The Oneida Indian Nation’s Warrior Archery hosted its first tournament with the Greater Tri-Valley YMCA on Saturday, March 10. Nearly 60 kids in grades K-12 and their parents packed into the 12-lane indoor archery range inside the Oneida Heritage Center in Sherrill for the culmination of the first seven-week program with the group. The tournament followed a week after Turning Stone Resort Casino welcomed the Winter Cam Classic, an open 3-day national archery competition.
The kids competed in three different groups depending on what grade they were in. Elementary-aged kids were the largest group present, but the middle-schoolers and high-schoolers were able to display the improvement in their skills in a highly competitive division.
After the last round, Nation Council Member Dale Rood (Turtle Clan), USA-certified archery instructors Ron Patterson (Wolf Clan) and Alex Dickerman (Turtle Clan), along with Hank Leo, CEO of the Greater Tri-Valley YMCA, and Justin Acker, City of Oneida Recreation Coordinator, presented medals and handcrafted, laser engraved awards made from mahogany to the winners. Dale, Ron and Alex also presented Hank with an appreciation award to commemorate their new partnership with the Greater Tri-Valley YMCA.
The next seven-week program begins March 21. Ron says they will also incorporate more character development aspects to the program to equip kids with the life skills to succeed in any field they choose to pursue. Near the conclusion of the program, Warrior Archery will also host a workshop with Paralympic Archer Sammi Tucker on Saturday, April 28.
For more information on the youth programs, visit http://www.ymcatrivalley.org/for-youth-development or click here to register today. To learn more about Warrior Archery and Oneida Heritage, visit https://www.warriorsarchery.com/ and https://www.oneidaheritage.com/home.
