Upstate home-school group starting archery team

A group of home-schooling parents in the Greenville area have started an archery team that has attracted the interest of 120 students.

Team will be part of National Archery in the Schools Program

Families involved in home-schooling in Greenville and surrounding areas are starting a National Archery in the Schools Program.

NASP is a program that originated in Kentucky in 2001 that involves educators, conservation agencies and parents teaching students outdoor skills, based on training and competition between students in the fourth through 12th grades.

Colleen Pusateri, program director for the group, said they have received responses from 120 students — including three in her home — while operating under the umbrella of the Upstate Home-school Co-op’s Hurricanes athletic program.

The archery team is practicing at the Boiling Springs Fire Department property, but is looking for a more permanent site where they can store equipment.

The program’s goal is to offer Junior Olympic Development-style archery training, with the core content of the program covering archery history, safety technique, equipment, mental concentration and self-improvement.

Organized two months ago, the archery team is seeking sponsors to defray the initial equipment costs of $3,000 and for scholarships to enable students to access the program at a reasonable cost. For information, contact Pusateri at pusateri_colleen@yahoo.com.