FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Yankton Area Archery Club?
We are an archery club recognized by USA Archery as both an adult and JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) club. As such we are allowed to host shoots, tournaments and programs sanctioned by USA Archery. We often organize pin shoots at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center (NEYAC) for our members and other archery club members to earn their JOAD or Adult Achievement Pins.
We are also recognized as a 501c non-profit organization.
The Yankton Area Archery Club is also the archery club for Yankton County 4H shooting sports. We support the 4H program and train for events such as State 4H in the spring.
Where are you based out of?
The Yankton Area Archery Club is based out of the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center, NEYAC at 800 Archery Lane, Yankton, SD 57078. It is the largest archery center in the world with indoor and outdoor ranges that are available for members year-round. The club hosts it's practices, meetings, pin shoots and just about all activities at the Archery Center.
Check out this video to give you an idea of the cool place we get to call home!
We are an archery club recognized by USA Archery as both an adult and JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) club. As such we are allowed to host shoots, tournaments and programs sanctioned by USA Archery. We often organize pin shoots at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center (NEYAC) for our members and other archery club members to earn their JOAD or Adult Achievement Pins.
We are also recognized as a 501c non-profit organization.
The Yankton Area Archery Club is also the archery club for Yankton County 4H shooting sports. We support the 4H program and train for events such as State 4H in the spring.
Where are you based out of?
The Yankton Area Archery Club is based out of the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center, NEYAC at 800 Archery Lane, Yankton, SD 57078. It is the largest archery center in the world with indoor and outdoor ranges that are available for members year-round. The club hosts it's practices, meetings, pin shoots and just about all activities at the Archery Center.
Check out this video to give you an idea of the cool place we get to call home!
I am a member and/or go to classes at NEYAC, does that make me a member of the Yankton Area Archers?
Yes! Members of the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center, NEYAC, are also members of the Yankton Area Archers and vice versa. This means members have access to the largest archery center in the world whenever they are open and attend our open practices once a week (typically we have practice Fridays from5:30-7:30pm from the fall to the spring and move to Thursdays from 5:30-7:30pm in the summer).
Although archers taking classes at NEYAC are not members of the Center they can also take advantage of extra practice time by coming to our weekly open practices at no extra charge while they are enrolled in classes. If they would like to participate in pin shoots or other archery events outside of practices they do have to purchase day passes as a non-member of the Archery Center. So we do encourage archers to get a membership because it comes with some cool benefits including membership to the Yankton Area Archers!
What do I need to do to become a members?
Archers can become members of the Yankton Archery Club by purchasing a membership to NEYAC. This will give you access to the archery center anytime they are open as well as include the weekly open practices. Family and individual memberships are available for purchase online at www.neyac.org or by stopping by NEYAC at 800 Archery Lane, Yankton, SD 57078. NEYAC membership information available here.
What is this USA Archery vs NFAA membership situation?
First of all, membership to a national governing body like NFAA or USA Archery is not required to be part of the Yankton Archery Club or NEYAC. Membership to these organizations is encouraged for archers who are looking to advance in their archery. Maybe they are interested in competing at more tournaments beyond local pin shoots (state championships, regional, sectional, national, international). Membership to these organizations also come with benefits such as additional insurance, recognition for some awards, eligibility to earn championship titles, become an instructor or certified judge etc.
USA Archery and the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) are the two largest archery associations in the US. Both organizations have the goal of promoting participation in archery but each has their own niche and specialty regarding tournament formats. You can check out their websites to get an idea of what each organization does: nfaausa.com and usaarchery.org.
What does that mean for us? Well, the Yankton Area Archery Club is a USA Archery recognized club, as such USAA encourages club members to have an organization membership to earn their achievement pins and attend tournaments sanctioned by USA Archery. Both organizations sanction events in our area, so often our members chose to join both organizations in order to participate at tournaments put on by the NFAA and USAA. If this sounds expensive, don't worry, there is a Partner Association Membership agreement for members of the NFAA to get a reduced rate for a USAA membership ($10 for youth members, $35 for adult members).
Does this still sound like too much membership? Don't worry!
The NFAA has a reciprocal agreement with USAA which means the NFAA will recognize USA Memberships for their events and USAA will do the same for most of their events. So for many events, having a membership to just one organization is enough to participate in both NFAA and USA Archery events.
