County Archery Competition Information
Shooting Schedule
Here is the schedule of FITA start times for all qualified archers. If you do not find your name on the list and you believe that you did everything to qualify (4 total practices minimum, 2 of which were county practices and bow class declared via online form) then contact me ASAP so we can figure out what happened. If you have questions or concerns about the scheduled times, you may contact the scheduler, Chenille Stewart at chenillestewart@gmail.com.
We would like to begin shooting by the times listed on the schedule. To accomplish this the kids must check in, gear up, listen to a brief scoring review, and stand on the range waiting for the whistle. We are asking that participants show up a half hour to an hour before their scheduled shooting time to make this shoot run as efficiently as possible. Even with our best efforts, we are estimating the total time on the range for each participant could exceed 2 hours, with a break between the FITA portion and the 3D portion. Our goal (not a guarantee) is to get the scorecards back to the kids at the awards presentation, so there should be no need to photograph scorecards.
If you find that you are unable to make your scheduled start time, get geared up and head to the check-in area as soon as you arrive at the range to let them know you have arrived. If there is an immediate opening, they will get you in. If there is not, you may be asked to wait. Please be patient. Within reason, we will do our best to make sure that all qualified archers get to shoot. As soon as there are no more archers waiting to shoot and the FITA range is empty, we will start tearing down the range. Once the range starts coming down, latecomers will not be allowed to shoot.
Hunter Safety Cards
Reminder, hunter safety cards are not required to participate in the county competition. But if your card is not uploaded to 4honline.com, you will not be eligible to qualify for a State team. If you earned your hunter safety card but haven't uploaded a copy yet, please do so very soon or bring the card to the county competition so that we can take a photo and upload it for you.
What to Bring
Parents are encouraged to bring plenty of water, healthy snacks, enough chairs for your group, and an awning or umbrella. Sunscreen and bug spray might not be a bad idea either. If you have extra space under your awning, please invite others to join you.
If you don't have any interest in helping us at any point during the competition or during the range cleanup, wear sandals or flip-flops. This way we'll be able to spot the helpers by their footwear.
Make a checklist of all the things you intend to bring to the competition and make sure the participants' equipment is on that list.
It is advisable that participants bring extra arrows when checking in to this competition because there is always a possibility of loss or breakage. Extra arrows will be placed in a bucket and will follow the kids down the shooting line. Every effort will be made to find lost arrows, but be aware that there is a time limit on searching. Just as in practice, arrows must always be in a quiver or case until they are being loaded into a bow on the shooting line.
Participants will not be allowed to carry electronics on the range because they can be used to gain an unfair advantage in the worst case, and they are a major distraction in the best case.
3D Targets
Parents, please do not discuss 3D target distances with your kids either before or after they shoot their rounds. There may be others in the area who have not yet shot. As always, coaching is prohibited during the competition. If you think your kiddo needs water or a snack, let a range volunteer know and we will speak with the participant.
Range Volunteers
Range volunteers are being encouraged to wear a bright orange shirt or a crossing guard vest to help parents identify them. Questions or concerns may be respectfully brought to the attention of a range volunteer. If they feel they need to consult with me (Scott Barber), they will call for me. Disrespect for range volunteers or an attempt to gain an unfair advantage over fellow competitors will not be tolerated and may result in people being asked to leave the range or disqualification in extreme cases. I know though that we're not going to have any of these types of problems because we have great kiddos in the archery program!
Scoring
The kids will be scoring themselves. It is the participant’s responsibility to make sure they receive the correct scores. If there are disagreements, call a range officer to help settle the matter. Once their scorecard is signed and leaves the range, it is final. If the kids have any questions during the competition, they can certainly ask a range volunteer.
Arrows that skip off the ground before hitting the target will be scored as a miss. Bounce-outs may be scored if there are at least two witnesses who can agree with the position of the hit (which is why it is important to mark your holes on the FITA targets). We do not mark holes on 3D targets, which means that it is less likely that the bounce outs will be counted. An arrow deflection is not the same as a bounce out, deflections count as a miss. Shooting at the wrong target will be counted as a miss.
If you would like to inspect the 3D target scoring rings before the competition, come to the county practice on Thursday. Nobody will be allowed to inspect the scoring rings on animal targets once the targets are in place on the range. Nobody will be allowed on the 3D range prior to the competition except the few that Scott will be asking to help set up. During competition DO NOT walk over to a 3D target that you have not yet shot at. DO NOT offer to help find arrows on a 3D target that you have not yet shot at. DO NOT talk about 3D target distances with anyone including fellow competitors. Binoculars are welcome and even encouraged so long as they are not abused. (No challenges from parents. No adjusting bow sights after using binoculars on the shooting line. Offline sight adjustments are allowed). Except for the one Scott Barber brings to verify FITA distances, rangefinders are NOT allowed at this competition.
I realize this is a lot of information and I'm sure I did not cover everything. Please trust that it is our goal to have a safe, inclusive, fair, and fun competition.
Thanks,
Scott Barber
jscottbarber@hotmail.com