Middle school team gaining popularity thanks to pop culture
Updated: November 27, 2012
CHAMPAIGN -- Students at Jefferson Middle School are channeling their inner "Katniss." The archery team was just created last year and had 19 kids on it. This year that number is being quadrupled thanks to pop culture and last year's success.
"I was very, very excited. I practically begged my parents, 'mom, dad, please can I go?'" said Victoria Kindratenko.
"I haven't shot a bow, in like, my entire life and I've always wanted to," said Grant Gilman.
Both are sixth graders at Jefferson Middle School and new to the archery team. It's a sport that's quickly catching on. This year 80 students are trying out.
"We're going to need more arrows, we're going to need more bows," said Coach Lynne Srull.
She's also adding extra practice to accommodate the extra students.
"We want to be able to work with each kid and really focus with them so we don't want too many at one time," said Srull.
Srull says last year's team may have something to do with the popularity but also, "teachers were running down and saying, 'oh my gosh, we're reading The Hunger Games in our class and these kids are identifying with the key person in the book,'" said Srull.
Besides Katniss, there is also Princess Merida from Brave and the summer Olympics.
"You think that's cool but it's amazing when you do it in real life," said Gilman.
"When I read The Hunger Games, I was really inspired to really start making my own bows, to start shooting, to start practicing," said Kindratenko.
"This is my 34th year teaching and mostly here at Jefferson and I think it's probably the best thing I've done in my career," said Srull.
An archery team can have up to 24 people on it which means Jefferson could have up to four teams. Srull says that's fine with her because she doesn't want to cut any student.
"I was very, very excited. I practically begged my parents, 'mom, dad, please can I go?'" said Victoria Kindratenko.
"I haven't shot a bow, in like, my entire life and I've always wanted to," said Grant Gilman.
Both are sixth graders at Jefferson Middle School and new to the archery team. It's a sport that's quickly catching on. This year 80 students are trying out.
"We're going to need more arrows, we're going to need more bows," said Coach Lynne Srull.
She's also adding extra practice to accommodate the extra students.
"We want to be able to work with each kid and really focus with them so we don't want too many at one time," said Srull.
Srull says last year's team may have something to do with the popularity but also, "teachers were running down and saying, 'oh my gosh, we're reading The Hunger Games in our class and these kids are identifying with the key person in the book,'" said Srull.
Besides Katniss, there is also Princess Merida from Brave and the summer Olympics.
"You think that's cool but it's amazing when you do it in real life," said Gilman.
"When I read The Hunger Games, I was really inspired to really start making my own bows, to start shooting, to start practicing," said Kindratenko.
"This is my 34th year teaching and mostly here at Jefferson and I think it's probably the best thing I've done in my career," said Srull.
An archery team can have up to 24 people on it which means Jefferson could have up to four teams. Srull says that's fine with her because she doesn't want to cut any student.
