A three-day youth archery competition is kicking off in Madison on Friday.
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) world championships will feature young archers from 25 states and countries including Canada, Zimbabwe and Mongolia.
Archery has been gaining in popularity across the United States. In fact, attendance at last year’s NASP world championships was double that of the previous year’s. Carrie Hookstead, co-owner of Hunt-N-Gear, an archery and hunting shop in Janesville, said archery appeals to students who may not excel in traditional sports.
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“You don’t have to be the tallest, you don’t have to be the strongest, you don’t have to be the fastest,” said Hookstead. “Anybody can do archery, so it appeals to a lot of different kids.”
Hookstead said archers in pop culture, like Katniss from “The Hunger Games,” haven’t hurt either.
The tournament runs July 11-13.
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