For this year’s 56th edition of The Vegas Shoot, the NFAA Foundation in partnership with the Easton Foundations has announced a scholarship fund of $39,000 for talented young archers to use towards furthering their education.
“We are proud to support the next generation of archers pursue their careers both in and out of this fantastic sport. It’s our mission to remove barriers, make sure everyone on the shooting line has the opportunity to better themselves, and invest in the young men and women who will build archery’s future,” said Vegas Shoot president Bruce Cull.
The tournament for young people in Vegas is split into three age groups: young adult (15-17), youth (12-14) and cub (under 12).
Young adults, youth and cub divisions compete over two days of 30 arrows, on Friday and Saturday.
Scholarships are awarded to the top three shooters in each of the eligible categories in compound, recurve, bowhunter and recurve barebow divisions.
For those already enrolled in college or another form of higher education, the award is submitted directly to the educational institution. The NFAA holds the amounts of younger archers until they’re ready to collect it.
On top of the young adult, youth and cub events, The Vegas Shoot also runs a Collegiate Competition, which is open to all full-time students enrolled in a two- or four-year university program or technical school.
Collegiate student-athletes must pay a $25 add-on during registration then their scores from the regular competition are used to decide collegiate results.
The top three collegiate teams are also beneficiaries of the scholarships.
Since 2020, the NFAA Foundation has awarded an additional two $1,000 scholarships to one young male and one young female who participates in the Junior Essay Contest.
Entrants must be 12-17 years old and submit one 500-100-word archery essay with archery as the topic. The top essays are chosen by an independent panel and winners will be announced on Saturday, February 5 during the Junior Awards Ceremony.