Press Release

NASP Alabama State Championship to be Held in Birmingham April 5

March 27, 2012

The largest youth archery competition in Alabama, the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Alabama State Championship, will be held Thursday, April 5, 2012, in the North Hall of the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center. The event will feature more than 1,000 young archers in Grades 4-12 from schools across the state who earned a berth to the state championship after competing in one of five regional qualifying tournaments.  These students will compete for the title of state champion and the opportunity to advance to the National Championship May 11-12, in Louisville, Kentucky.  

Individual groups will begin shooting at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. The awards ceremony should begin at approximately 4:30 p.m. The media and public are invited. 

Since the program was introduced in Alabama in 2003, the state has produced multiple national titles. In 2011, the Ashville Middle School Archery Team won its third consecutive NASP Championship. Ashville Middle School also became the first middle school to score more than 3,400 points in a national competition. 

The NASP is a joint venture between the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division and the Alabama Department of Education. NASP instills discipline, concentration, and participants learn a life skill as part of a school’s physical education course or after school programs. Scoring is based on Olympic style, target archery in three divisions – elementary, middle and high school. Competition is on team and individual levels. 

The event could not be possible without the generous sponsorships of the Alabama Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Morrell Manufacturing, the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association, and the Alabama Wildlife Federation. 

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions:  Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.  To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com . 

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