Most events in our area are focused on NFAA formats and the Yankton Area Archery club does have their home at the NEYAC which is the headquarters for the NFAA, so we always encourage membership to the NFAA who has supported us for many years. NFAA Membership information is available here.
What is the benefit of joining the Yankton Area Archery Club?
In addition to weekly practices at NEYAC, daily access the NEYAC and hosting pin shoots, the club also organizes fundraising events that go into a fund to coordinate other fun activities. This is also a fundraising tool for members who would like to earn money for archery related activities, for example: purchasing some archery equipment or paying the entry fee for a tournament. To stay up to date on current fundraising opportunities you can contact the archery club board members for information at [email protected]
Do I need to join USA Archery and the NFAA and the Yankton Area Archery Club and NEYAC AND pay for classes?!
Not at all. There are a whole lot of opportunities to participate in archery and it really depends how much involvement you want to have in the sport overall. You can join everything or just pick the membership or activities that interest you. If you are confused about what you should be joining or participating in you can always ask a club member or one of the coaches at NEYAC for clarification.
I am a member and/or go to classes at NEYAC, does that make me a member of the Yankton Area Archers?
Yes! Members of the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center, NEYAC, are also members of the Yankton Area Archers and vice versa. This means members have access to the largest archery center in the world whenever they are open and attend our open practices once a week (typically we have practice Fridays from5:30-7:30pm from the fall to the spring and move to Thursdays from 5:30-7:30pm in the summer).
Although archers taking classes at NEYAC are not members of the Center they can also take advantage of extra practice time by coming to our weekly open practices at no extra charge while they are enrolled in classes. If they would like to participate in pin shoots or other archery events outside of practices they do have to purchase day passes as a non-member of the Archery Center. So we do encourage archers to get a membership because it comes with some cool benefits including membership to the Yankton Area Archers!
What do I need to do to become a members?
Archers can become members of the Yankton Archery Club by purchasing a membership to NEYAC. This will give you access to the archery center anytime they are open as well as include the weekly open practices. Family and individual memberships are available for purchase online at www.neyac.org or by stopping by NEYAC at 800 Archery Lane, Yankton, SD 57078. NEYAC membership information available here.
What is this USA Archery vs NFAA membership situation?
First of all, membership to a national governing body like NFAA or USA Archery is not required to be part of the Yankton Archery Club or NEYAC. Membership to these organizations is encouraged for archers who are looking to advance in their archery. Maybe they are interested in competing at more tournaments beyond local pin shoots (state championships, regional, sectional, national, international). Membership to these organizations also come with benefits such as additional insurance, recognition for some awards, eligibility to earn championship titles, become an instructor or certified judge etc.
USA Archery and the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) are the two largest archery associations in the US. Both organizations have the goal of promoting participation in archery but each has their own niche and specialty regarding tournament formats. You can check out their websites to get an idea of what each organization does: nfaausa.com and usaarchery.org.
What does that mean for us? Well, the Yankton Area Archery Club is a USA Archery recognized club, as such USAA encourages club members to have an organization membership to earn their achievement pins and attend tournaments sanctioned by USA Archery. Both organizations sanction events in our area, so often our members chose to join both organizations in order to participate at tournaments put on by the NFAA and USAA. If this sounds expensive, don't worry, there is a Partner Association Membership agreement for members of the NFAA to get a reduced rate for a USAA membership ($10 for youth members, $35 for adult members).
Does this still sound like too much membership? Don't worry!
The NFAA has a reciprocal agreement with USAA which means the NFAA will recognize USA Memberships for their events and USAA will do the same for most of their events. So for many events, having a membership to just one organization is enough to participate in both NFAA and USA Archery events.
Most events in our area are focused on NFAA formats and the Yankton Area Archery club does have their home at the NEYAC which is the headquarters for the NFAA, so we always encourage membership to the NFAA who has supported us for many years. NFAA Membership information is available here.
What is the benefit of joining the Yankton Area Archery Club?
In addition to weekly practices at NEYAC, daily access the NEYAC and hosting pin shoots, the club also organizes fundraising events that go into a fund to coordinate other fun activities. This is also a fundraising tool for members who would like to earn money for archery related activities, for example: purchasing some archery equipment or paying the entry fee for a tournament. To stay up to date on current fundraising opportunities you can contact the archery club board members for information at [email protected]
Do I need to join USA Archery and the NFAA and the Yankton Area Archery Club and NEYAC AND pay for classes?!
