His right arm is pulled back, and the tension inside the bow’s thick string built and shook. The archer, sophomore Zain Jehangiri, inhales deeply and releases the arrow at ludicrous speed. After only half a second of flight time, the arrow strikes the center of the target’s golden rings, releasing a quick, loud impact. With a satisfied look on his face, Jehangiri takes another look at the target: bullseye! Once again, the Prosper High School Archery Team has hit the mark by qualifying for this year’s National Archery in the Schools Program tournament, or NASP. This marks the 10th time the team has qualified for the nationals championship.

Throughout the Years

After being founded in 2015 by Coach Becky Hedges, the middle school team made an impressive debut after qualifying for the national tournament in its first year. They would then be invited to the 2017 NASP World Tournament in Orlando, Florida, and place 38th out of 66 other competing middle schools. The Prosper Archery program’s focus shifted after the middle school team aged into high school students, allowing the students to compete in several tournaments at higher levels.

Season after season, the high school team continuously improved their scores at nearly every tournament while competing in 10 or more events each year. The team also participated in the NASP State Competition each season, qualifying for the West Nationals Tournament every year since its inception in 2016.

Inside the Team

During practice, the team’s coaches slow the pace of a few rounds, having everyone follow the pace of a single person. This technique helps everyone focus on their form, step by step, without rushing. It also gives the archers a chance to reset mentally. Archery requires intense concentration, and even minor distractions — like footsteps echoing on the gym floor or teammates talking — can throw off a shot. The most important advice for ignoring these distractions is to center your focus on your own form, blocking everything out of your mind, such as other archers making noise or people talking in the stands behind. This discipline, built through quiet focus and repetition, gives the Prosper Archery Team an edge in competitions.

What’s Next?

With yet another national qualification, the Prosper Archery Team isn’t slowing down soon. Many students in the team have considered

continuing archery through college, and coaches are continuously planning to find scholarship tournaments for the students. Aside from tournaments, the team’s coaches have recently begun supporting the Relay For Life cancer charity event, where participants walk to fundraise and raise awareness for cancer research. The team’s long-term vision includes strong tournament placements and building a lasting legacy — one where Prosper Archery is known for its scores and teamwork, leadership, and dedication to the sport.

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