PENNSYLVANIA NASP STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD ON MARCH 8

PENNSYLVANIA NASP STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD ON MARCH 8
Registration open from Jan. 25 until Feb. 8

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are encouraging all schools participating in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) to register for Pennsylvania’s 2013 NASP State Tournament, which will be held on Friday, March 8, at the Penn State Multi-Sport Facility in University Park, Centre County. 

While there is no fee to register, registration opens on Friday, Jan. 25, and closes on Friday, Feb. 8. Registration can be done through the NASP link in the “Education” tab on the Game Commission’s homepage (www.pgc.state.pa.us), or directly through the NASP Tournament website (http://nasptournaments.org). Teams are encouraged to register early this year as space is limited.

NASP helps school districts in Pennsylvania meet physical education curriculum requirements of the state Department of Education, while at the same time introducing them to the world of competitive archery.

Last year, 494 students from 23 school districts participated in the NASP state competition.  This year, event organizers are expecting nearly 900 students from even more school districts and the 2013 tournament will be the largest NASP tournament to date for the agency.

“In addition to offering students a state archery championship for teams and individuals to compete for honors and trophies, the Game Commission is working with various partners to provide tournament participants and spectators the opportunity to visit a host of vendors, from archery equipment suppliers to a 3D range again this year for the Shooter’s Expo,” said Samantha Pedder, Game Commission outreach coordinator and state-level administrator for NASP.

Started in Kentucky, in 2002, NASP has spread throughout the United States, and is now reaching around the world, and includes nearly nine million participating students. There are over 10,000 schools participating in NASP in 47 states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Tournaments are held at the state, national and international levels. Pennsylvania sent 70 NASP students to the 2012 national competition, which was held in Louisville, Kentucky; and four attended the international event held at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida in October last year.

NASP came to Pennsylvania in 2005. In mid-2010, the Game Commission began coordinating the program and has grown the program to include more than 125 schools and was recognized for the greatest percentage increase in participating schools in 2012.

For more information on NASP, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on “Education” and then choose “National Archery in the Schools Program.” To get NASP started in a Pennsylvania school, contact Samantha Pedder, at the Game Commission headquarters, at 717-787-4250 (ext. 3327). Also, “PA NASP” can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennNASP.