By Larry Coonrod
For Lebanon Local
Lebanon was the center of the local archery world on Jan.18 when 14 kids ranging from elementary to high school age competed in an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Scholastic 3-D Archery-sponsored indoor tournament.
Stephanie Rustad, ODFW archery education coordinator said the national S3DA programs serves as bridge between 4-H archery programs and the United States Archery Association and National Field Archery Association tournaments.
ODFW sponsors youth indoor and outdoor tournaments between December and the second week of July.
“Basically, S3DA takes all of the USAA and NFAA tournaments and cuts them in half so families that are getting into archery don’t have to shoot so many arrows,” Rustad said. “They don’t have to worry about kids focusing as long.”
Photo by Larry Coonrod
During last month’s Lebanon tournament, competitors shot an NFAA indoor round consisting of six rounds (or “ends” as they are called in archery) of five arrows for a total of 30 arrow, half the normal 12-end 60 arrow game.
S3DA participants compete by gender and type of equipment used. Some shoot with a simple recurve bow while others use more advanced compound bow setups with sights and stabilizers. Regardless of the bow used, every archer knows that the secret to good shooting is a matter of mind control and focus.
“The hardest part about getting good is getting out of your own head” said Daisy O’Hearn of Newport.
O’Hearn, 16, took up archery six years ago and shoots at M2 Sports on most Monday nights.
“I read the book ‘The Hunger Games,’ and wanted to be like Katniss,” she said. “It’s something I can continuously do and it’s more of an individual sport and I really enjoy that”
O’Hearn finished second in the S3DA tournament in the girls high school bow hunter compound division.
Lebanon’s own Lila Herrera, 12, took second place in the middle school bow hunter category. Lila was introduced to archery at a Girl Scouts summer camp.
“I picked up a bow there and shot it, and definitely knew it was for me,” she said. Lila won the 2019 Oregon Bow Hunters Association’s triple crown award for her age by scoring the most combined points in the OBA indoor, field and 3D championship tournaments.
In early February, along with her parents, Cari and Alvin, Lila traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the famous Vegas Shoot along with nearly 3,800 other archers from around the world.
“The competitions are great,” she said. “I like to see who you are going to be put up against.”
Avarie Anderson, 10, of Lebanon started archery last August and competed for the first time last month.
“Keeping your form is the hardest part,” she said. “When you really focus sometimes you just move out of place.”
Cari Anderson, Avarie’s mom and an archer herself, said while the sport is enjoyable, it teaches an important lesson.
“It’s something she is responsible for, and she gets to practice and reap the benefits of her own efforts,” she said
Rustad, the ODFW archery coordinator, said the Jan.18 event, the second in Lebanon, went well.
“I think the coaches are doing a really good job working with the kids to make sure they are actually tournament ready.”
Photo by Larry Coonrod
ODFW receives funding for its youth archery programs through federal excise taxes on sporting goods.
“We run the training and we also give out equipment to get new clubs started,” Rustad said.
M2 Sports in Lebanon hosts the local S3DA club, one of only 11 in Oregon.
Marco Martinez, co-owner of M2 Sports and his wife Karen, coach the Lebanon S3DA program. They also train parents and teachers how to coach archery. Karen Martinez is a certified USAA, S3DA and National Archery in the Schools Program instructor.
“In archery you are competing against yourself every time. You are always trying to beat your own scores,” Marco Martinez said.
“In archery anybody can be beat on any day so you don’t have one person that always wins every event. And no one has a physical advantage over someone else. Someone who is stronger is not going to shoot better.”
Lebanon-Area Archery Opportunities
M2 Sports
Youth SD3A shoots on Monday nights. All-ages league shoots on Friday nights.
155 W Grant St.
541-451-5883
www.m2outdoorsports.com
The Archery Hut
Youth 4-H shoots on Monday nights.All-ages league shoots Thursday nights.
190 Crowfoot Road
541-259-2697
www.archeryhut.com
Wapiti Bowmen
Multi-generational archery club with target range.
34861 Richardson Gap Road
503-451-2798
ODFW Archery Education
www.dfw.state.or.us/education/hunter/archery/index.asp
National Scholastic 3-D Archery
www.s3da.org/