Archery Season Kicks Off

The Roberto Clemente Community Academy JROTC Wildcats Archery Team begins the 2016 season with high expectations. Senior captains Natalie Vazquez and Michael Padilla will lead 15 returning members of the 2015 team and welcome 25 new aspiring archers. The commitment a cadet undertakes to become a member of the team is not easy. The team practices four times a week for two hours a day. Archers must maintain a C or better grade in all classes and be in good standing as a cadet. Any violation of the code of conduct–either school or JROTC– will result in being put on probation or being expelled from the team.

In 2015, Clemente’s archery team finished the season on a high note by placing 3^rd at the State Championship in Springfield IL, 78^th at the National Championship in Louisville, KY, and 34^th at the World Championship in Nashville, TN.

The 2016 season kicks off on January 23^rd when the team travels to the Jefferson Archery Tournament at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The team will also compete in tournaments on January 30th in Danville and February 6th at Phoenix Military Academy. The pace of the strenuous schedule doesn’t let up with additional tournaments February 13^th, 20^th, 27^th and March 5^th before returning home to host the city-wide archery tournament at Clemente on March 12^th. The team’s goal is to earn a return trip to Springfield IL for the state championship on April 2^nd.

Captains Vazquez and Padilla are confident that the team’s performance at state will give them another berth in the National Championships in in Louisville on May 12-14^th and the World Championship in Myrtle Beach, SC. on 24 – 26^th Jun.

The team is coached by SFC. Lewis with the assistance of Ms. Godinez and Chief Silver. Coach Lewis’ philosophies are simple; “Grades first, arrows second”, “Always remember not to get frustrated because frustration turns to failure” and “Focus, commitment, practice and persistence lead to success.”