Frequently Asked Questions


How long is the season & what is the commitment?

The archery session begins after Labor Day in September 2022 and finishes March 2023. The expectation is that archers will attend practice at least once a week, compete in local tournaments, and keep a weekly archery journal. As coaches we will never ask that an archer’s commitment to archery be more important than other activities and pursuits, but do expect the commitment to be as important.

Development Team archers practice on Sunday afternoons at Lamar. To accommodate numbers and schedules, 2-3 options will be available each Sunday (e.g., 11:00a-12:30p, 12:45p-2:15p, 2:30p-4:00p). Archers sign-up for practice time using Sign-up Genius. After Thanksgiving, Development Team archers will be re-evaluated and pending space, will be invited to attend an additional practice during the weekdays with the State Team.

The long term goal is to merge all Development and State team archers together by January and drop the distinction. The spring practice schedule will look a bit different, but that will take the fall to sort out. 

What is the tournament commitment?

There are three mandatory tournaments. Tentative dates are:

In addition, we host a variety of optional tournaments and “Shoot Arounds” at Lamar or Central Texas Archery each month (exact schedule TBD). Archers that compete in tournaments tend to improve quicker. We recommend you make as many as possible. Besides they are super fun.

How do tournaments work?

We schedule “flight” times throughout the day, i.e., a 75-90 minute block of time. Flights are limited to 18-20 archers per flight – parents are encouraged to watch. We post the tournament schedule (flight times) on Sign-up Genius. You pick the flight time that works best for your schedule (first come first served). Although the tournament runs all day – you only need to budget a 2-hour block of time (travel time plus competition time). We post results at the end of the tournament. We celebrate the winning teams, top individuals, and honor others for character, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Why team fees and what are they used for?

Archery is not a UIL sport or activity. Therefore, Lamar Archery is not financially supported by the school or Austin ISD. It is a fee based program managed by the Lamar Archery Booster Club. Team fees pay for jerseys, board insurance, consumables (target faces, arrows, target butts), equipment maintenance, scholarships, training equipment, supplemental tournament registration fees, and coaching stipends. We have a few full and partial scholarships available. We won’t let finances be a deal breaker.

Estimated team fees for the 2022 State Season are (subject to change):

Do we need to purchase equipment?

No. We provide all the necessary equipment. That said, many archers choose to buy their own bow and bow case at some point. We typically organize a bulk order mid-October and purchase all of our equipment from Shipley’s Outdoor Inc. There are many comparable options on the internet, but we find the service from Shipley’s to be second to none. Since we buy in bulk we don’t pay shipping costs.

Who can I contact for more information?

Feel free to contact me at any time. Always happy to chat! Coach Jim DeLine jimdeline@yahoo.com

What program does Lamar Archery use?

We use the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). Read more about NASP HERE.

Is Lamar Archery a club or team?

Lamar Archery is a team and not a recreational club. Our goal is to win the Texas State Championships in March 2023 and go to the National Championships in Salt Lake City in April 2023. Lamar archers make a competitive commitment. The expectation is archers will attend practice at least once a week, participate in at least 3 tournaments throughout the year, and keep an archery journal throughout the week.

Does the team have try-outs or cut kids?

No! Our long-standing commitment is to include all students. We have a proud tradition of not holding try-outs or cutting archers. Students are considered a Lamar archer as long as they are willing to commit to team goals and comply with all academic and behavior expectations. An archer will never be expected to be the best archer on the team, but always expected to work towards being the best they can be. We value progress over performance, effort over results, and teammates that support each other.

What are the State & Development Teams and why the distinction?

The State Team is comprised of archers that have had at least one year of National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) competitive experience. The Development Team is for archers new to the NASP program or first-year archers new to the sport of archery in general.

First-year and experienced archers have different coaching needs. Among other things, State Team archers understand range safety and etiquette, have competed in numerous tournaments, won State Championships and competed at National Championships.

First-year archers have yet to learn NASP range protocol, safety expectations, or developed the skill and form needed to shoot from competitive 10m & 15m distances. The purpose of the Development Team is to provide a learning environment that allows archers to flourish without feeling they have to compare themselves to elite level archers. We want new archers to love the sport, develop skills, meet new friends, gain confidence, and become intrinsically motivated to become better. This takes time and a much different coaching approach.

Do all new archers have to start on the Development Team even if they have archery experience elsewhere?

Yes. There are many types of archery, e.g., Olympic recurve, cross bow, barebow, longbow, field archery, and compound bow to name a few. Although all share a few similarities, each type of archery requires its own specialized equipment, unique technique, and proper form. Where an archer anchors the shot, how they draw the bow, how they aim, and how they release the string are a few examples of technique and form that differ from style to style. NASP is no different. Archers with prior experience need to unlearn habits developed from different styles and relearn the proper form and technique to be successful with the Genesis Original Bow.

Finally, and most important, our motto is, “Safety is no accident.” Range safety and proper etiquette are non-negotiable expectations we take very seriously. Range protocol may differ from facility to facility. Learning and adhering to our safety protocol, whistle commands, and range expectations ensures all archers, new and experienced, are safe.

We have our own bow and arrows—can we use them?

Only if they are the NASP approved Genesis Original Bow & the Easton 1820 Arrow. The NASP standardized “universal fit” equipment (bows and arrows) is designed to level the competitive playing field, keeps equipment costs equitable, and maximizes archer safety (the bow and arrow are designed together such that the arrow can never be overdrawn off the arrow rest and possibly shot into the bow hand or riser – this is a good thing).