Williamsburg, KY – Kentucky Scholastic 3-D Archery recently held the annual Indoor State Championship at the Owensboro Convention Center in Owensboro, Kentucky. Approximately 400 youth archers from across the state participated and thousands of spectators enjoyed the tournament and conservation activities. KY S3DA had a large conservation presence showcasing various animal pelts from mink to fox. There were also lots of information available regarding hunting and wildlife management, including wildlife mounts to show end-results. Archers were provided with knowledge regarding foraging, trapping, fishing, predator containment and the use of wildlife products for a range of uses from safety to food.

The Kentucky S3DA Conservation Program also coordinates various fundraisers throughout the year to support the KY S3DA Fisher Barton Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund annually provides up to four KY S3DA seniors with $1,000 scholarships to the college or trade school of their choice. The fund was organized in honor of Whitley County High School student and Impact Archery youth, Fisher Barton, who tragically lost his life in an ATV accident but will always be remembered as a kind, hard-working, dedicated boy who embodied the true meaning of living life to the fullest.

KY S3DA State Conservation Coordinator, Kerby Long said, “Our goal in Kentucky S3DA is to teach the youth that they can be passionate about target archery, conservation, and hunting. There’s no right or wrong combination there. We don’t push the kids to do things they are uncomfortable with, but we encourage them to take time to experience new things and see what they like and what they might want more information about. Since we began the conservation initiative in Kentucky, we’ve seen so many kids AND their parents’ become hunter certified and interested in taking that next step.”

KY S3DA will be furthering conservation efforts at some other regional tournaments and at the state 3D championship this year. Anyone interested should make plans to attend the 2023 KY S3DA Conservation Regional Tournament to be held on April 22nd at the Whitley County Fairgrounds & Archery Park in Williamsburg, KY. This will not only be a normal 20 target 3D competition but will also center around conservation activities with a 10-target hunting scenario fun range for archers, parents, and even spectators to try their hand at.

To learn more about the S3DA program, please visit the Kentucky Scholastic 3-D Archery Facebook page or the national S3DA website.

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 3D, 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 youth participate in 3-D and target archery using compound and traditional archery equipment. Youth members can participate at 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 youth archers.

Contact the Scholastic 3-D Archery National Office at:

www.s3da.org or 410 Sycamore Street, Williamsburg, KY 40769, Ph: 606.524.3685

Media contact Kayla Bolton at kayla@s3da.org, Ph: 423.494.2204