DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Nearly 3,000 kids in fourth through 12th grades are competing in the National Archery in the Schools Program’s national championships in Daytona Beach.
The tournament started on Thursday and ends on Saturday at the Ocean Center. Teams from 49 states are represented at these championships.
“It’s pretty cool,” 5th-grader Noah Smitley said. “[It’s] pretty cool that I get to be with my friends on my team.”
Smitley is on a team with 92 kids from Indiana. His coach, Ashley First, is proud of the whole team, Cougar Archery.
“It’s really awesome to watch the kids progress throughout the season,” First said. “They started in November, and some of them couldn’t even hit the target. And then to have qualified and made it to the championship tournament is really an awesome thing for these kids.”
The Tampa Bay Heat Archery team made the short trip to the Atlantic Coast. Coach Jordan Martinez reflected on what it meant to watch his kids compete.
“These kids were great,” Martinez said. “They are so full of energy. We are the Florida State champions for elementary. It was so cool to see all of these kids come and to have so much fun here.”
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: