PRESCOTT - Ten student archers step up to the line and, with one tweet from the instructor's whistle, they put their "bows on toes." Two additional tweets signal that it is OK to shoot.
When the students have shot all their arrows, the instructor blows three tweets, giving the all-clear to retrieve their arrows from the targets.
The students attend the Yavapai County Fair Association Achieve Academy. Archery is part of the physical education program at the school.
Instructor Chris Cheff said this is the second season for archery at the school.
Cheff plans to take about 44 students to the state competition in Phoenix on March 28.
Cheff said the competition is part of Youth Day at the Arizona Outdoor Expo.
Freshman Jessie Ferwerda "loves" archery. She said the class is a lot of fun and challenging, adding that archery improves hand/eye coordination and teaches patience.
Ferwerda calls herself "a pretty good shot."
Cheff took 22 students to the 2007 competition and 15 of them qualified for the national competition in Louisville, Ky.
"There are only 30 positions available per state to qualify for nationals. There are categories for boys and girls in elementary, middle and high school. The top five in each category qualify," Cheff said.
Unfortunately, the students were unable to attend the national competition.
Cheff said he learned in June that the students qualified for the competition. However, when he calculated the numbers, the cost was about $4,500 - too much for the students to attend.
This year, Cheff is getting a jump on things. If his students qualify for the national competition, he is looking for donations to help get his students to Louisville.
Senior Steven Wallot hopes to qualify for the national competition. He started shooting about two months ago.
"It is fun - I never shot before," he said.
Freshman Patrick Desjadon is in his second year of archery. He said the sport "is good for someone that's been in trouble. It keeps them motivated to stay in school. The best part is being able to shoot."
Desjadon said archery also helps with math skills because students must add up their points.
Cheff said Arizona Game and Fish sponsors the archery program as part of National Archery in Schools.
"Any school can get involved. Game and Fish sets the schools up with equipment, including bows, arrows, targets and stands, and a backdrop," Cheff said.
The instructor said he began the archery unit to "promote another 'life' sport and interest the students in a hunting venue."
Anyone interested in donating to the archery team may call Cheff at (928) 587-3131.
