USA Archery and Olympic Archery in the Schools have renewed their successful partnership in a bid to help youngsters in America get involved in the sport ©USA Archery

USA Archery and Olympic Archery in the Schools (OAS) have announced they have signed a new partnership.

The goals of this partnership include increasing awareness within each organisation about state championship events, membership, programming and other opportunities.

Created by the Easton Sports Development Foundation, a company owned by former World Archery President and International Olympic Committee member James Easton, OAS is a unique recurve archery league for middle schools and high schools in the United States. 

Students at participating schools can join their archery team and compete with other teams in the area. 

The mission of OAS is to promote Olympic Archery in Schools to produce character-driven leaders and archers.

It claims its core values are respect, competence, leadership, honour and confidence. 

USA Archery and OAS already have a history of working together. 

OAS utilises USA Archery's instructor and coach certification programme for its coaches and many archers participating in the OAS programme also participate in a local Junior Olympic Archery Development Club.

The Olympic Archery in the Schools programme runs a series of initiatives across the United States ©OAS
The Olympic Archery in the Schools programme runs a series of initiatives across the United States ©OAS

"USA Archery is proud to partner with Easton Foundations and OAS to provide continuing opportunities for students to compete in archery at the middle, high school and collegiate levels," Mary Emmons, the USA Archery chief of sport performance and organisational development, said. 

"Both organisations are committed to growing the sport and developing character-driven leaders as exemplified through the OAS core values and the USA Archery high-performance ethos.

"The two organisations are excited to work together to make archers and instructors aware of the opportunities that exist within OAS, USA Archery and next step opportunities through Junior Olympic Archery Development and at the collegiate level, including scholarships, the ability to start a new archery team at a college or university, and the chance to earn honours and awards including All-American titles, National Team Championships and many more."

Caren Sawyer, executive director of the Easton Foundations, hailed the new agreement.

"The Easton Foundations is looking forward to teaming up with USA Archery and continuing to grow the sport of archery through our OAS programme," she said. 

"OAS is an exceptional programme for schools to introduce Olympic style archery to our middle and high school youth, while building the values that lead to success in archery and in life."