COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Archery has been awarded a USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) Multi-State Conservation Grant to lead a nationwide, data-driven initiative designed to increase participation in target archery in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
With archery set to take center stage at the LA28 Games, USA Archery aims to partner with state fish and wildlife agencies and other key stakeholders to harness this unprecedented visibility and convert it into sustained growth in the sport. The initiative will focus on recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) strategies to ensure that new and returning archers become lifelong participants.
“LA28 represents a transformational moment for archery in the United States,” said Mary Emmons, Chief of Sport Performance and Operations. “This grant allows us to proactively prepare - ensuring that increased awareness translates into meaningful, long-term participation across diverse communities.”
Archery continues to attract broad and growing audiences, particularly among youth, women, and families. According to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, approximately 19 million Americans participate in target archery, with nearly 20 percent under the age of 16.
As a safe, inclusive, and community-based activity, target archery often serves as an entry point to broader outdoor recreation, including hunting and other shooting sports.
Building on strong momentum - highlighted by USA Archery achieving the second-highest global social media reach among national archery federations during the 2024 Olympic Games - the project aims to ensure that interest generated by LA28 is not only captured but sustained.
The initiative will deliver new national and regional research to better understand awareness, motivations, and barriers to participation in target archery among key audiences, including the general public, hunters, anglers, and R3 professionals. These insights will inform the development of a comprehensive R3 digital toolkit tailored specifically to target archery.
The toolkit will provide:
USA Archery will lead the project, with Responsive Management an internationally recognized social science research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues serving as a subrecipient responsible for research, analysis, and reporting.
Responsive Management has over 35 years of experience helping government agencies, nonprofits, industry groups, and academic institutions understand public attitudes, interests, and barriers related to outdoor participation, and has conducted studies in all 50 U.S. states and multiple countries. Their expertise ensures that the project’s findings will be data-driven, actionable, and tailored to the needs of state agencies and R3 professionals.
“This project represents a unique opportunity for the R3 community to take advantage of an important growing market,” said Responsive Management Executive Director Mark Damian Duda. “The new data, strategies, and tools from this effort will allow state agencies and their partners to harness the heightened interest around the LA28 Games and help drive long-term participation and continued growth in archery.”
By equipping agencies and partners with actionable insights and resources, this initiative will help ensure that the spotlight of the LA28 Games drives lasting engagement in archery nationwide - strengthening pathways for participation from grassroots to elite levels.
About USA Archery
USA Archery is the National Governing Body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of archery in the United States. Founded in 1879, the organization promotes and grows the sport nationwide while supporting athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence at the Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, and international levels.
For more information contact [email protected].
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