In the bustling halls of Atholton High School, the sound of laughter and camaraderie echoed as the JROTC Armed Drill Team and Archery Team conversed about upcoming trips, and the memories of the old ones. The excitement was infectious between them; the competitions held a special place in each member’s hearts. All of their dedication comes down to the moment they step onto the floor. Each step of their shiny black shoes echo hours of practice. Every command they yell with a confident voice was shaky and uncertain months prior, and the arrow hitting a bullseye was once far from it. Each team becomes better and better as the months go by, and their success wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the coaches and teammates who give endless wisdom and support.
Twice a week afterschool the Archery Team takes over the cafeteria, switching out lunch tables for targets. They spend an hour loading the bow, pulling back, and shooting. This sequence is repeated for the entire hour.
“Practice is all about ensuring you can be consistent, so it’s just repetition, over and over,” said Col. Reinhart, the coach of the archery team. Of course this repetition process is tiring: “Their fingers often get fatigued quickly and so do their arms,” Col. Reinhart reported. Yet despite the exhausting hour, it seems having teammates for support is a huge relief.
Archery Team member Angelo Lango said “No matter if it’s hard, we all struggle together and we’re there for each other.” Lango has been on the team for three years and knows the dedication it takes and more specifically the importance of teammates.
Through the Archery Teams’ community and hard work in February they qualified for Nationals. They were top 3 in ranking and are expected to compete in Louisville, Kentucky in May, where they will go head to head with the top archery teams from all over the country.
Lango expressed his attitude toward this upcoming trip, “I’m just very excited to meet other cadets and see their ways.”Meeting other cadets is a very prominent and necessary part of trips.
“I mean a part of this experience is just being together, on the bus with others, staying in the hotel room, interacting with cadets from all over the United States,” Col. Reinhart explained.
Other cadets add value to the trip, the interactions fosters teamwork and often creates lasting friendships because of their shared interests and morals. The archery team has some big competition, but with their positive attitude and their ever so motivating coach Col. Reinhart, things are looking good.
As the Archery Team prepares for their Nationals a month away, 1st Sgt. Davis’ and Sgt. G’s Armed Drill Team is right behind them. The Armed Drill Team qualified for Nationals in January, and both the Exhibition Team and The Junior Color Guard Team will be representing Atholton at Nationals in Daytona, Florida.
While this trip includes a relaxing day at the beach after a chaotic competition, preparing for this huge competition is anything but relaxing. Throughout the school year the Exhibition and Color Guard Team have rigorous practices in the gym twice a week while the majority of the school is still sleeping.
“The hardest part is waking up really early,” said Slusher. These cadets must be dressed and ready in the gym by 6:15. There in the empty school they will practice until 7:30 with 1st Sgt. Davis critiquing and Sgt. G correcting their sequences. These early practices include no dilly dallying because 1st Sgt.
Davis is strict: “When they come and wanna play. It’s like you’re wasting my time, your time, everyone’s time.” All of this practice may seem excessive, but really it’s just the level of preparation needed for Nationals.
In Nationals they not only represent themselves, but they represent our state and our school; how they perform matters. Nationals are filled with lots of teams so it gets busy and competing with so many can be overwhelming.When reflecting back on last year’s trip to Daytona, 1st Sgt.
Davis said “It’s overwhelming because there were so many schools there, teams from all over North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, California.”
However despite the chaos, Atholton’s JROTC team is well equipped to handle pressure. “We try to make them comfortable with the pressure so that when they get to the big competition in front of 500 people they aren’t nervous,” said Sgt.G.
The competition day is long, some compete at 8 am and their next event starts at 5pm. “[waiting] is the worst part, you’re really just sitting around.,” said Aiden Kwon, a 4th year Exhibition member.
However, competing is anything but sitting around, these teams go out and perform their hearts out, “but, there is no better feeling than catching a rifle that’s 8 lbs and 10 feet in the sky,” said Kwon.
The love for the sport and the program is really what’s behind the JROTC success. Mackenzie Slusher, a Junior Color Guard member says it helps bring them closer and that “it turns friends into family.”