About three years ago, Brecknock Elementary School student Henry Demick first heard about the Scholastic 3-D Archery (S3DA) team through his babysitter, Ashlynn Rapp. Henry, now 11, and his sister, Lenore, 9, began visiting the archery club and learning the sport. They first joined the Junior Eagles division for children up to and including age 8. "I would like to see more kids my age (in the club) and (also) more younger kids join the Junior Eagles," said Henry.

"I want more Junior Eagles (too)," chimed in Lenore. "It's more fun in the competition with more (archers)."

"Lenore has the distinction of being second in indoor target as a Junior Eagle," said Bob Lauffer, club president, who founded the club in 2016, competing originally with six students from Garden Spot Middle School. Several individuals and teams did well at the recent State Indoor Target Championship, including the Eagle team for those ages 9 to 11 and the Young Adult team for people ages 15 to 18, which both placed first in the state. The Youth team for those ages 12 to 14 was the runner-up in its division. Individual champions included Sophia Spotts, top female in the Eagle Female Open; Jett Anthony, who triumphed in the Youth Male Pins competition; Alivia Slusser, who was tops in the Youth Female Open division; and Cannon Youndt, Young Adult Male Open champ.

The club now includes students from Cocalico School District and Chester and Berks counties as well as ELANCO School District. Students compete in three categories: indoor target, outdoor target, and 3-D targets shaped like animals. The distance an archer shoots to the target is determined by the age group he or she shoots in.

Sophia, a 12-year-old student at North Coventry Elementary School in the Owen J. Roberts School District, began shooting bow and arrow as a 6-year-old with her father, who is a bowhunter. "Once I started shooting more, I liked it more than any other sport," said Sophia, who recently finished third in the Eagle Female Open on the national level. Sophia, who has been a part of the club for more than five years, said she prefers shooting 3-D animal targets to other competitive categories because of the variety. "(The target) could be on a hill or down by a river," she explained, adding that the yardage and type of animal varies as well. As with the Demicks, she hopes see more students in her age group take part. "I would like to see more people join," she said. "I don't think people know about (competitive archery)."

The club, which meets on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at the 33-acre Reading Archery Club, 880 Church Road, Reading, has seen much success in its history. "As we move into 3-D season, our Young Adult team will be attempting to be the top team in the state for the seventh year," said Lauffer. "We have been in the top eight nationally each of the last five years." The state coordinator for the S3DA clubs is Pete Slusser, who said he got involved when he saw how much fun his children were having participating. Students in third through 12th grades are welcome to join the club. For more information, readers may contact Lauffer by emailing agbob1pin@gmail.com.