Student archers, educators and families came together for the 2026 Western National Tournament in April, held at the Mountain America Expo Center. The three-day event was organized by the National Archery in the Schools Program and brought in archers from across the country.

The competition provided a premier stage for nearly 2,500 fourth- through 12th-grade students in the western United States as they competed for spots at the world’s largest archery tournament in Florida in June: the NASP® Championships. 

RaLynne Takeda works for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources as the hunter education program coordinator. She also served as the NASP® coordinator in Utah for several years and said the event was a great success.

“We had several schools from Utah and a middle school down in Price actually took first place,” Takeda said. “We had a bullseye tournament and a 3D tournament. Bullseye is the bullseye target, and then in the 3D, they’re actually shooting at 3D animals.”

The bullseye event featured 2,400 archers, representing 289 schools across 25 states. The 3D tournament had 2,100 archers participating, representing 218 schools over 21 states. Student interest in archery continues to grow with NASP® providing in-school archery instruction to more than 1.2 million students in the United States. 

Takeda said kids who devote time to archery have the opportunity to step onto the national stage while developing lifelong skills and abilities.

“Archery is a great way for kids to learn focus and discipline,” she said. “There have been studies that show kids take what they learn in archery to become focused and apply it to their school work.”

NASP® teaches an 11-step process to help students find archery success. The steps include developing a strong stance, finding specific hand placements, drawing and anchoring the string, aiming, releasing and following through. The program allows students to build technique while learning important safety skills.

Schools are invited to incorporate NASP® into their curriculum by finding a teacher willing to lead the program. Once the teacher is trained, NASP® can help with grants so schools can get archery equipment. The organization also provides scholarships so students can pursue a college career.

“Even at our state event, we have scholarships for the students who win,” Takeda said. “That goes a long way. When you start in fourth grade and you’re doing well, and you win scholarships every year, by the time you get to college, you’re looking to have a good chunk of change.”

Along with the competition, the Western National Tournament has evolved into a family-friendly gathering where teams and participants exchange custom pins, take part in a scavenger hunt within the NASP® app, explore the vendors and interact with fellow competitors. Takeda said it’s a way for students to create connections and build friendships in the archery world. 

Winners from this event will join top archers from the Eastern National Tournament to compete for championship titles. For more information, visit NASP®schools.org.