By: James Morgan
The words form, function, draw, release, stance and follow through are more than just words and phrases. To Chris and Nikki Curtis along with their children, Dalton and Meg, they are catch phrases that you might hear around their supper table on any given night. The Curtis family has an attraction for the sport of archery. The sport, which for them began at the novice level, has blossomed into the whole family now shooting competitively in the National American Shooters Association Pro/Am tournaments. Dalton and Meg also participate in the Scholastic 3D Archery program.
Chris Curtis, an Owensboro fireman and his wife Nikki, a local veterinarian at Audubon Animal Hospital, have always loved the outdoors. The two met and began dating while they were students at Murray State University. Nikki jokes, “Our first date was a hunting trip to a goose pit in Ballard County.” Both have always been avid hunters. Nikki remembers, “I began hunting with my daddy when I was very young.” And Chris explains, “Whatever was in season, was the reason I needed to be in the woods or outdoors.” While in college, Chris was a member of the rifle team earning him scholarship assistance to help pay for his education. Being grateful for the benefits of being on the MSU rifle team, he hoped his children would be inspired to take part in a team sport. Archery has become a sport for both children to take part in.
The Curtis’ dream was to have their children appreciate the outdoors and the sport of hunting. That dream has come true with 14-year-old Dalton and his 12-year-old sister following in their parents’ footsteps. Dalton, a 9th grader at Apollo High School, and Meg, a 7th grader at College View Middle School, began hunting at early ages. Both began shooting rifles early and around age seven, added the sport of archery to their hobbies. Dalton and Meg took part in the NASP (National Archery School Program) beginning in the 4th grade at Southern Oaks Elementary School. The NASP program teaches the basic archery skills beginning in grades 4 through 12. The program is a collaborative effort between the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and the National Archery in the Schools Program. The curriculum is aligned with the core content for physical education, social studies, mathematics and includes instruction in safety.
As the family’s interest in archery grew, Chris was introduced to the Scholastic 3D Archery program. While the NASP program teaches the basics of archery, 3D archery uses life size animal targets for students to shoot. Scholastic 3D Archery is a non-profit organization with a mission to foster, educate and guide youth in the area of 3-D archery. Jennie Richardson, Executive Director of Scholastic 3D Archery, said, “Bringing families together has become the theme for our program. It’s amazing how many kids begin in the archery program and their parents follow making it a family activity.” The program is entirely after school and it allows the students in grades 3 through 12 the opportunity to learn about and grow their archery abilities in a safe and educational environment. Students can compete in 3D archery tournaments across the state and country, offering a chance to earn college scholarships for their athletic performance. Chris and Nikki are now coaching Scholastic 3D Archery teams at Southern Oaks Elementary, College View Middle, Daviess County High School and Apollo High School this year. This past year, the team from College View Middle School won state and national honors. Jennifer Crume, principal at College View Middle School, welcomed the addition of 3D Archery to her school as another avenue for students to participate. Crume stated, “Archery provides our students a unique opportunity for team participation, one where you don’t have to be an outstanding athlete to join in. The camaraderie among the participants at a meet is a wonderful example of team work as well as problem solving and community relationship building.”
With Dalton and Meg shooting 3D Archery competitively now, they are seeing the opportunity to grow in their abilities. The competition lends itself to build improvement in their skills. Both admit they are competitive and like to win, but the team atmosphere is a great advantage. “Being on a team helps you learn how to shoot better. The competitiveness increases as we shoot against other highly qualified teams,” admitted Dalton. Meg affirms, “During competitions, our team members all hang out together to practice and check our sites. We all try to lift up each other.” Traveling to meets all across the country, Dalton and Meg have met other skilled archers who have become their role models. Not only are their role models highly skilled, but their character leads a great example for them to follow. Nikki stated, “At competitions, it’s like our kids have an extended family of cousins, aunts and uncles through all the great people we have gotten to know. They are so supportive of the kids and treat the kids as their own.” Chris and Nikki have found opportunities to shoot in the tournaments they travel to as well. Nikki won a National Championship this past year in Cullman, Alabama.
Through working with the kids in the archery program, Chris and Nikki have found enjoyment in watching the kids mature and get along with everyone. They find it rewarding to see kids with zero experience build their confidence level and improve. Chris emphasizes, “I want to see the kids learn to respect people they are around, give their best effort in all they do, plus set a goal to achieve.”
As the sport continues to grow, Chris would like for Owensboro to someday have an indoor facility for kids and adults to shoot year round. There are some facilities in other parts of the state and he thinks it could be a reality here as well. Chris has become a certified coach trainer for Scholastic 3D Archery and a regional coordinator for Western Kentucky. Chris acknowledged, “As the sport continues to grow, I feel there will be sponsorship money available from some of the large archery supply companies that can help local programs get started.”
As fall approaches, the Curtises look forward to hunting seasons. As each season comes and goes, they will keep practicing with their archery teams to prepare for another year of competitions. It is through archery that this family remains on target, dedicated to a sport that brings them together.