Youth Archery for North Port, Florida Athletes — One of Florida’s Fastest-Growing Cities Deserves a Serious Program
North Port Is Growing Fast. Competitive Archery Is Already Here.
North Port is one of the fastest-growing cities in Florida — approaching 100,000 residents and adding families every month. Sarasota Archery Academy, the only competitive archery team in southwest Florida, is 25 to 40 minutes away depending on where in North Port you live. The program exists. The commute is manageable. The question is whether your athlete is ready for it.
Sarasota Archery Academy—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit competitive team at 7524 Castle Dr, Sarasota, FL 34240—is the closest tryout-based, state-level competitive archery program for North Port and Englewood families. Drive time from North Port is 25–40 minutes via I‑75 north. SAA fields athletes in both USA Archery (X‑Ring Program, $200/mo) and ASA 3D (Upper 12’s, $300/mo), coached by USA Archery Level 3 NTS-certified instructors.
A City in Full Growth Mode — and Looking for Programs That Match Its Ambition
North Port is the largest city in Sarasota County by land area — covering more than 100 square miles of southern Sarasota County between Venice and Port Charlotte. It is growing at a rate that makes most Florida cities look slow: the 2025 projected population is approximately 96,000 residents, up from roughly 77,000 just three years prior. Families are choosing North Port in large numbers, drawn by relatively affordable housing compared to coastal Sarasota and Venice, Sarasota County Schools access, and a community in the middle of building its own identity as a serious place to raise children.
The school infrastructure is part of that identity. North Port is served by Sarasota County Public Schools — one of Florida’s top-ranked districts — and has five elementary schools, two middle schools, and North Port High School, along with Imagine School at North Port as a public charter option. The families arriving in North Port are not settling. They are choosing a community they believe in, and they expect the youth programs to reflect that choice.
What North Port doesn’t yet have is a competitive archery program. The city’s rapid growth means youth sports infrastructure is still catching up to the population. Recreational leagues exist; serious competitive programs in specialized disciplines like archery do not. Sarasota Archery Academy fills that gap for the entire south Sarasota County corridor — and North Port athletes are a significant part of that service area.
The median household income in North Port is $81,940 — a community of working families investing in their children. The drive to our Sarasota training facility is 25 to 40 minutes depending on your location in North Port — a city so large geographically that western North Port near Venice is much closer than eastern North Port near the Charlotte County line. Either way, for families who’ve already chosen to invest in a growing community, the commute to a high-quality program is a familiar kind of trade.
The Only Competitive Archery Program Within Reach of North Port
Sarasota Archery Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit competitive archery team based in Sarasota, Florida. We field athletes in two circuits: the X-Ring Program for USA Archery indoor and outdoor target competition, and the Upper 12’s Program for ASA 3D field archery. Both programs compete at the Florida state level. Our head coach, Rob Gilbert, holds a USA Archery Level 3 NTS certification — the highest coaching credential in the sport — and three assistant coaches hold Level 2 certifications. All four coaches are volunteers.
For North Port families specifically, there is no comparable program between home and SAA. Nothing in North Port. Nothing in Englewood. Nothing between south Sarasota County and our facility. When a North Port family with a serious competitive athlete finds us, they have found the only option in the region worth calling a competitive archery program. That’s not a boast — it’s simply the state of the sport in southwest Florida. We are it, and we take that responsibility seriously.
Practice runs Mondays and Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Western North Port athletes near US-41 are typically on-site within 25–30 minutes. Eastern North Port athletes are 35–40 minutes out. We have athletes driving that distance and further from other parts of our service area — because the program is worth the drive.
Two Competitive Archery Programs. Open to North Port Athletes.
Two disciplines. Two circuits. One standard — built for athletes who intend to compete at the state level and beyond.
X-Ring Program — USA Archery
Olympic-style target archery coached through the National Training System (NTS) — the technical standard USA Archery applies at the national and Olympic development level. Indoor season at 18 meters on 3-spot target faces; outdoor season in the 720-round format. North Port athletes train year-round, twice weekly, and compete at Florida state indoor and outdoor championships. Technical precision under pressure — and the most direct pathway to elite archery development in the sport. $200/month.
Upper 12’s Program — ASA 3D
ASA 3D field archery — outdoor courses, foam animal targets, unmarked distances. North Port 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. For athletes near North Port who want a physically demanding, mentally complex discipline that doesn’t exist anywhere closer to home — this is the program. $300/month.
All-Volunteer Coaching. 501(c)(3) Pricing.
Head Coach Rob Gilbert (USA Archery Level 3 NTS) and assistants Chad Henderson, Scott Reed, and Tristan Towers (all Level 2 certified) donate their time entirely. No paid staff, no salaries, no overhead to fund. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 41-3616783), every dollar from membership goes into the program. For North Port families investing in a community they believe in, this is what a program built for athletes — not profit — looks like.
Competitive Archery Near North Port, FL — At a Glance
Competitive Archery Near North Port, Florida — Common Questions
Serving North Port, Englewood & South Sarasota County
Sarasota Archery Academy actively recruits athletes from North Port, Englewood, and the entire south Sarasota County corridor. North Port is one of Florida’s fastest-growing cities — approaching 100,000 residents — and the families arriving deserve access to serious competitive programs, not just recreational leagues. We are that program for archery. We also serve Venice and the surrounding South County area and all of Sarasota. Contact us to learn when the next tryout is scheduled.
OUR SERVICE AREA
Competitive Archery Across Southwest Florida
North Port athletes are welcome, and the team also serves families across the region. Pick your city to see local details.
Sarasota → Lakewood Ranch → Bradenton → Venice → Siesta Key & Islands →
North Port Is Growing Into Something. Your Athlete Should Be Too.
Level 3 NTS coaching. USA Archery and ASA 3D programs competing at the Florida state level. 501(c)(3) nonprofit pricing. 25 to 40 minutes from North Port — the only competitive archery option in southwest Florida.