Chelsea Community Center establishes archery program

One key to a strong community, if you ask Mark Glausier, is the chance for involvement. And to Glausier, the Chelsea Community Center sports director, sports are a great way to drum up involvement.

But not everyone wants to get involved in the more mainstream sports, such as football, basketball or baseball and softball. So this fall, they tacked on another option: archery.

“It’s an alternative sport for kids who aren’t participating in something,” Glausier said. “We’re trying to bring [more sports], to get kids involved in as many activities as possible. To open opportunities, is the best way to put it.”

The process was simpler than expected, Glausier said, especially because of the help of Chelsea resident Phil Carter, a world champion archer who has competed for more than 40 years. The community center’s archery program is through the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP), which is designed to help archers transition into play at their schools.

“Chelsea has had a program before, in the middle school, but it didn’t really stay,” Glausier said. “So with the city kind of flagshipping the program, we have an opportunity for it to become more sustainable.”

The city provided funds for the purchase of 12 bows, arrows and targets to jump-start the program. To enter the program, participants pay a $120 fee, which Glausier said goes toward keeping the program self-sustainable, meaning toward replacing equipment if it breaks, adding new equipment as needed without requiring more money from the city. 

The fee also goes toward the instruction from Carter and shooting shirts for the archers to wear to competitions.

However, Glausier said they will work families when that is necessary.

“We don’t want money to be a hindrance,” he said. “If I’ve got a kid who wants to participate, we’ll find a way for them to be able to participate.”

In its first few weeks, the program has gained about 11 active participants, and Glausier hopes to see that number continue to grow. Archery, he said, provides a lot of opportunities to students — from competitions to scholarship opportunities — as they grow older.

“These kids are learning real quick,” Carter said. “They’ve done real well, from the first day until now. It’s amazing how quick — especially kids — pick it up.”

The community center’s basketball and volleyball programs, as well as the Chelsea Youth Club teams, help foster strong athletes who feed into and benefit the middle school and high school programs, and Glausier said he hopes that ends up being the case with archery as well.

“We are extending opportunities for our students and adults, as well, to have another experience in athletics or recreation,” Glausier said.

Programs at the community center help foster that sense of community, in addition to strengthening the individuals in the community, Glausier said, and he’s looking forward to seeing what expanded programs can do for Chelsea. Carter said this spring, when a new class starts, they will have even more students — and adults — sign up.

“The more we can offer our families and kids here, the more we can offer for our community, the better it is,” Glausier said. “And we’ve got a great community already.”

For more information, call the community center at 677-2052.