Olympic Archery 
in the Schools (OAS) is a unique program created by the Easton Sports Development Foundation. Its aim is to provide youth with the opportunity to participate and excel in the sport of Olympic-style Archery. Through this program we hope to develop future Olympic team members and gold medal hopefuls. Although Olympic-level archers will be a small percentage of those who participate, everyone can enjoy the sport of archery. To achieve this, OAS provides resources, including archery equipment, instructor training, and OAS events, to Middle Schools and High Schools so that they may have safe and fun archery programs. Great care has been given to the OAS Program so that all of these resources, from Olympic-style bows to a comprehensive coach education program, give students a strong foundation in Olympic-style archery that will prepare them for a life-long enjoyment of the sport. We hope students will carry their passion for archery on to other programs like the Junior Dream Team, college programs, or even the Olympics.
Our program Mission statement is to...develop Olympic-style archery in middle schools, high schools andto further develop college programs aimed at fostering the growth of Olympic-style Archery nationwide.
Our Vision is to…provide programs, facilities and opportunities for youth to enjoy sports participation,improve health and offer direction toward a lifetime of competitive excellence.
Archery is an amazing sport that challenges you on both the physical and mental level. More than just a ‘point-and-shoot’ activity, archery is a true sport that develops self-discipline, strength, and mental focus. However, a wonderful part of archery is that anyone can participate and excel in it. It does not require students to be athletically gifted. In fact the next Olympic Champion can really come from anyone who is passionate about archery. In competition, there are also opportunities for archers to compete individually as well as in teams. So from your best school athlete to the physically challenged children — all can enjoy and benefit from this age-old sport. For student specific resources, please see our Student Section.
The mental aspect of the sport is an excellent way to:
• Build self-esteem
• Hone fine motor skills
You bet! Statically, archery is one of the safest sports. In a study conducted by the Archery Trade Association, archery was found to have one of the lowest injury rates right next to tennis and bowling. To read the full publication click Is Archery a Safe Sport? Yes!
OAS involves several aspects: equipment, coaches, curriculum, and competitions/events. By cultivating all of these, we provide schools the opportunity to have fun and safe archery programs that will give their students an enriching experience. For student specific resources, please see our Student Section.
Our goal is to give students a solid foundation in Olympic-style Archery. Thus the equipment we provide also contributes to that goal. The type of equipment we have chosen for the program is consistent with those seen in the Olympic sport today. By using the proper equipment students can fully experience the sport. For a limited time, participating schools will receive the following equipment at no cost:
- Insurance Policy through JOAD Program (Junior Olympic Archery Development)
- Complete Recurve Bows (left handed and right handed)
- Target mats with stands
- Target faces
- Arrows
- Safety Curtains (as needed)
- Tool Kit
- Training Aids
- Accessories
A key component to our program are the school coaches. A good coach can be the guide and mentor needed to take an athlete’s dreams to fruition. While we hope to increase the exposure of archery to youth, the quality of their instruction and experience is one of our top priorities. To ensure this, we have developed a comprehensive coach education program and other resources to train and support the school coaches. These trainings and resources are free of charge. To learn more be sure to check out the Coach’s Section.
Coach Forum
Other Resources such as score cards, achievement pins, etc.
OAS provides a curriculum to further assist teachers with their archery classes. The lessons and activities incorporate the NASPE standards for physical education so that students are getting a complete education in the sport. The curriculum is designed to help you manage the students while also teaching effectively by using activities like peer coaching, group work, and team competition. Ultimately, students will have a really fun time practicing Olympic-style archery while also learning more about the sport, equipment, bio-mechanics, and many other aspects. To learn more about the curriculum, please see our OAS Curriculum page.
To provide a rich experience for students, OAS offers a variety of events, from our Archery League to College Archery Fairs. During the fall school semester, we encourage schools to have their archery classes, either as a part of PE or after-school. This is also when we have our annual mail-in tournament as well as college archery fairs at various universities. Then the competition season starts in the spring. Schools can join our OAS Archery League to compete with other schools in their area and then come together for State Championships. During the summer break, summer training camps and workshops are held. Throughout the year, there will also be assorted online seminars and workshops. For more information, please see our OAS Program Schedule and OAS Calendar for upcoming events.
Fall Coach & Student Workshops
2011 OAS Mail-in Tournament!!!
2011 OAS State Championships