A passion for archery has earned a fifth-grade Hubbard student a top spot in the state and a trip to the championships in South Carolina.
This year, Aaron Barrett, 11, placed third at the National Archery Program in Schools (NAPS) state tournament and second in Texas at the national level. His finishes earned him a spot in the championship tournament which will be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in June.
“We’re very proud of him. He’s an academic archer, he’s a model student. I can’t say enough good things about Aaron,” said his coach, Jessica Stokes.
Aaron is in his second year of the archery program at Hubbard Elementary School.
“I started doing the archery program last year. At first I wasn’t so sure about it, but I tried it and I ended up loving it,” Aaron said.
That love translated to giving him a reason to practice his sport in and out of school.
Before joining the program, he said he had never even touched a bow before he decided to join the program.
According to Stokes, that is how most of the students who enter the program come into it.
“Most of our students have never touched a bow. We start from the very basics … They go through set steps and if they don’t complete these steps, they don’t touch a bow,” Stokes said.
But once they get into it, Stokes said, the children blossom.
“It does boost some of their confidence. Some of our kids are kind of shy but they have really come out of their shell with this program. We’re really happy with our results,” Stokes said.
Aaron said he was one of those shy kids.
“Last year, I was kind of shy. I came into it not really knowing what would happen, not knowing if I would do good in it or not,” he said.
But he said, he has been able to make more friends both at his school and from other schools.
Being partnered with a student from another school, he said, helps him get to come out of his shell even more and speak to more people.
“At first, it feels a little different. But eventually you get used to it,” Aaron added. “I feel like it can encourage kids to do good in school and open up to other people and opportunities. I think that’s one of the most important things about it.”
Aaron’s parents, Ashley and Cody Barrett, said they are happy to see the changes in him.
“Since last year, his confidence has boosted and he’s really surprised us,” said Ashley Barrett.
Cody agreed. “It’s been really good for him. He started out … we didn’t really know that much about how it worked and the rules and structure of the competition. Then, all of a sudden, he started getting better and better,” Cody Barrett said.
The archery program, Stokes said, is open to all children. Ablebodied children compete without the use of triggers, but NAPS allows for accommodations for children with disabilities.
“They strive to include everyone,” Stokes said.
Cody Barrett said the best part of watching the tournaments is how each child comes in and seamlessly knows what to do.
“It’s fun to watch the tournaments and all the kids from the different students showing up. It’s all kind of almost choreographed,” Cody Barrett said.
The trip to South Carolina will be a first for the family. Aside from competition, they said they plan to visit the beach. But Aaron said he is looking forward to taking his first plane ride.
“I’ve never been on a plane before, so that will be interesting,” he said.
Aaron and his parents are all excited to see what the future holds for him in archery.
“I hope I can keep doing it as the years go on. I hope I can get better at it. I really like competing in the tournaments,” Aaron said.
Ashley Barrett agreed. “We’re really proud of him and excited to see where it takes us,” she said.
Cody Barrett added that he would like to see the future of the sport expand.
“I would like to see him continue. I would also like to see more kids get into it, more schools get into it. I think it’s a good discipline for kids. Not all kids want to play football or baseball or whatever. It gives them something to work towards … I think it’s a good thing for kids of all ages and for schools to adopt,” he said.
“We appreciate the school for fostering the program and his coaches and teachers for supporting that,” he added..
Stokes said that while the school and NAPS facilitate the programs, it is parents who make the program a success.
“Programs like this wouldn’t be possible without the support of parents,” Stokes said.
