Hello Trojan Archery Family!
We are reaching out to all general club members to see who is interested in representing USC at the local, regional and national levels by competing with the Trojan Archery Competitive Team. During the fall semester, the Team competes in local tournaments at the Pasadena Roving Archers (PRA), as well as in scrimmages with other schools such as UCLA, Long Beach, and Cal State Northridge. During the Spring Semester, the Team travels to about 4-5 tournaments, regional and national. It is not required for team members to participate in every tournament.
Please fill out this survey if you are interested in joining the team.
~~~~JOINING THE TEAM~~~~
The Trojan Archery Team welcomes both undergraduate and graduate students of all skill levels. The goal of competing is completely attainable for someone during their first year of archery, and we have had many first-time club members compete in the past. This year, Trojan Archery has even more potential because of our increase in practice time, and thanks to our certified USA Archery Coaching Staff: Lvl 4 NTS-Coach Terri, Lvl 3-NTS Coaches Jim, Luke, and Brian, as well as former Team USA member and USC alum, Joe Fanchin. We hope to have all interested members compete in at least ONE tournament.
Interested club members are expected to have developed basic form and minimum scores (nothing unattainable!) before attending team practices at Rancho Park or PRA. Our Team Captains will approach all interested members and evaluate their progress before a formal invitation.
~~~~TEAM PRACTICES~~~~
Please fill out the Survey to show if you are interested in joining the Team during our additional practices (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). You are not expected to attend every practice, but you are expected to attend one Team (preferably Thursday) and one Club (preferably Friday) practice a week, plus one PRA practice/tournament per month.
~~~~PRACTICE SCORING ROUNDS~~~~
There are 5 opportunities per month to practice scoring so that we can evaluate your progress.
Once per month, we have a 30 arrow scoring round (300 Round) during PED practices. Every other Thursday at our Rancho Park practices, we have a 300 Round and/or Team Rounds.
On the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, the PRA hosts a 300 Round ($5 if you are not a member of PRA). You are expected to be able to participate in at least 2 scoring opportunities per month. Your scores qualify for the Pin Achievement Program as well!
~~~~TOURNAMENTS~~~~
The Survey also includes introductions to the tournaments we plan to register for this year. Please tell us the tournaments in which you are most interested and most likely to attend. This is form is for initial interest and is not yet a hard commitment to upcoming competitions, but registrations are approaching so please consider the options seriously.
*Just as a note, there are costs associated with going to these tournaments for registration, travel, and hotels.
~~~~Explanation of Costs~~~~
On average, about one third of club members become competitive archers. To reflect this, 30% of dues is dedicated to supporting team efforts, while 15% of dues is put toward Coaches for archer development. We apply each year for University support as well, which varies by our performance and needs. While this does cover a significant amount of competition costs, we must fundraise for remaining costs and leave some costs as out-of-pocket expenses.
Costs are approximated based on past experience, and will vary depending upon how many people attend each tournament. If you think costs will be a problem, talk to us and we will try to accommodate you. We will be fundraising leading up to the tournaments to try to reduce overall costs. We do expect team members to assist with fundraising efforts.
Registration fees secure your spot in the tournament. These are always out-of-pocket to enforce commitment. Local competitions generally cost $5-10, while regional and national tournaments average between $80-170. You do not have to attend every one!
While you might not think of it, team jerseys are a competition cost, too. You must wear a jersey when competing at the regional and national levels (and ideally at the local level as well). While we do usually subsidize the cost of the jersey by nearly half, you should expect to spend at least $40 (you get your name on it!) You are more than welcome to purchase more than one, but additional jerseys must be bought at full price (between $60-80 depending on order size).
Hotel costs are calculated by multiplying the average room rate by the number of nights stayed, divided by the number of people per room. These costs will be largely, if not entirely, covered by the club and fundraising efforts.
Travel costs are calculated by estimating the total gas cost per car, divided by the number of passengers. These costs might be reduced with fundraising efforts.
Meals are not provided and are out-of-pocket. The complete trip for a tournament generally runs from Friday night to Sunday night, so expect to cover a weekend’s worth of meals. The club does provide water and snacks during tournament hours, and often hotels will include a light breakfast, leaving you to cover lunch and dinner. If you have ANY dietary restrictions, please contact us well in advance so that we can plan ahead to meet your needs.
We hope to see many of you join us at team practices in the near future! We would love to take as many members as possible to these tournaments to represent USC, but more importantly to show your progress and passion for archery!
Shoot On!
