USA Archery

The organization that became USA Archery traces back to 1879, when it was chartered as the National Archery Association of the United States (NAA) — making it one of the oldest national sports governing bodies in the country, predating most of the major American sports leagues. It was formed specifically to foster and promote archery as both a competitive sport and a recreational pursuit.

The NAA operated under that name for well over a century before rebranding to USA Archery to align with the naming conventions of other USOPC-recognized NGBs. The rebrand reflected a deliberate effort to modernize the organization's public identity and signal its role on the international stage more clearly.

Modern Olympic Era

Archery has been part of the modern Olympic Games since 1900, with interruptions, and has been a continuous Olympic fixture since the 1972 Munich Games. USA Archery's modern high-performance infrastructure largely developed around that Olympic continuity — building out selection procedures, residency programs, and international competition pipelines that didn't exist in the NAA's early decades.

Target Archery

Target archery dominates competitive participation because your scores don't lie--you either hit the 10-ring or you don't. Standard distances run from 18 meters indoors up to 90 meters for men's outdoor competition.