Jackson Free Press

On a humid spring day, my wife, Lacey, and I walked into a metal building at LeFleur's Bluff State Park, just off Lakeland Drive. A casually dressed, middle-aged man greeted us.

The room we walked into was filled with familiar bull's-eye targets on all the walls and the floor. Propped up on one of them was a life-size photo of a deer mounted on foam. A fake turkey stood next to the deer.

Waldo Cleland, the man we were there to meet, is with Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Cleland oversees the department's Archery in Mississippi Schools Program, or AIMS, which started in 2006 with a pilot program in 10 schools.

Cleland said archery is a sport where more than 80 percent of new students can be successful right away. We only sat down for about a minute before he got up to turn on the air conditioning to knock some of the heat out of the room. He ambled into a back room for a moment and came back with a bow.

As he gestured for Lacey to come to him, he told us he was going to teach her how to shoot an arrow. I was sitting at the table taking notes, and I couldn't hear what exactly Cleland was saying to Lacey, but I then I saw her place the arrow on the bow and draw it back.

Ten meters away was a target with bull's-eye. Its yellow center was surrounded by concentric circles of red, blue and black on a field of white. Lacey let the arrow fly. The first arrow she ever shot planted in the red, just barely missing the yellow bull's-eye.

In a stand on the floor were more arrows, and Lacey reached for a second one. Cleland laughed. He said that is exactly what happens with kids in school; they're as successful in the sport as quickly as Lacey was.

"It builds confidence in kids who might not have the skills to be good in sports like football or basketball," Cleland said.

"I see the same thing in schools that start this program: (Students) hit the target, and they want to shoot again."

Now feeling pretty good, Lacey shot the second arrow, and this time, it zipped right into the bull's-eye. I always believe that she can do anything, but I was still amazed that with her second-ever shot with a bow, she put it right in the bull's-eye.

From the original 10 schools, AIMS has branched out to 288 schools in the state with more than 1,000 students participating. Every public school with grades from fourth through 12th grade is eligible for the program.

In 2009, the Mississippi High School Activities Association sanctioned archery as a competitive high-school sport. Not all 288 schools compete in events, but all include archery in their physical-educational programs.

The National Archery in Schools Program began in Kentucky in 2002. It spawned the AIMS program, just as it has spread archery to 46 of the United States, Australia and Canada. One of the ideas behind the program was to get kids outside and show them different sports and activities. By giving kids options for becoming active, the program could help combat childhood obesity.

To keep the playing field level, every school is required to use the same bows and arrows: Mathews Genesis bows with no sights and official Genesis arrows.

The rule extends to local, state, regional and national events, ensuring that no school or individual can spend his or her way to the top of the sport. With everyone using the same equipment, practice and true skill begins to matter more.

Starting an archery program in a school requires an archery kit. One kit costs $2,800 and includes a dozen bows, 69 arrows, targets and a backdrop that protects people and objects behind the shooting area.

"Right now, money is tight for everyone, including schools, but there are several grants for P.E. programs to help offset the cost," Cleland said. "Any school can contact our program, and we will help them in any way possible to get a program started."

Cleland said he is particularly excited about two statistics associated with the AIMS program: "We have seen attendance up on days the program has been held, and we have never had an accident since the program started."

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks holds free classes throughout the year to certify teachers. Each participating school is required to certify two teachers as level-one archery instructors through an intensive eight-hour course.

Cleland mentioned several schools in the metro area with highly competitive programs, including Flowood Elementary, Chastain Middle School and University Christian School.

In archery, girls and boys compete together, though prizes are usually awarded separately. Cleland was quick to point out that Kristen Sword from North Ponotoc High School and Callie Humphrey from Amory High School held the Mississippi record for points with 288. (Austin Merritt holds the male record with 294 points.)

"Archery is a lifelong sport," Cleland said, adding that AIMS' national rankings have significantly improved. "It is exciting that the state was ranked 25th in archery two years ago and 11th last year."

Cleland is pleased to see the program grow. He believes the talent in Mississippi has just barely been scratched. Perhaps more importantly, archery can be the beginning to a healthy lifestyle for many Mississippi children.

For more information about AIMS, visit http://www.foundationmwfp.com.