Not at all. There are a whole lot of opportunities to participate in archery and it really depends how much involvement you want to have in the sport overall. You can join everything or just pick the membership or activities that interest you. If you are confused about what you should be joining or participating in you can always ask a club member or one of the coaches at NEYAC for clarification.
What are Pin Shoots and how do they work?
Good question. A pin shoot is basically a short version of a tournament. The club will normally host an indoor or outdoor pin shoot every 4 or 8 weeks.
In an indoor pin shoot archers will shoot 30 arrows (10 ends of 3 arrows) at 9 or 18 meters at a 40cm target face for a maximum score of 300 point. Depending on which color pin you are trying to earn there is a point requirement to get that pin. Here is the JOAD Indoor Scoring Matrix and Adult Indoor Scoring Matrix.
Outdoor pin shoots are a little more complicated: everyone shoots 36 arrows (6 ends of 6 arrows) for a maximum score of 360 points. The color of the pin you are trying to earn determines the distance, the size of the target you shoot and how many points you need to score to earn your achievement pin. Here is the JOAD Outdoor Scoring Matrix and the Adult Outdoor Scoring Matrix.
Pin shoot scoring is done exactly like you would during a tournament. Each archer will have two score cards, 'official' and 'unofficial'. At the end of the scoring rounds archers will turn in the 'official' score card to the organizers and keep the 'unofficial' score cards for their own records. Both score cards must match and be signed by the archers and the score keepers.
If this sounds kind of intimidating, don't worry. The club puts on these pin shoots to help archers get acquainted with tournament formats and there is always people available to help if there any questions. Pin shoots are a great chance to track your progress and dip your toes in the world of archery competitions. If you're curious to try them we encourage you to try.
What if I go to a pin shoot or tournament somewhere else?
If you are a member of the Yankton Area Archery Club you can still earn your pins from events at other locations as long as they fulfill the requirements to earn that pin (i.e. and official scoring round at the distance and target size required). After the scoring event, notify one of our club officers and turn in your score card from the tournament for verification and we will get your well deserved pin to you.
How are age divisions determined with USA Archery/JOAD events like pin shoots?
This is a cause for confusion for many archers, since each archery association has their own age divisions. The following is a guide to a few of the association age divisions:
National Field Archery Association
Very simple:Determined by the age the archers is on the first day of competition. If the archer has a birthday in the middle of competition they will stay in the age division they were at the start of the event.
USA Archery & JOAD
More complicated: USA Archery says age divisions are determined "through the calendar year of their ___ birthday". This means their age division is based on the YEAR they turn a certain age. For example, if they turn 12 years old at any time this year, they must register in the division for archers 12-14 (cub); regardless of whether they turn that age Jan 1 or Dec 31.
In an indoor pin shoot archers will shoot 30 arrows (10 ends of 3 arrows) at 9 or 18 meters at a 40cm target face for a maximum score of 300 point. Depending on which color pin you are trying to earn there is a point requirement to get that pin. Here is the JOAD Indoor Scoring Matrix and Adult Indoor Scoring Matrix.
Outdoor pin shoots are a little more complicated: everyone shoots 36 arrows (6 ends of 6 arrows) for a maximum score of 360 points. The color of the pin you are trying to earn determines the distance, the size of the target you shoot and how many points you need to score to earn your achievement pin. Here is the JOAD Outdoor Scoring Matrix and the Adult Outdoor Scoring Matrix.
Pin shoot scoring is done exactly like you would during a tournament. Each archer will have two score cards, 'official' and 'unofficial'. At the end of the scoring rounds archers will turn in the 'official' score card to the organizers and keep the 'unofficial' score cards for their own records. Both score cards must match and be signed by the archers and the score keepers.
If this sounds kind of intimidating, don't worry. The club puts on these pin shoots to help archers get acquainted with tournament formats and there is always people available to help if there any questions. Pin shoots are a great chance to track your progress and dip your toes in the world of archery competitions. If you're curious to try them we encourage you to try.
What if I go to a pin shoot or tournament somewhere else?
If you are a member of the Yankton Area Archery Club you can still earn your pins from events at other locations as long as they fulfill the requirements to earn that pin (i.e. and official scoring round at the distance and target size required). After the scoring event, notify one of our club officers and turn in your score card from the tournament for verification and we will get your well deserved pin to you.
How are age divisions determined with USA Archery/JOAD events like pin shoots?
