indoor target, outdoor target and 3D Archery ranges.
501c3 nonprofit
USA Archery Level 4 & Level 3 Coaches, Level 2 & 1 Instructors. Flint River Archery Club is staffed by volunteers. All certified and highly trained instructors. Our coaching team includes a Level 4 USA Archery Certified Coach, as well as Level 3 USA Archery Certified Coaches and Level 1 and Level 2 USA Archery Certified Instructors. In addition, all FRAC coaches are S3DA trained, and one coach also holds NASP certification. Every FRAC coach is required to:
Complete and pass annual SafeSport training
Maintain a current USA Archery background screening
Safety, professionalism, and athlete well-being are top priorities at FRAC. Our instructors are trained to teach archery using:
Advanced compound bows (open or pins setup)
Basic compound bows
Olympic recurve equipment
Barebow equipment
Youth archers may choose whichever style of archery interests them most. Many enjoy trying more than one style, and FRAC supports switching between equipment types when availability allows. All equipment can be provided at no cost to archers. We have bows, arrows, release aids, sights, rests, stabilizers, and more — allowing athletes to train and compete even before investing in their own gear. Archers are welcome to use FRAC equipment for as long as needed, including during classes and at most tournaments where club equipment is transported for athlete use.
🏹 Flint River Archery Club — Why We Exist & What We Do
Flint River Archery Club (FRAC) was created to open every pathway that archery has to offer to youth archers— not just one. We believe archery can become a lifelong sport, outdoor tradition, educational opportunity and personal passion, and we work to support youth archers no matter where their interests lead them.
🌟 Our Purpose
Flint River Archery Club exists to:
Provide youth with access to archery regardless of income or equipment ownership
Create new bowhunters for the youth who are interested in hunting
Teach conservation and ethical outdoor practices
Offer youth a path into competitive archery that is fun, supportive and affordable
Help families understand the opportunities archery can provide, from recreation to college scholarships and beyond
Build connections to outdoor programs, conservation departments and future opportunities
FRAC is designed so kids don’t have to choose between becoming hunters, target archers, or recreational shooters — because they can be any or all of them.
🔥 Pillar #1 — Training New Bowhunters the Right Way
Many of our FRAC archers are interested in bowhunting, and we support that curiosity with responsible, structured education. We teach:
Conservation and wildlife management
Leave No Trace and ethical harvesting
Safety, respect and responsibility
Habitat awareness and land management
Invasive species removal and the importance of active stewardship
We utilize the Explore Bowhunting program to introduce youth to the fundamentals and provide mentorship for those who want to continue further. The goal is to prepare kids to become ethical, confident and conservation-minded bowhunters. In the future, FRAC plans to connect with Field to Fork for program dates or similar programs so parents can also gain bowhunting experience alongside their youth and feel confident taking them into the field.
🏆 Pillar #2 — Building Competitive Archers and Lifelong Athletes
For youth who fall in love with target archery, FRAC offers every opportunity to grow from beginner to competitive athlete. We participate in:
S3DA (scholastic 3d archery)
USA Archery / JOAD - junior olympic archery development
NFAA - national field archery association
ASA - archery shooters association
IBO (International Bowhunting Organization)
Each organization exposes youth to different archery disciplines, scoring formats and competitive environments:
Organization(s) Main Focus: (FRAC does not have a field target course, but hopes to in the future)
Indoor Target - USA Archery / JOAD, NFAA - Accuracy, consistency, technique
Outdoor Target - USA Archery / JOAD - Olympic-style long distance
3D Archery - ASA & IBO - Animal-shaped targets in wooded courses
S3DA - A blend of the formats above - Indoor, Outdoor Target & 3D archery
ASA and IBO use 3D animal targets, which simulate bowhunting scenarios and build shot placement knowledge. ASA allows known distance classes (rangefinder permitted)
IBO is unknown distance only, which is a challenge for new archers — so we have taught yardage judging classes to help prepare FRAC archers for success. Although some clubs host IBO style 3D tournaments and allow range finders.
🥇 Achievements and Scholarships
Archery is full of opportunity beyond trophies. Earn collegiate archery scholarships
Receive scholarship funds through archery organizations that can be applied to trade schools or colleges that do not offer archery
*Some of our FRAC archers have already earned or been offered collegiate archery scholarships!
🏅 JOAD Achievement Program at FRAC
JOAD gives kids tangible goals to work toward, and FRAC runs it at full tournament standard:
Official scoring
Proper distances
Tournament rules enforced
Monitored scoring and procedures
Archers gradually increase their distance as they improve — so all youth can succeed while being challenged. FRAC does not charge youth for JOAD pin shoots or JOAD achievement awards. Years ago archers did have to cover the cost of joad achievement awards and lanyards because we lacked funding — now we have the support to make JOAD achievement awards and pin shoots free for every athlete all the time!
💚 Pillar #3 — Expanding Youth Horizons Through Archery
Archery is much bigger than most families realize. Through FRAC, youth discover that archery can become:
A lifelong outdoor hobby
A pathway to bowhunting
A competitive sport
A path to scholarships and college programs
A way to meet friends and travel
A family activity that grows with them into adulthood
We want families to see the full landscape of opportunity — and help kids find what speaks to them.
🛠 Equipment Access — Removing Barriers
Archery can get expensive depending on individual goals — and we refuse to let cost be the reason a child misses an opportunity. Because of donations, grants, fundraising and classes, FRAC is able to offer:
Bows (compound and recurve)
Sights, rests & stabilizers
Multiple release styles (hinge, tension, thumb, index)
Arrows of all sizes
Targets
Tournament equipment transported for youth use
New archers can try different setups to learn what fits them best before parents invest in purchasing equipment. FRAC club equipment can be used as long as needed.
🌍 Conservation & Youth Outdoor Service
FRAC strongly believes in teaching youth to take care of the outdoors, not just use it. Our conservation involvement includes:
Managing the 3D bow range at Big Hollow
Teaching conservation techniques
Assisting with invasive species removal when possible
Promoting responsible outdoor ethics
🤝 Community Outreach — Giving Back Matters
Over the years, FRAC participated in numerous free community youth activities, including:
Free youth archery booth at the Iowa Deer Classic
Helping run archery at the Burlington Community School District summer camp at Camp Eastman
Free youth archery booth at Healthy Kids Day for the Burlington YMCA
Volunteers for the Outdoor Youth Jamboree free archery booth
Support for the Burlington River Days conservation fundraiser
Hosting our own free youth Explore Bowhunting program
Free archery booth at community in the parks day
Hosting free try archery days
Hosting fee archery booth at local school fairs
We give back because we want every kid in the region to have a chance to discover archery.
🏁 What We Stand For
Flint River Archery Club is built on the belief that:
🔹 Every child should have access to archery — regardless of financial situation
🔹 Youth should be taught to respect nature, wildlife and land
🔹 Hunting and competition both have value and can coexist
🔹 Families deserve guidance on the opportunities archery can open
🔹 Archery should be a sport kids can continue into adulthood
This is the full purpose of FRAC — and we are proud of it.
🏹 Flint River Archery Club
Where youth grow into archers…
Where archers grow into outdoorsmen and athletes…
And where families discover just how far archery can take them.
