Sarasota, Florida

Competitive Youth Archery in Sarasota, Florida — This Is Your Home Team

Sarasota Built SAA. SAA Competes for Sarasota.

Sarasota Archery Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit competitive archery team founded in and built for Sarasota, Florida. No commute. No searching the region. The only competitive, tryout-based archery team in Sarasota — and the best in southwest Florida.

Quick Answer
Is there a competitive youth archery team in Sarasota, Florida?

Yes. Sarasota Archery Academy is Sarasota’s only competitive, tryout-based youth archery team—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located at 7524 Castle Dr, Sarasota, FL 34240. Practices run Monday and Thursday evenings, 5–8 PM. SAA fields athletes in two parallel programs: USA Archery (X‑Ring Program, $200/mo) for indoor 18‑meter and outdoor 720‑round target archery, and ASA 3D (Upper 12’s, $300/mo) for the Florida ASA circuit. Coaching is led by USA Archery Level 3 NTS-certified instructors.

Sarasota, Florida

A City That Takes Both Culture and Competition Seriously

Sarasota is unlike any other city its size in Florida. It has the Ringling Museum, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, the Sarasota Opera, the Sarasota Ballet — institutions that make it one of the most culturally significant small cities in the American Southeast. At the same time, Sarasota County Schools serves over 42,000 students across 65 schools and ranks consistently among Florida’s top-performing school districts. Sarasota families don’t choose between arts and athletics. They expect both — and they expect both done well.

Sarasota County is also a recognized sports destination — not just for tourism but for competitive youth development. The county is home to a dense network of youth athletic programs across every major sport. What it didn’t have, until Sarasota Archery Academy was founded, was a competitive, structured, state-level archery program based in the city itself. No commute to Bradenton. No drive to Venice. A competitive archery team in Sarasota, operating in Sarasota, competing across Florida and beyond.

Sarasota’s population is approximately 57,000 city residents, with Sarasota County as a whole approaching 477,000. The city’s median age of 49 reflects a community that spans generations — from established families in neighborhoods like Palmer Ranch, Gulf Gate, Fruitville, and the East Sarasota corridor to the younger families arriving with Sarasota County’s continued growth. Across all of these communities, families with competitive athletes are looking for programs that match Sarasota’s standard. That’s what we are.

What Being Local Means

For Sarasota Athletes, There Is No Commute. This Is Home.

Families in Bradenton drive to us. Families in Venice drive to us. Families from Lakewood Ranch and North Port make the trip because there is no other program of this caliber within reach. For Sarasota athletes, that drive doesn’t exist — practice is Monday and Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, right here in Sarasota. That accessibility matters. Competitive archery demands consistent practice, and consistent practice is easiest when your training facility is in your own city.

Sarasota Archery Academy was founded by Sarasota residents, coached by Sarasota residents, and built on the principle that southwest Florida deserved a competitive archery program worth driving to — let alone one worth staying for. Our four USA Archery certified coaches — including Head Coach Rob Gilbert, who holds the Level 3 NTS certification, USA Archery’s highest coaching credential — all live and work in this community. This is not a franchise program or a traveling coach. This is Sarasota’s team.

As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 41-3616783), we operate without paid staff. Every dollar from membership fees, donations, and sponsorships goes directly into the athletes — equipment, facility, and tournament travel. For Sarasota families accustomed to quality programs, the combination of elite coaching and nonprofit pricing is genuinely unusual. We exist to build athletes, not to build a business.

Our Programs

Two Competitive Archery Programs. Based in Sarasota.

USA Archery target competition and ASA 3D field archery — both coached at the Level 3 NTS standard, both competing at the Florida state level.

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X-Ring Program — USA Archery

Olympic-style target archery coached through the National Training System (NTS) — the same technical framework applied at the USA Archery national and Olympic development levels. Sarasota athletes train indoors at 18 meters and outdoors in the 720-round format, competing at Florida state indoor and outdoor championships. Form, precision, mental process, and shot consistency under pressure. This is the pathway for Sarasota archers who want elite technical development. $200/month.

Learn About USA Archery Training in Florida →

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Upper 12’s Program — ASA 3D

ASA 3D field archery on outdoor courses — foam animal targets, unmarked distances, and the field judgment that separates 3D competitors from target-only archers. Sarasota athletes in the Upper 12’s program compete across the Florida ASA circuit, pursuing Shooter of the Year rankings and targeting the Florida ASA State Championship in Palatka each spring. A completely different athletic challenge from USA Archery — and one Sarasota has no other competitive program for. $300/month.

Learn About ASA 3D Archery in Florida →

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Sarasota’s Coaching Staff

Head Coach Rob Gilbert (USA Archery Level 3 NTS), assistant coaches Chad Henderson, Scott Reed, and Tristan Towers (all USA Archery Level 2) — all Sarasota-area residents, all volunteers. No salaries. No overhead. Just four certified coaches who decided that southwest Florida deserved a competitive archery team worthy of the region. For Sarasota athletes, these are your coaches, in your city, invested in your development.

