Archers are expected to practice twice a week, one weekday at Highland Park and one weekend practice at Lamar Middle School.

Practice Sign-up Protocol:

• As per school policy, archers that stay home from school the entire day are not permitted to come to practice after-school that same day.
• Archers MUST be signed up in order to practice. Drop-in archers will either be sent home or sit out until parents can pick up.
• Check duplicates. We have a number of archers signed up twice during the weekdays or weekends. This takes a slot away from others. Moving forward, the duplicate slot with the latest time stamp will be deleted, and your archer will keep the original slot (earliest timestamp).
• Archers are allotted one weekday and one weekend slot. Archers missing a weekday practice CAN NOT practice twice during the weekend. Archers missing a weekend slot CAN NOT practice twice during the week. We simply do not have the space for archers to double up on weekdays or weekends.
• Archers are expected to stay the entire practice. Pulling an archer out of practice early defeats the purpose of practice and the slot could be used for an archer that is able to commit to the entire time.

Changes / Cancellations: The sign-up platform does not allow you to make changes once you have signed up. To change or cancel:

1. Sign up for the new slot that you want.
2. Send an email to Coach Kristian at BCAinfo@batcityarchery.org indicating the day/time you need to cancel
3. Include your archer's name and school.

Practice Time - Right Afterschool @ 3:15p - 5:30p unless otherwise noted.

Check-In - Archers head straight to the gym after being dismissed by 5th grade teachers. I will meet them in the hallway.

End of Practice Dismissal - As per school, I will accompany archers to the flagpole in front of the school by 5:30p. Parents are not permitted to enter or wait at the back door of the gym. I have to be at Lamar by 6:00p, thanks in advance for being on time!

PLEASE NOTE EARLIER END TIME FRIDAY 31st DUE TO HALLOWEEN

Archers must:

• Wear close-toed shoes.
• Leave jewelry and bracelets at home or in backpacks.
• Tie hair back.
• Shoot in short sleeve shirts.
• Bring a labeled water bottle.

Archers with their own Genesis Original Bow are welcome to bring the bow to school in the morning. Our fabulous 5th grade team will show archers where the bow can be stored for the day.

Is Highland Park Archery a competitive team or a recreational club?

Highland Park Archery is a competitive team and not a recreational club. Our goal is to win the Texas State Championships in San Antonio, TX in March 2026 and qualify for the NASP National Championships in Salt Lake City, UT in April 2026. We use the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). Please goto our Resources tab to learn more about NASP.

What is the season schedule and how much are the team fees?

Archery in not a UIL sport and therefore not eligible for financial support from the school or district. Team fees pay for jerseys, consumables (target faces, arrows), NASP registration fees, and coach compensation.

How can we apply for a scholarship?

Full and partial scholarships are available by the HP Booster Club (all requests are confidential). Applications can be found under the Resources tab. These must be submitted before registration ends.

Who is eligible to join?

Highland Park Scottie Archery is an extracurricular activity open to any 5th grade student enrolled at Highland Park. We have a proud tradition of not holding try-outs or cutting archers. Students are considered a Highland Park Archer as long as they commit to team expectations, meet academic requirements, and comply with school-wide behavior expectations. That said, there is a capacity how many archers we can safely accommodate and coach, and we will cap numbers. We can not accept new archers part way through the season and It is super important to have a candid talk with your child to help them understand the year-long season commitment and team expectations.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING THE 2026 TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Texas State Championships will no longer be held in Belton, TX. The tournament has moved to the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX and is scheduled for Friday-Saturday, March 20-21, 2026. AISD Spring Break is March 16-20.  

Archers wishing to compete at State should plan accordingly. If you already have travel plans for Spring Break, your archer will not compete on the State team. Archers traveling to State will be expected to attend at least one practice prior to State. Practice slots will be available Sunday-Wednesday, March 15-18, 2026. Archers that compete at State will get first option to compete at Nationals.

What is the tournament commitment?

Except for the HP Intra-Squad Tournament in October, local tournaments are “All School” tournaments, i.e., all Austin area schools are invited to compete. To be eligible and considered for the HP Texas State Tournament team, archers must compete in the mandatory tournaments below. Unless otherwise indicated, there is a $18 tournament registration fee per tournament.  

*indicates mandatory tournament - schedule subject to change

How do local tournaments work?

Most tournaments are run the entire day on Saturday and Sunday. “Flight” times are scheduled throughout the day, i.e., a 90-minute block of time. Tournaments can host 24-48 archers a flight. There are 500+ archers in the ATX area and tournament hosts create as many flights needed to accommodate all archers i.e., 5-8 flights Saturday and Sunday (again pending tournament venue and size).

Tournament venues use different sign-up platforms ,e.g., Sign-up Genius, Cheddar Up, etc. We will use the Bat City Archery Website for our November and March tournaments.. Parents/Care Givers pick the flight time that works best for weekend schedules (first come first served). Although the tournament runs all day, families only need to budget a 2-hour block of time (travel time plus competition time).   

Do we need to purchase our own equipment?

No. We provide all the necessary equipment. At some point, many archers choose to buy their own bow and case. We typically organize a bulk order mid-October and purchase all of our equipment from Shipley’s Archery. There are many comparable options on the internet, but we find the service from Shipley’s second to none.

We have our own bow and arrows, can we use them?

Only if they are the NASP approved Genesis Original Bow & the Easton 1820 Arrow. The NASP standardized “universal fit” equipment (bows and arrows) is designed to level the competitive playing field, keeps equipment costs equitable, and maximizes archer safety (the bow and arrow are designed together such that the arrow can never be overdrawn off the arrow rest and possibly shot into the bow hand or riser.

Besides tournaments and practices, are there additional expectations?

Yes. Scottie Archers are expected to:

• Meet academic requirements & follow school rules in all classes.
• Document practice time at home (string bow, pipe bow, stretch band, exercise, etc.), and keep an archery journal throughout the season.
• Follow directions and adhere to all safety protocols at practice and tournaments.