Grow The Line: The Mentorship Program Making A Difference In 2026

This year marks a pivotal evolution in the competitive landscape with the official launch of the "Grow The Line" initiative, designed to bridge the gap between seasoned veterans and first-time competitors.

At its core, Grow The Line is a commitment to the long-term health of the archery community, focusing on the "Mentor 101" philosophy of support and guidance. By pairing experienced shooters with newcomers, the initiative demystifies the daunting scale of the Vegas Shoot - whether that's navigating complex tournament etiquette or managing the psychological demands of the world-famous Vegas face.

The program fully kicked off on Thursday evening with a party at the Champagne Ballroom at the Paris Casino.

"Tournaments can be a scary place." said Brittany Salonen-Geuther, operations director of the NFAA. "So the goal is that we have mentors and rookies.

And they've paired themselves together. Or some people have signed up and we've paired them with people looking for rookies."

"And then they actually had kind of a whole experience on the way to the event. They helped them with their registration. They helped them book their hotel, book their flights, know what the right division is, how to find practice, how to check in. So they're really helping them from the entire experience of registering for a tournament, getting here, competing. So it's not scary and it's not overwhelming – because we feel like that kind of keeps people away from the tournaments."

"We partnered with the Easton Foundation, and they were able to help us fund the discount that both the mentor and the mentee got to this tournament. We're very thankful for their partnership, because they made this possible." added Brittany.

Zach Niles, from California, signed up as a a mentor as a 4-H leader. "It's an amazing opportunity to bridge the gap between the learn-to-shoot kind of experience archery 4-H, and an easy step into competitive archery through NFAA.

So I had five of my 4-H kids that were interested in maybe doing Vegas.

So we signed them all up. And then in addition to that, NFAA paired me up with a couple other people that signed up independently."

"It doesn't necessarily take an experienced archer to be able to be a mentor because you're not a coach. Really it's sharing your experience and the logistics and kind of supporting people through the registration process, the travel booking, like what to expect and just kind of general best practices. Having a mentor can help just help you make those decisions."

Zach was paired with mentee Stella Mende, from Missouri, who had already shot at the NFAA Nationals in Missouri. "I started shooting in 2020 when I was eight. I shot for a little while and then I started competing in just the state level and SGA in 2021. And then 2022 we moved away and didn't have a club or anything."

What was the experience getting paired with someone who you had never met, but also you were looking to be a resource for you? "I think we had pretty good communication. I like getting to know people I don't know at these tournaments.

It's one of my favorite parts of tournaments, getting to know more people with different levels and experiences."

Stella's dad, Stefan Mende added: "Very helpful. I asked questions about the event experience, what to do. Just had the logistics, had to get here and stuff. And the experience of what to do and what not to do. It makes it easier when you arrive here just to kind of, you know, set the tone and expectation level."

Another younger rookie was Brooklyn, who was paired with Chris; the two share a coach, Ron Gaines. "I remember when I was at Vegas for the first time, and I had no clue what was happening. I didn't have anyone to show me around what was going on. So this is super cool to be able to show her for her first time." said Chris. "Being here means I can learn and grow as an archer." said Brooklyn. "I'm looking forward to competing and seeing where my work has gotten me." Ultimately the goal is that mentors serve as more than just technical advisors; it's that they foster confidence and camaraderie to ensure that every archer who steps to the line in 2026 feels empowered to return for years to come.