Smith Point JOAD started off like many other clubs.... as a simple idea.....as a dream.

Our founder, Phil Hoelle, an established, lifelong archer and competitor, 4 time gold medal winner at the Empire State Games, holder of numerous ESG records, and an alternate for the 1988 Olympic US Archery Team, had a goal.  His goal was to promote the sport he loved and to teach it to kids of all ages the RIGHT way and eventually have them compete in an organized youth league.  His goal began to take shape with a simple conversation with Jeff Schneider, owner of Smith Point Archery.  The two collaborated along with Ernie Simon and thus Smith Point Archery had its very first organized youth program up and running in the spring of 2009.  Shortly thereafter, in 2010, Phil officially registered the club with USA Archery, and thus, Smith Point J.O.A.D. was born.

Like most clubs, we, too, had humble beginnings.  There was all of 3 kids that participated on a reguler basis.  There were a handful of others that came and went, but very few stayed on for the long haul. Through Phil's perserverence and the continued support of Smith Point Archery and Ernie Simon, the program slowly grew. By late 2010 there were nearly a dozen regulars attending the classes.

One of Phil's main goals with the club was to establish a youth Shooting League.  Unfortunately, Phil passed away in November of 2011, before seeing his dream come to fruition.  Fortunately, for all of us, his wife, Norah, grabbed the reins and took over the day to day operations of the club.  Once she settled into her new role, she established herself as a truly dedicated archery instructor.  Having been a competitive archer in her college years, she was all too familiar with what kids needed to learn to be successful.  She re-organized the club just as enrollment began to soar on the heals of mainstream media influence, and since then, the kids have enjoyed regular success in competitions across the country.

In the winter of 2013, Smith Point JOAD, along with the help of Smith Point Archery, established the very first Youth Shooting League in the establishment's 30 year history.  It was a tremendous success and it was the culmination of our founders ultimate vision when the club began. 

Smith Point Archery and Smith point JOAD continue to run Youth Leagues twice a year, with much success, and the club has grown tremendously ever since with over 30 registered and regular archers in the JOAD club along with many adult shooters. 

We at Smith Point JOAD understand and recognize that competitive success is not the main goal for every archer, but rather the main goal is to have fun.  We believe that we have found the right balance of competitive training and good times, and that is the reason that our program is so successful.  Whether a child (or an adult) wishes to pursue archery in a competitive environment, our priority is teaching them the correct way to shoot so that they can enjoy the sport for as long as they choose, and even pass their new found passion onto their own families.