UPDATES TO CAMP MINDEN BENEFIT THE LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD AND LOCAL TOURISM;
CAMP MINDEN WILL HOST THE 2022 MCKENZIE ARCHERY SHOOTERS ASSOCIATION EASTON/HOYT PRO/AM TOUR

In partnership with the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, the Louisiana National Guard, Bossier Parish Police Jury, Webster Parish Police Jury, the City of Bossier City, the City of Shreveport, Caddo Parish Commission, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, and Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission.

SHREVEPORT- (Nov. 5, 2021) – Camp Minden will host the 2022 McKenzie Archery Shooters Association Easton/Hoyt Pro/Am Tour April 21-24, 2022, after completing infrastructure updates made possible by the Louisiana National Guard, Caddo Parish Commission, the Bossier Parish Police Jury, and the Webster Parish Police Jury. These updates are largely beneficial to the Louisiana National Guard in emergency response events. The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission and the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission will serve as tournament hosts, in partnership with the Louisiana Office of Tourism and City of Bossier City. This event is expected to bring in $25 million dollars of economic impact to the area over the next 10 years by bringing in over 2,000 archers, friends and family, manufacturers, and staff from all over the United States annually for a four-day tournament.

Camp Minden is a Louisiana National Guard training site located approximately 18 miles east of Shreveport, Louisiana, and encompasses about 15,000 acres of land, with approximately 52 miles of railroad tracks and 60-65 paved roads. This site plays a critical role in the state mission to provide support to Louisiana residents in the event of a state or local emergency.

Camp Minden is home to not only units of the 199th Regiment (Regional Training Institute), the 139th Regional Support Group, Recruiting and Retention Command, the Youth Challenge Program (YCP) and the Industrial Complex, it also serves as the Joint Reception, Staging and Onward Integration (JRSOI) for Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) units during emergency response events.

When EMAC forces from other states aid the Louisiana National Guard in emergencies, like Hurricane Ida that made landfall on August 29, 2021, near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, units use Camp Minden as a rest site and staging area before moving on to the affected area. Unfortunately, the vehicles weigh several tons, and their wheels spin deep down into the earth, leaving ruts for other vehicles to navigate through or leaving vehicles immobile.

To prevent this from happening in future emergency response events, the Bossier Parish Police Jury, Webster Parish Police Jury, Caddo Parish Commission provided manpower and the equipment needed to level a 15-acre staging area. The millings used to create the staging area were provided by the Louisiana National Guard, Department of Transportation, and the Bossier Parish Police Jury, after the Guard provided a waiver allowing both agencies to use the material they had on site.

This staging area will provide over 2,000 parking spots, which will also be used as a ‘tournament village’ and parking area for the McKenzie ASA Easton/Hoyt Pro/Am Tour coming April 21-24, 2022.

“We’re excited to know we’re getting something that is going to be so great for our area, and it’s good for ten years,” said Bob Brotherton, Bossier Parish Police Jury member for District 1, and member of the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission Board. “A lot of time and energy went into getting this event, and it’s the result of great partnerships between Bossier and Webster parishes, the National Guard, the Sports Commission and others who helped. I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to be a part of this. It’s good for our economy and will showcase our area nationally.”

“The Archery Shooters Association has been conducting national 3-D Pro/Am archery events for over 25 years.” Said Michael Tyrell, President of the Archery Shooters Association, LLC. “We have had the pleasure of dealing with many fine host cities and are confident that our decision to come here is a solid business decision. We have been working closely with the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission for over two years to find a venue having already determined that the community has all of the hotel rooms, restaurants, and local support we will ever need. The Commission was able to identify an appropriate event site and we were fortunate to receive permission from the Louisiana National Guard to bring our event to Camp Minden. Once we finalized the site the support and assistance that Camp Minden and all of the local parishes have been extending to us has made our decision look even better. We are convinced that this will be an annual event that will bring in over 2,000 archers, manufacturers and staff to this area for the next ten years, and even longer if you all will have us.”

