Competitive Advantage

2026/27 Competitive Advantage Program   

 

 Competitive Advantage (CA) is Rising Phoenix Archery’s tournament travel team. The program was developed in 2016 to gather the most competitive high performing archers into a singular practice and development program to accelerate athlete growth. By practicing and competing together, the team is able to build community within a sport typically considered an individual activity. 

 

This enables us to create more competitive practice environments to accelerate athlete development. The program underwent structural changes with the 2024/25 competition year to include more 3D training in conjunction with the focus on target archery we have had in previous years. For the young archer this will better prepare them for archery at the colligate level and for adults, it will diversify the monotony of target archery. 

Format

Weekly members of the team will attend scheduled training session led by the coaching staff and then work to apply their new skills in their personal practice. We encourage members to practice together on Thursday nights at RPA between 6-8, and during the outdoor at Oakland Townships Outdoor open range sessions.

Training sessions include form and process lectures, how to build and maintaining a strong mental program, advanced shooting techniques, advanced tuning tips, and competive pressure scenarios.

In addition, each “season”, we include one personal training session with Coach Brandon

 

CA is not just attending practice and going to a few competitions. Archers are given challenging improvement goals and weekly arrow volume requirements to maintain status on the team.  

 

• Top end performance is expected to improve by 4% each year, until athletes have reached the elite status of Bronze Olympian. Growth scores then must improve by 2pts per year after that until Gold is achieved.  

• Archers have a minimum practice requirement of 300 arrows per week. If you are not practicing to that volume, you should evaluate what it’s going to take to achieve at least that volume on a weekly basis. Tracking is done via required app.  Cap Target. 

 

Additionally, we will be posting all required events and NOT offering substitution options. In the past we have permitted athletes to sub out of an event and select an alternative event. This has unfortunately led to the “Team” not being fully present at most events, and has worked against the point of the CA team as a concept.   

 

You may still apply for CA even if you are unable to attend all required events. We will need to now know up front if you won’t be attending a specific event. If accepted to the team, you will be excused from the events you notified us in your application.  

 

OUTDOOR PROGRAM 

 

The outdoor program will include 16 weeks of Classes, 1 private lessons. Cost is: $525

(Tournament fee’s, Travel and 3D/field event fee’s are extra.)  Payments broken up over course of the season like JOAD. 

 

The program will remain limited to 16 participants with a limit of 3 archers per USA Archery age/discipline division. Ex. No more then 3 Cadet Female compounds on the team.  

 

Outdoor session will be held at Thelma Spenser Park in Rochester Hills at 6pm on Monday’s. 

 

Additional practice opportunities at Marsh View Park in Oakland Township are available. You must reserve a spot through the Parks and Rec’s website. These are typically available on Thursday, Saturday and Sundays. Cost is FREE.  

  

The 2025/26 outdoor program for key dates:  

 

• Start May 4^th, 2026 at 6pm
• No Session May 25^th – Memorial Day
• MI Outdoor Championships @ OCSC – June 6^th & 7^th (Required Event)
• No Session July 6^th -4^th of July weekend
• Buckeye Classic July 17^th – 19^th Dublin OH (Required Event)
• Highly Suggested – JOAD Outdoor Nationals Lincoln NB – July 23^rd – 26^th – Coach Brandon will be at event.
• MAA Outdoor Target – August 1^st & 2^nd Bay City – (Optional)
• August 8^th 1pm – Team Practice, BBQ & family day.
• CA Showdown Set-up – Friday August 21^st (Required Event)
• CA Showdown August 22^nd (Required Event)
• Last Outdoor Event – Fall Classic @ MSU (Projected Sept. 5^th & 6^th) (Optional)
• Last session/Picnic – August 31^st

 

Adult Recurve and Barebow are exempt from 3D, but are welcome to participate. 

 

We take 4-6 weeks off between each season to minimize burnout.

  

INDOOR PROGRAM 

 

The indoor program will include 22 weeks of classes, 1 private lesson. Cost is: $600 

Tournament fee’s, Travel and 3D/field event fee’s are extra.  

Payments broken up over course of the season like JOAD. 

 

The Indoor season begins October 19th, 2026 and will conclude March 2027 

20 Weeks, No session November 23rd, December 21st, December 28th  

 

Archers who did not meet their performance goals or attend the required events will be placed on probation. Archers who were on probation and did not meet their performance goals or attend the required events will return to JOAD.  

 

Weekly arrow count requirements are still expected.  

   

Indoor Training sessions will be:   Mondays 6:00pm –8pm on Range 2 

   

 The 2025/26 indoor program for key dates:  

 

• Start October 19^h , 2026 at 6pm
• No Session November 23^rd
• Winter Classic – RPA – November 28^th & 29^th (Shoot only 1 day) (Required)
• MI Indoor Championships – DA or OCSC, January TBD (Required)
• Lancaster Classic January 21-24^th – (Optional)
• US Indoor Nationals – TBD – 2 day shoot spread over 3 days. Wheaton IL (Required)
• JOAD Indoor Nationals -TBD – Mason MI 1 day
• Last session/Picnic – March 2027

 

We take 4-6 weeks off between each season to minimize burnout.

  

Minimum Qualifying Indoor Scores Required 

Compound 255 

Pins 255 (Big 10) 

Recurve 230 

Barebow 210 

 

Applicants under age of 13 can achieve scores at 9m all others are at 18m 

 

Selection Procedure’s

Members are selected based on:

1. Performance history at Local, State and National events.
2. Expressed desire to excel and compete at the highest levels.
3. Receptiveness to coaching and feedback.
4. Minimum Qualifying Score (MQS)
   1. Compound 255
   2. Pins 255 (Big 10 scoring)
   3. Recurve 230
   4. Barebow 210
   5. Scores based on current competitive distance. Archers under age 12 based on 9m.
5. How the overall demographics complete the team across disciplines (Compound, Recurve, Barebow), age groups (Bowman, Cub, Cadet, Junior, Senior, Master), and gender. Example, we will have a max of 4 Female Bowman Recurve archers so that we can have diversity in other groups

 

 

Application window March 1st 2026 – March 21st  2026

To apply, submit completed 2026 CA Application in person or by email.

Selected applicants will be notified by April 1st

Coaching Staff:

Brandon Wright – Head Coach

Level 4 NTS, International Coach for Team USA, RED Team assistant coach, Member of 2020 United States Archery Team, Personal coach to multiple National Champions.