317 Project: Little Flower high school archery club lets students explore new interests
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Hannah McMahon likes the way archery makes her feel.
Because so few high schools offer this activity, McMahon says participating in the Scecina Memorial High School archery club allows her to stand out.
“People think it's cool when you say, oh I do archery,” McMahon told IndyStar. “I like the idea of the coolness behind it all.”
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Only around 40 schools in Marion County, including Scecina in the Little Flower neighborhood, have active archery programs based on the National Archery in Schools Program curriculum, according to Indiana NASP.
McMahon started doing archery as a freshman and likes it so much that now she owns her own bow. The students practice twice a week and have occasional tournaments on Saturdays.
Elkin Vera, 15, said the Hunger Games series inspired him to join the club. The sophomore views archery as an art form.
“It feels like art,” Vera said. “You can just express your feelings in a way through it and not many people do it. Plus it’s just really fun.”
Coach Rick Simmons watches over the students on a Tuesday afternoon as the team practices in the basement of Scecina. Simmons has been coaching the Scecina club for around six years.
Whistles ring out to signal to students when they can pick up their bow and prepare to shoot or retrieve arrows they’ve shot, best practices based on the NASP curriculum.
The students know the protocol and handle the bows with ease. Many hit close to the center of the targets.
The Scecina club has around nine consistent members but Simmons hopes more will join.
Adyson Daniel, 15, said shooting has made her less afraid of "messing up" in life and in tournaments.
“Because it doesn’t really matter what score you get, but as long as you feel like you’ve done your best,” Daniel said.
Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 317 Project: Indianapolis students get to experience archery