This is a cause for confusion for many archers, since each archery association has their own age divisions. The following is a guide to a few of the association age divisions:
National Field Archery Association
Very simple:Determined by the age the archers is on the first day of competition. If the archer has a birthday in the middle of competition they will stay in the age division they were at the start of the event.
- Cub- 8-11 years old
- Youth- 12-14 years old
- Junior- 15-17 years old
- Adult- 18+ years old
- Senior- 50+ years old
- Master Senior- 60+ years old
- Silver Senior 70+ years old
USA Archery & JOAD
More complicated: USA Archery says age divisions are determined "through the calendar year of their ___ birthday". This means their age division is based on the YEAR they turn a certain age. For example, if they turn 12 years old at any time this year, they must register in the division for archers 12-14 (cub); regardless of whether they turn that age Jan 1 or Dec 31.
- “Bowman” through the calendar year of their 12th birthday.
- “Cub” through the calendar year of their 14th birthday.
- “Cadet” through the calendar year of their 17th birthday.
- “Junior” through the calendar year of their 20th birthday.
- “Senior” at any point they wish.
- “Master 50+” when the competition takes place in the year of their 50th birthday and thereafter.
- “Master 60+” when the competition takes place in the year of their 60th birthday and thereafter.
- “Master 70+” when the competition takes place in the year of their 70th birthday and thereafter.
What is 4H Archery?
4H is a grassroots youth leadership program that provides kids with a wide range of opportunities to learn useful life skills and practice leadership within their counties. One of the activities they provide are shooting sports including archery. The Yankton Area Archers is a specialty club that includes 4H archery as one of our seasons. From January-April, the club focuses on preparing archers for 4H events such as qualifying matches and participation at South Dakota's State 4H Shooting Sports tournament. To learn more about 4H and 4H Shooting Sports visit the SDSU extension office website.
What are qualifying matches?
The main focus of our Jan-Apr 4H season is to help kids prepare and qualify for South Dakota's State 4H Shooting Sports tournament held each year in Pierre, SD. The format for state is a 30-arrow scoring round shot at indoor distances at an NFAA blue-and-white indoor target face for a total possible score of 150 points with 15 X's. In order to qualify to participate in this event archers must shoot qualifying matches throughout the season. The Yankton Archery Club schedules opportunities for archers to shoot a qualifying scores during some of their practices. These matches mailed in to confirm qualification AND each match is treated as a state-wide mail-in tournament where archers are eligible for awards.
Do I have to be a member to shoot qualifying matches?
We always encourage membership to the club but it is not required for club practices or participation in qualifying events. Archers that are not members can join us for both practice and matches by purchasing a day pass to the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center. ($10 day pass, $5 for members of the National Field Archery Association).
If you are a member of another archery club and would like the chance to shoot a 4H qualifying match you are welcome to join us. Visit our home page for a calendar of our matches and other events.
4H is a grassroots youth leadership program that provides kids with a wide range of opportunities to learn useful life skills and practice leadership within their counties. One of the activities they provide are shooting sports including archery. The Yankton Area Archers is a specialty club that includes 4H archery as one of our seasons. From January-April, the club focuses on preparing archers for 4H events such as qualifying matches and participation at South Dakota's State 4H Shooting Sports tournament. To learn more about 4H and 4H Shooting Sports visit the SDSU extension office website.
What are qualifying matches?
The main focus of our Jan-Apr 4H season is to help kids prepare and qualify for South Dakota's State 4H Shooting Sports tournament held each year in Pierre, SD. The format for state is a 30-arrow scoring round shot at indoor distances at an NFAA blue-and-white indoor target face for a total possible score of 150 points with 15 X's. In order to qualify to participate in this event archers must shoot qualifying matches throughout the season. The Yankton Archery Club schedules opportunities for archers to shoot a qualifying scores during some of their practices. These matches mailed in to confirm qualification AND each match is treated as a state-wide mail-in tournament where archers are eligible for awards.
Do I have to be a member to shoot qualifying matches?
We always encourage membership to the club but it is not required for club practices or participation in qualifying events. Archers that are not members can join us for both practice and matches by purchasing a day pass to the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center. ($10 day pass, $5 for members of the National Field Archery Association).
If you are a member of another archery club and would like the chance to shoot a 4H qualifying match you are welcome to join us. Visit our home page for a calendar of our matches and other events.