Meet the Coaching Staff →

Quick Facts

Sarasota Archery Academy — Sarasota, FL At a Glance

Location
Sarasota, FL
Based in Sarasota. No commute for Sarasota athletes. Practice is in your city, twice a week, year-round.

Practice Schedule
Mon & Thu, 5–8 PM
After-school hours, year-round. Compatible with Sarasota County Schools schedules and multi-sport commitments.

Ages
8 & Up
Youth through adult divisions in both programs. Tryout-based — competitive team, not a recreational program.

Disciplines
USA Archery & ASA 3D
X-Ring (USA Archery target, $200/mo) and Upper 12’s (ASA 3D field archery, $300/mo). Both compete at the FL state level.

Head Coach
Level 3 NTS Certified
Rob Gilbert holds USA Archery’s highest coaching credential. The NTS is the same framework used to develop USA’s Olympic archers.

Organization
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
EIN: 41-3616783. All-volunteer coaching staff. Tax-deductible donations. Fees go into athletes, not overhead.

Sarasota Families Ask

Competitive Archery in Sarasota, Florida — Common Questions

Yes. Sarasota Archery Academy is the only competitive, tryout-based archery team operating in Sarasota, Florida. There are recreational archery ranges and informal shooting opportunities in the greater Sarasota area, but no other program fields athletes in USA Archery and ASA 3D circuits at the state competition level with certified coaches and a structured development program. SAA is Sarasota’s competitive archery program.

Our practice schedule — Mondays and Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:00 PM — is specifically designed to accommodate school-day schedules. Many of our athletes are active in Sarasota County Schools athletics, arts programs, or academic activities, and the evening practice times are structured around those commitments. Sarasota County Schools consistently ranks among Florida’s top-performing districts, and we find that the focus and discipline archery develops complements strong academic performance. Several SAA athletes participate in school sports concurrently — the mental training archery demands transfers directly to performance in other athletic contexts.

Yes. Prior archery experience is helpful but not required for tryouts. Our coaching staff evaluates fundamental athletic potential, coachability, attitude, and competitive drive — not prior range time. Some of our best athletes came to tryouts having never held a bow. What we cannot coach is the desire to compete and the discipline to train consistently. That has to be there already. If it is, the technical skills are something our Level 3 NTS-certified head coach can absolutely develop.

We draw athletes from across Sarasota — Palmer Ranch, Gulf Gate, Fruitville, the East Sarasota corridor, South Gate, and from neighborhoods throughout the city and county. Because we’re based in Sarasota, no neighborhood within the city requires a significant commute. Athletes from Sarasota County communities outside the city proper — including Osprey, Nokomis, and the South County area — also train with us, making the modest drive for a program that doesn’t exist closer to home.

Three things that genuinely distinguish us from most youth sports programs in the area. First, coaching credential: our head coach holds a Level 3 NTS certification from USA Archery — the highest available — and that level of technical coaching is rare in any youth sport, not just archery. Second, nonprofit structure: our all-volunteer coaching staff means every dollar goes into the program, not salaries. The pricing reflects that. Third, competitive seriousness: this is a tryout-based team that competes at the Florida state level, pursues Shooter of the Year rankings, and travels to tournaments. We are not a recreational league. Sarasota has plenty of those. We are a competitive team.

Visit our Join page for full tryout information and the application process. You can also contact us directly at sarasotaarcheryinc@gmail.com to ask questions or find out when the next tryout session is scheduled. Tryouts are held periodically throughout the year and are open to athletes ages 8 and up. We recommend reaching out in advance to introduce your athlete and understand what to expect — our coaches are happy to answer questions before a family commits to showing up.

Sarasota & Sarasota County

Sarasota’s Competitive Archery Team — Serving the Whole County

Sarasota Archery Academy is based in Sarasota and draws athletes from across Sarasota, Osprey, Nokomis, Siesta Key, Palmer Ranch, Gulf Gate, Fruitville, and throughout Sarasota County. For Sarasota city athletes, this is your home program — no commute, no searching, no settling for something lesser in another city. We also serve Bradenton and Manatee County and Venice and South Sarasota County. Contact us to find out when the next tryout is scheduled or to ask anything about the program.


OUR SERVICE AREA

Competitive Archery Across Southwest Florida

Sarasota is home base, but the team serves athletes from across the region. Pick your city to see local details.

Lakewood Ranch → Bradenton → Venice → North Port → Siesta Key & Islands →

Sarasota, Florida

Sarasota’s Competitive Archery Team. Built Here. Competing Everywhere.

Level 3 NTS coaching. USA Archery and ASA 3D programs at the Florida state level. 501(c)(3) nonprofit pricing. Practice in your city, Monday and Thursday evenings. The only program in Sarasota worth calling competitive.