Ontelaunee JOAD Team is Up and Running

The Ontelaunee Archers JOAD Team is flying high, thanks to a grant from the Lancaster Archery Foundation.

Based in New Tripoli, Pa., the team, which has 16 members age 9-18, used a $5,000 grant from the foundation to buy 16 American Whitetail target mats for outdoor competitions.

While the team’s host facility, Ontelaunee Rod and Gun Club, is undergoing a major improvement project that will result in establishing a USA Archery-sanctioned outdoor target archery facility, JOAD team members have been using the target mats for their practice sessions. The plan is for the team to begin hosting JOAD tournaments in 2026.

“So the Ontelaunee Archers JOAD Team has begun to utilize our whitetail outdoor targets which we were able to purchase with funding graciously given by the Lancaster Archery Foundation,” said Denise Shirl, head coach and director of the Ontelaunee Archers JOAD Team.

“Being a two-year-old, Northeast Pennsylvania JOAD team based at Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club in New Tripoli, we are humbled to have received this grant…Again we wanted to thank everyone at the Lancaster Archery Foundation for this great privilege.”

Ontelaunee Rod and Gun Club has been hosting a youth archery program every winter for more than 20 years. The JOAD team is an outgrowth of that program, which offers more intensive, competition training.

“Having access to quality, competition-grade target mats is critical to any program looking to develop tournament archers,” said Rob Kaufhold, president of the Lancaster Archery Foundation’s board of directors.

“We’re thrilled that the Lancaster Archery Foundation was able to help Ontelaunee acquire this equipment for its new JOAD team. This is precisely the type of effort the foundation was created to help.”

Based in Lancaster, Pa., the Lancaster Archery Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expand, develop and promote 3D and target archery to help people improve their confidence, discipline and leadership skills through participation in competitive archery.