From The Tribune staff reports
HOOVER — Alabama’s newest community archery park held a ribbon cutting ceremony in Hoover on Monday, Nov. 9.
The Hoover Community Archery Park is open to the public year-round during daylight hours for recreational shooting, competitive tournaments and outdoor educational programming.
With shooting distances measured in meters rather than in yards, the park is designed to facilitate USA Archery’s Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program. This Olympic-style archery provides archers the opportunity to learn range safety and proper shooting technique in an environment that fosters focus, increased self-confidence and team building skills.
The facility, which is located at 3308 Afton Circle in Hoover, features a five-target range from 20 to 50 meters and a two-target youth range of 10 and 15 meters. The park also offers portable archery targets that can be positioned for practice and JOAD competitions.
“The new Hoover Community Archery Park is an outstanding addition to all of the other parks and recreation facilities throughout the city,” said Toni Leo, Archery Instructor with Hoover’s Archery Program. “Students participating in our program will benefit from certified instruction and have the opportunity to earn recognition through their improved skills and training. Bowhunters are also invited to sharpen their archery skills at the park if they have a valid hunting license.”
Use of the archery park is free for those under 16 years of age or over 65. Alabamians ages 16 to 64 must have a hunting license, fishing license, Wildlife Management Area (WMA) license, or Wildlife Heritage license to use the range. Licenses are available from various local retailers or online at www.outdooralabama.com.
For more information about the Hoover Community Archery Park, visit www.outdooralabama.com/hoover-community-archery-park.
