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Sunday, January 28, 2007

NASP Success in New Jersey

Hudson Reporter Article Here

Everyone PLEASE write a comment on this and thank the writer for such a fantastic article. I have forwarded the article to Roy Grimes and my State Coordinator for further distribution. For those unfamiliar with the program visit NASP


By Jim Hague

When one thinks of archery, the initial image may be of Hollywood legend Errol Flynn portraying Robin Hood, gallivanting through Sherwood Forest with bow and arrow in hand.

Or perhaps it could be of William Tell, trying to shoot the apple off his son's head.

Or maybe even Apache Indians going off to battle.

It's an image of medieval times, of an era gone by, one that certainly isn't very prevalent now.

Guess again.

In Weehawken, archery has become a very popular sport - and yes, it is certainly a sport.

For years, archery has been featured in the Olympic Games. It is a sport of precision, of timing, of intense hand-to-eye coordination.

Chuck Barone, the township's recreational director, has been involved in the sport of archery since he was 15 years old. It was something that Barone picked up on as a teen and it remained an interest to him throughout his adult life.

"People think that archery is strictly done to kill animals in hunting," Barone said. "Sure, that's an aspect to it, but hunting is so totally different than the sport. The sport is excellent."

New program for students

Two years ago, when Barone was thinking of ideas to introduce to youngsters as part of the township's recreation program, he immediately thought of archery.

"We were looking for something different to offer to the kids who aren't the most gifted athletically, yet still wanted to get involved in a recreational program," Barone said. "We were looking for something that kids could compete in other than the typical football and basketball programs. There are a lot of good things in archery."

Roosevelt School physical education teacher Joe Perez is also an avid archer. He also decided to help bring archery to Weehawken by introducing the sport in his classes.

The hope is that the Weehawken schools will become part of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), a nationwide effort to introduce the sport to elementary school students.

The NASP is designed to teach international style target archery in physical education classes to students from the fourth grade through high school. The core content of the classes includes archery history, safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration and self-improvement.

"I think it helps to build confidence and self esteem," Barone said. "The student becomes proud of what they're accomplishing."

Statewide interest

Barone said that there are 12 school districts in northern New Jersey alone that have adopted the NASP program.

"People don't realize just how much of an upswing there has been in archery over the last five years, especially locally," Barone said. "There are local archery clubs, competitions, and leagues. Eventually, the National program would love to see a statewide competition in New Jersey."

Barone had no idea what the interest would be like with the youngsters in the town. But when the program began, there were about 25 kids who wanted to give it a try.

"We got a good response right away," Barone said.

A-list actress inspires girls

Genna Fakuda, a 10-year-old fifth grader at Roosevelt School, said that she was curious about archery because of a school project that she had just completed.

"One of the people that I featured in my project was Geena Davis," Fakuda said. "I knew that she was into archery and she inspired me to try it."

Davis, the Oscar-winning actress, is such an avid archer that she actually tried out for the United States Olympic Team in 2004 and just missed making the squad.

Because of Davis' inspiration, girls like Fakuda are taking to the sport.

"Once I started, I really liked it," Fakuda said. "I had fun learning it. It was pretty hard at first, especially getting the arm strength with the bow. I got used to it after a while."

"It's always good to see girls get involved," Barone said. "We have a number of girls who have been regularly coming to the classes."

Some of the Weehawken youngsters have become so interested in the sport that they have joined leagues in Saddle Brook to participate there.

"Some others have their own bows now," Barone said. "The kids are really getting into it. I'm really impressed with how far they've come."

Shooting for the stars

One of the more avid Weehawken archers is Roosevelt School sixth grader James McCall, who has become very proficient in just the short time he's been shooting.

"Mr. Perez encouraged me to do it and I really got into it," McCall said. "I never did it before, but I liked it a lot. I like the challenge of it. I play baseball, too, but this is a lot different. You have to be persistent. You have to have good balance. I'm glad I got a chance to learn about archery in school."

Both McCall and Fakuda are surprised with how talented they've become with the bow and arrow.

"I'm surprised with how good I've become," McCall said. "I never would have thought I would be this good."

"I'm very surprised with how much I've improved since I've started," Fakuda said. "I like that I keep getting better."

Both students have been encouraging their friends to get involved in the sport.

"I'm going to continue to participate in it," McCall said. "It's something I think I can do pretty well."

"Mr. Perez helped me to become good at it," Fakuda said. "He's a very good teacher. He's the reason why I'm good at it now. I've already had four bulls' eyes and I've only been shooting for about a year. I just want to keep doing it and get better. Maybe I can be an Olympian some day. That's a goal of mine."

Barone said that the archery program has become so successful that he might consider offering adult classes in the future.

"That's something we're discussing," Barone said. "We just wanted to offer something as an alternative for the kids to do and it worked out well. So far, so good."

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