The Scholastic 3-D Archery (S3DA) program has undergone tremendous growth and exceptional changes since its inception in 2012. The S3DA program, offers indoor, 3-D and outdoor target opportunities as well as conservation and hunting education nationwide, had humble beginnings. However, since 2017, student membership, team creation, and tournament availability have really skyrocketed. Despite the ongoing global pandemic, S3DA members, coordinators and coaches are practicing and having tournaments while successfully working within the ever-changing world of social distancing and health mandates.

During these economically trying times, #s3danation came together, working as a family, to find ways to keep our archers in top shape and the program looking to the future. Now, through restructuring, sound fiscal management and sustained dedication to our youth, the S3DA enters 2021 in a strong position.

In seeking the best path for the continued growth of the program, the S3DA Board of Directors recently voted to promote Holly Helton to the position of executive director. With a strong, humble, and sincere approach to management, Helton will lead the program and help shape the pathway to a remarkable future for the youth archery and conservation world.

Helton graduated summa cum laude from Union College with dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business administration, as well as the University of the Cumberlands with a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting.

She began her full-time career with S3DA in April 2019 in Accounting & Membership Services and then was promoted to operations manager in May of 2020. S3DA Board of Directors President Dirk Dieterich said, “Holly has proven to have exceptional financial and management skills and is uniquely qualified to take the organization to the next level. I can’t imagine that we could have found a better executive director. We feel strongly that S3DA is the lifeline to our youth for the archery and bowhunting industries, and that we will all take pride in what the organization accomplishes in the future under Holly’s leadership.”

 

Finding Creative Ways to Keep Competing and Shooting

Edwards County (Illinois) Archery recently hosted its first regional qualifier for the 2021 competition season. With the largest indoor turn out so far this year, archers entered the building throughout the day to compete for their chance to qualify for the Illinois S3DA State Championship and become the Illinois S3DA “Indoor” Shooter of the Year.

Edwards County Archery is an archery team in the Edwards County School District, but since the COVID outbreak, events are not currently being held in conjunction with the school. Edwards County Archery worked with the Edwards County 4-H Board and was able to secure use of the county financial building in Albion, Illinois, to host the event.

Illinois Regional Coordinator and Coach Eli Landingham said, “We were very pleased and would like to thank everyone for attending this event. We would also like to thank the Edwards Co. 4-H Board for letting us use their facilities to host our events. Since the COVID outbreak, we have had to deal with some adjustments and find other venues that will allow archery participation, which has not been easy. Most of the archers are used to shooting in a high school gymnasium with ample seating, but we were able to work with the 4-H Board and provide a safe and fun event for everyone.”

White County Archery Coach Mike Westfall said, “This venue turned out to be a great place to host an archery event. I am so glad that our Illinois S3DA students are still excited to participate with all that is going on in the world. The scores for the day were high, which was also quite impressive. Many new shooters attended this event, and we look forward to being able to see their smiling faces soon. Illinois S3DA continues to grow in the midst of a pandemic.”

 

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 3-D, 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 students participate in 3-D and target archery using compound and traditional archery equipment. Students can participate at local, 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 young archers, grades 3–12.