their Explore Archery Program for community outreach and recruitment for their more competitive programs, like JOAD. Tim mentioned, “We participate in several community events hosted by various local organizations throughout the summer and fall that reach ages from three to 83.”
Tim also shared that they are currently working with Gannon University’s student archery club to grow both their JOAD and Explore Archery programs through community events, tournaments and continuous recruitment efforts.
Find out more about Explore Archery and search for a club near you to get involved!
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