When Katniss Everdeen used a bow as a survival tool in the popular Hunger Games book and movie series, it did more than capture the attention of readers and viewers. Along with other pop culture characters such as Marvel’s Hawkeye, DC Comics’ Green Arrow, and Legolas from Lord of the Rings, Everdeen helped propel the popularity of archery as a sport.
Olympic exposure and increased visibility of international competitions, along with local grassroots programs, and a growing interest in niche and lifelong sports are also driving the growth, says Lalit Jain, scoring and events coordinator for the National Field Archery Association (NFAA).
The NFAA has more than 20,000 participants compete each year in its state, sectional, and national events, Jain says. Those competitions are held across the country, and span multiple disciplines, including indoor target, outdoor target, field, and 3D archery. The organization sanctions more than 200 state, sectional, and national events annually, in addition to online leagues and events. On top of that, hundreds of local events are hosted by NFAA-affiliated clubs and shops in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
Universal appeal
“Archery is unique because it’s truly a lifelong sport,” Jain explains. “You can start as young as five years old and continue well into your 90s. Equipment can be customized to each person’s strength and ability, making it an excellent activity for all skill levels.”
Jain is certainly not alone in his appreciation of the sport. Archery was one
of the first sports Foley Sports Tourism took on, says David Thompson, executive director of leisure services for the city of Foley, Alabama In 2016, Foley was selected as the first stop on the Archery Shooters Association tour, and the event drew many archers, thanks to its status as an established event.
In the years since, it has been renamed the Hoyt/Easton Pro/Am and has continued to grow. The event set an ASA attendance record in 2024, drawing 2,047 shooters from 51 states and six countries. In 2025, the estimated combined attendance of shooters and spectators totaled close to 6,000 people.
Meanwhile, Foley also hosts the USA Archery Collegiate 3D Nationals, a smaller-scale event that has been growing steadily since its first iteration in 2017, Thompson says. In its first year, only 78 shooters took part. In 2024, attendance grew to more than 500 people.
“Foley has seen a growth in archery both in tourism and recreation,” Thompson says. “It was a sport that people were able to pick up or continue to practice even during the pandemic,
so it wasn’t as hard hit as other sports.”
Venue considerations
Thompson says the key to a great archery event is a unique space that can adjust year to year. Graham Creek Nature Preserve, where the majority of Foley’s archery events are hosted, is more than 500 acres, housing more than a dozen ranges and hundreds of lanes. ASA events usually require about 250 acres to accommodate 17 ranges, and collegiate events require about 150 acres to accommodate about seven ranges, he says. Each range is home to 20 lanes with space for safety buffers. The placement of targets and lane setups changes year by year to keep the competition challenging and fun.
As a bonus, the Preserve also has an interpretive center and a large space around it, allowing a vendor village to pop up during events. “It turns into a strong home base with equipment vendors, food trucks, and the registration trailer,” Thompsons says, adding it offers enough power to accommodate a range of vendor needs, on-site transportation vehicles including ATVs, golf carts, and wagons, and plenty of parking for the thousands that attend.
Preserve staff work closely with the Foley Sports Tourism staff and those of other City of Foley departments to ensure planners have enough hands to make any last-minute adjustments to the lanes, transport planners and attendees around the site, and keep the facility clean and safe.
Foley has no shortage of unique spaces to enhance an archery event, he says. “For the first few years, the final shootdown for the Hoyt/Easton Pro/Am was hosted at the Foley Sports Tourism Championship Stadium,” Thompson recalls. “This allowed for hundreds to watch with bated breath as the winners were decided.”
Once the Foley Event Center was completed, the final shootdown moved indoors, which allowed for more intricate setups and the expansion of the event’s video coverage because weather concerns were removed, he explains. The Foley Event Center is also the home to the final shootdown of the USA Archery Collegiate 3D Nationals because it allows enough space to host a banquet for all the participants prior to shooting and awards.
“The best thing is to have enough space and staff to allow planners plenty of options so they can always bring something new to the table that will drive attendance and keep archers coming back year to year,” Thompson says. “While no Foley archery event is held solely indoors, having the space to host part of the event inside allows planners more flexibility.”
Open accessibility
Another reason for the sport’s popularity is its accessibility for people of all ages and abilities. Youth participation has been especially strong, Jain says, and the NFAA is expanding programs that get more young archers active and outdoors while reducing time on mobile devices and screens.
“Archery also builds life skills such as patience, concentration, discipline, and confidence,” Jain says. “We’re also committed to making archery accessible to everyone.”
Through partnerships with organizations across the country, the NFAA supports programs for adaptive and Paralympic archery, ensuring people of all abilities have the opportunity to enjoy the sport.
Archery makes a good sport for destinations and sports facilities looking to host competitions. “Archery events are a fantastic opportunity for planners and destinations,” says Jain. Tournaments bring in participants, families, and spectators from across the country and often generate significant tourism and economic impact for host cities, Jain says. “Unlike many sports, archery allows families to participate together. It’s common to see parents, kids, and even grandparents competing side by side.”
Thompson agrees, “The events are continuing to grow in attendance, and Foley Sports Tourism is committed to growing with them.” In addition, archery athletes make great visitors for destination sites. “Our archers are passionate, respectful guests who value the communities they visit, making them an excellent audience for destinations and event planners seeking new opportunities,” says Jain.
