Hyde County Sheriff’s Office is offering Hyde County youth the opportunity to learn another sport this year—archery.
The office recently received 12 archery bows, arrows and targets through the National Archery in the Schools Program to which all sheriffs’ departments can apply for funds for youth archery programs.
The program will be a physical education elective this school year for fourth grade and up, said Capt. Jason Daniels of the Ocracoke sheriff’s office. First, the students have to learn the sport indoors in a school setting.
Then, at some point, he hopes it will grow into an after school club.
“Not all kids want to play basketball or soccer,” said Daniels, an avid hunting archer.
He, Blackburn Warner, one of the four island deputies, and Charles Temple, the high school English teacher, became certified in archery instruction in June.
“Having gone through it myself, the kids are gonna love it,” Temple said.
It’s not a hunting club, Daniels stressed, and after a twoweek instruction period a team can be formed to compete in the winter months.
Daniels said what’s great about these archery competitions is that everyone uses the same equipment statewide.
“Money doesn’t matter,” he said. “The bow you learn with is the bow you can compete with. It’s a fair and even playing field.”
Mattamuskeet School also received the same equipment, and the sheriff’s office is sponsoring both programs.