The McKenzie ASA Pro/Am Tour is an annual series of national Pro/Am tournaments, along with the season ending ASA Classic Championship. Each Pro/Am plays host to an average of 1,800 competitors and these events are recognized as the best run and most exciting competitions in 3-D archery. Competitors pay entry fees based on their competitive division in both pro and amateur classes, and ASA features the largest paybacks in competitive 3-D archery as well as year-end bonuses as competitors accumulate points toward the prestigious “Shooter of the Year” award in their class. Each Pro/Am is also an archery festival with the top archery manufacturers showing the newest and latest in archery and bowhunting products. Each Pro/Am provides an opportunity to experience professionally run events with competition ranges that are specifically designed to be spectator friendly, and classes that are designed for everyone from age six to age eighty.

“I think the archery association event will have a significant impact on our hotels and restaurants at a time when out-of-town traffic is a little slow,” said Jim Bonsall, President of the Webster Parish Police Jury. “I hope so. And the fact they plan to come back every year for ten years gives us something to be excited about.”

Competition Archery Media (“CAM”) provides “live” coverage on the national cable The Sportsman Channel to showcase the Pro Pressure Point Shoot Down which will be held at the Bossier Civic Center Saturday, April 23rd at 4:00 PM, in partnership with the City of Bossier City.  CAM also will provide full media coverage of the ASA Pro/Am Tour weekend on Facebook or YouTube under “Competition Archery Media”.

In addition to the national Tour, the ASA supports more than 350 clubs in 35 states that provide an excellent opportunity for everyone to experience 3-D archery. With a focus on the growth of the sport of 3-D archery by supporting local clubs and making a commitment to youth education and training, the ASA has established itself as a leading force in the movement to bring the sport to mainstream America.

ASA 3-D archery features competitive rounds of 20 lifelike, three-dimensional animal targets made by Delta McKenzie Targets. The scoring rings are molded into the target and sometimes are not visible from the shooting stake, so binoculars are allowed. ASA was the first national archery organization to implement a speed limit (280 feet per second) for equipment safety and also to establish a more level playing field for 3-D competitors. Prior to 2007, 3-D was shot as unknown distance requiring archers to visually determine the distance to the target and execute the shot. Beginning in 2007, the ASA established another first in national 3-D archery by offering known distance competition classes to provide competitors with another option for competing in 3-D archery.

The ASA uses a scoring system of 12, 10, 8, 5 or 0 points per arrow. Scoring is based on zero points for a miss, five points are earned for a hit anywhere in the body, eight points for the largest scoring ring in the center of the animal, ten points for the five-inch center circle inside the 8-ring, and twelve points for the smaller ring offset to the bottom or top of the 10-ring. Another circle housed in the upper rear of the 8-ring is the 14-ring which is reserved for use in special bonus competitions.

“We are excited to host the Mckenzie ASA Easton/Hoyt Pro/Am tour in conjunction with all of these great partners,” said Sara Nelms, Director of Sales and Events for the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. “We have no doubt the archers will fall in love with Louisiana once they experience the world class cuisine and hospitality we are known for.”

If you are a target archer, bowhunter or just interested in getting started in archery the ASA will provide you the opportunity to meet and share experiences with new friends, learn about the latest equipment, improve your archery skills, and spend time with great people. For more information about the ASA Pro/Am Tour or ASA Federation visit our website at www.ASAarchery.com!

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About the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission

The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission is the official sports destination marketing organization attracting diverse sporting activities and events resulting in economic growth through visitor expenditure and enhancing the quality of life in Caddo and Bossier Parishes.

About the Archery Shooters Association
Since its inception in 1993 the Archery Shooters Association, headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia has hosted tens of thousands of amateur and professional archers from across the United States, as well as internationally, in national Pro/Am and state level club competitions.