In just its sixth season as a member of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), Becker Bulldogs Archery continues to be be one of the most impressive organizations in Minnesota and across the nation.

This year, an amazing 276 archers in grades four through 12 will take aim at targets in order to pursue state and national championships. Add in the additional 52 “Jr. Bulldogs” in grades two and three and well over 300 participants will take aim this year for what is most likely the largest team in the United States.

“We have become the largest NASP team in the State of Minnesota,” President Scott Brake says.  “We are very proud of our participation numbers here in Becker!”

The program recently received a funding boost, as the Becker American Legion and Becker Sons of the American Legion both made donations to help keep the program accessible to all children who are interested.

The Bulldogs are not only strong in numbers but the quality of their archers is also amazing, as evidenced by the numbers of students who consistently finish near the top of their events.

Brake says his teams will enter eight tournaments this upcoming season, culminating with the state tournament held at the end of March in Rochester, MN.  

A cornerstone of the Becker program is flexibility in both practice and tournament scheduling, as the participants practice their skills in 55 minute sessions, usually twice weekly.  Students can also choose when and where they participate in tournaments.

“Parents like that practice scheduling is flexible and they are allowed to choose their practice times each week,” Brake says.

Another amazing statistic for the program is that 52 volunteer coaches will help instruct the students this year, including 16 who are new to the program.  This group includes 46 individuals who are certified instructors.

The Becker teams practice and compete in both the Bullseye target and 3D animal target categories.

Brake also announced that the program now boasts 40 total sponsors for the program.

Platinum sponsors: Becker, Clear Lake and Santiago Lions, Current Accessibility Solutions, Bad Axe Nashville, Vonco, Morning Glory Apiary, Golden Spike Builders, Becker American Legion. Gold Sponsors: Nutrien Ag Solutions, Binnall Consulting, EMR, Pizza Ranch, Select Electric, Becker Sons of the American Legion. Silver Sponsors: Angell Construction, Travis Williams State Farm, Wruck Sewer and Portable Rental, Coldwell Banker Realty - Melissa Koubsky, Berger Custom Woodworks, Hubbard Electric, Majestic Creations, Haus Construction, Sherburne State Bank, Cornerstone Concrete, Haller Realty, Archery Country, Appex Mechanical, Wruck Excavating, AAA Bail Bonds, Schulze Painting, McChesney HVAC, C&D Granite, Jamestone Inc, Blaine Brothers, Dehn Oil, Marvel Nutrition, Hartfiel Automotive.  Community Sponsors: Ess Brothers, Country Lumber.