In archery, assistant coaches are outnumbered twenty to one. They are tasked with training dozens of archers for the upcoming season, aiming not only to improve their shooting performance, but also mentor them to eliminate the struggles keeping them from success. 

The coaches, being volunteers, require minimal training themselves to achieve this goal. Some newer coaches say this can feel especially daunting, yet rewarding at the right moments.

While teams in Bryant hire specialists to act as coaches, archery has a different approach. If you are an archer, chances are you will see a volunteer coach. Oftentimes, this includes the parents of students on the archery team. 

“Most of the volunteer coaches have been moms or dads that showed interest in helping out so we had them go through the training offered by Arkansas Game and Fish,” Alverio said. “We have been selective about coaches that help because we need people who know how to help the archers.”

As part of the leadership during practices, every coach must be BAI (Basic Archery Instructor) certified, and is vetted by Mrs. Alverio, an Algebra I teacher at Bryant Junior High School and head coach of the archery team.

Nicholas Metheny, an assistant coach known by the archery team as Coach Nick, has been coaching for six years ever since his daughter joined the team in elementary school.

“The coach over at Davis Elementary at the time approached me and asked me if I would help [my daughter] out and get the program started over there,” Metheny said. “After working with the kids that year and getting closer to my daughter…[archery] really sparked it for me, and that’s where my passion is outside my job.”

Metheny uses his knowledge of sharpshooting from his nineteen years in the Arkansas National Guard to give insight that students say has led to their success. His expertise in the subject allows him to teach new shooters skills like “zeroing” their shots, a technique which involves using the groupings of arrows to adjust aim points in order to improve accuracy.

“I feel like I’ve had an influence,” Metheny said. “I feel that another coach has had an influence. We all bring a little bit of something different to the table, so it’s kind of like a puzzle.”

While Nick has been coaching for six years, less experienced coaches may focus less on the technical side of things and try to foster companionship among the team.

“It is a team, but kind of a family type team, where we got each other’s backs,” coach Jason Whitfield, a teacher at the Hornet Behavior Center and one of the newer additions to the team, said. “You get a very diverse group of individuals. Some are band people, some are choir people. Some don’t do anything but archery.”

Whitfield emphasizes the importance of mentorship when facing challenges such as an overly competitive shooter or a bad habit that’s negatively impacting their potential. The responsibilities of a parent volunteer not only include teaching vital skills the “Eleven Steps to Archery Success,” but also include teaching students to maintain a positive outlook on life.

“It shouldn’t be so stressful.” Whitfield said. “Yes, it is a competition, but I want you guys to have fun with what you’re doing too. If you’re not having fun, then… it becomes a burden and not something you enjoy.”

As the new season approaches, the team selection process began with tryouts that took place at Bryant Junior High School over the course of three weeks. Archers prepared during four tryout practice sessions before the actual tryouts on Tuesday, Oct. 15, and Thursday, Oct. 17. The following Tuesday, Oct. 22, coaches gathered at the junior high’s black box to decide the next set of archers for the team.

The selection criteria not only includes the 28 highest scores of the middle and high school teams, but also observations coaches made about each archer’s attitude, professionalism, and potential for growth.

“I look at the individual and what they bring to the team as far as attitude and team effort,” Whitfield said. “We want to be where everybody feels accepted by everyone. I try to pick someone who I feel like fits into that family.”

Coach Jason is just one example of the numerous coaches that have come and gone throughout the archery team’s history. The majority closed the archery chapter of their lives along with their kids, such as Steven Lee who left the team when his daughter graduated in the 2023-2024 school year. Similarly, Whitfield plans to make the most of his time as a coach until his daughter graduates.

“It’s a passion of mine, and I really enjoy it,” Whitfield said. “I’ve met some amazing students throughout this time, and I just hope that I’m able to have a positive impact and be a role model for them. I look forward to this season.”