Posted by: lorrettasinclair on: March 30, 2009
Hey!
Well, I don’t have Facebook,
I can’t use the ‘track-changes’ function on Microsoft word,
and my family won’t let me touch the DVD remote
– but I’m going to start a Blog!
So think positive thoughts for me, who knows how this will turn out?
I’ve started this blog so that I can inform the College Archery Program’s (CAP) athletes and coaches about the latest events in the college archery community. I’ll post new entries on Sundays, with the latest information on the CAP program. This will include news on the phenomenal growth we’ve experienced, upcoming special US events, and a new international event.
Many of you know me, but we have had a large influx of archers into the CAP ranks this year, and I’d like to introduce myself. I started in USA College Archery in 2004. That was my son Dakota’s first year in college, and once we attended our first USIAC (US Inter-Collegiate Archery Championships), our entire family was hooked; not on archery (we were addicted to that in 2002) – but hooked on COLLEGE archery.
I started out on the board as the publicist and, along with my husband, developed the first-ever college archery website. We also were able to regain the long-lost corporate equipment sponsorships for the All-Americans. In that same year we brought back the All-American poster. These posters were distributed, and continue to be distributed for free, across the country to JOAD clubs, Pro Shops, universities, and anywhere else that we can help promote college archery.
My other positions have been registrar and Assistant Director. In 2008, I became the CAP Director when our leader at the time, Bob Ryder, stepped down due to health reasons.
It has been a lot of work to help grow this program, both on my part and with the knowledge, support, and effort of all those who volunteer as part of the College Archery board. At times when I’m mired down with the latest hurdle, I’m energized by an email from a student, or a call from a new coach, or a jacket/shirt from a team in appreciation — and all the frustration melts away. I keep working for CAP because I believe that USA College Archery is the most important archery community in the United States.
We are the bridge between all youth organizations and college. And we are the bridge from College to Senior Division for IBO, NFAA, and USAA. What we develop, as a community of college archers and coaches, will extend archery for years to come. What you do at the club level, by continuing from your youth program, or if you start archery as part of college life – that is an integral aspect of growing archery in the United States.
The thing I love most about college archery is the inclusive nature of our athletes! I have watched entire teams ‘adopt’ a one-man team who showed up alone at an event. I have admired the fun that our teams have with each other, and I have laughed as we all learned the ‘skipping rule’ at the 2005 Western Regional’s where the Dine’ College Warriors got the entire field to skip down the field. I have watched opposing teams cheering each other through team round and observed coaches helping out other clubs and athletes.
We are a community, as well as a program. We are a group of coaches, advisors, and athletes who come together not just to participate in the great sport of archery, but to laugh with each other, sometimes at each other, and often at ourselves as well.
I hope you’ll visit my blog often – I intend to use it as a means to get information out quickly and as a way to find out what direction that you, the college students and coaches, would like our community to take.
Lorretta Sinclair
29 March, 2009
