Bradenton, Florida is the home of IMG Academy — a 600-acre elite sports training and boarding school that has been producing professional and Olympic athletes since 1978. IMG offers competitive training across 14 sports, and its student-athletes fill approximately 25% of all college freshman athletic roster spots nationally every year. When you live in the city that hosts the world’s most famous sports performance institution, competitive youth athletics isn’t a niche pursuit — it’s a cultural expectation.
There is no competitive, tryout-based archery team within Bradenton or Manatee County. Sarasota Archery Academy, located just south in Sarasota at the Manatee-Sarasota county line, is the closest competitive program. The academy fields athletes in USA Archery and ASA 3D circuits at the Florida state level, and actively trains athletes from Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ellenton, and throughout Manatee County.
Bradenton, Florida is the home of IMG Academy — a 600-acre elite sports training and boarding school that has been producing professional and Olympic athletes since 1978. IMG offers competitive training across 14 sports, and its student-athletes fill approximately 25% of all college freshman athletic roster spots nationally every year. When you live in the city that hosts the world’s most famous sports performance institution, competitive youth athletics isn’t a niche pursuit — it’s a cultural expectation.
That culture radiates through the entire Bradenton and Manatee County area. The Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch — 23 professional-grade fields — hosts national-level youth soccer championships, drawing elite teams from across the country. Lakewood Ranch FC, Lakewood Ranch Little League, and the Lakewood Ranch Titans have built competitive youth sports organizations that match the area’s expectations. When it comes to youth athletics, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch families are not interested in participation trophies. They want development, competition, and results.
Archery has not had a program in this market that matches that standard — until now. Sarasota Archery Academy, located just south of the Manatee-Sarasota county line, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit competitive archery team with Level 3 NTS-certified coaching and two programs competing at the Florida state level. It is the only team of this caliber serving Manatee County athletes. The drive from Bradenton is minutes. The program is built exactly for the competitive family culture this region has developed.
This is not a recreational archery club. It is a competitive team — tryout-based, coach-driven, state-level. If your athlete is competitive by nature and ready for the structure that produces real results, this is the program.
Lakewood Ranch has ranked as the nation’s best-selling multigenerational master-planned community for multiple consecutive years. Its population has grown over 83% since the 2020 census — now home to more than 74,000 residents across 55 square miles spanning Sarasota and Manatee counties. The median household income in Lakewood Ranch is $122,925. A staggering 77.9% of all Lakewood Ranch households are families.
Those numbers tell a specific story: Lakewood Ranch is where financially stable, family-oriented households are choosing to raise children — at a rate that puts it among the fastest-growing communities in all of Florida. These families are not moving to LWR for average schools and mediocre youth programs. They are moving here specifically because the infrastructure is excellent — and that includes youth athletics. The Premier Sports Campus alone signals what kind of sports community this is.
Lakewood Ranch is one of our most active feeder communities. The drive from LWR to our Sarasota facility is typically 20–25 minutes via I-75 south or SR-70 west. For a program that offers Level 3 NTS coaching, two state-level competitive programs, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit pricing — that commute is, consistently, one the families find absolutely worth it.
USA Archery target — indoor 18-meter 3-spot, outdoor 720-round. Athletes compete at Florida state, regional, and national USA Archery events through JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development).
ASA 3D field archery — Florida state qualifiers, the Florida ASA State Championship in Palatka, national ASA Pro/Am events. Shooter of the Year pursuit for serious 3D competitors.
Sarasota Archery Academy is at 7524 Castle Dr in Sarasota, roughly 15 to 25 minutes from most of Manatee County via I-75 or SR-70. Many of our families drive in from Bradenton, Palmetto, Parrish, and Ellenton.
Yes. SAA accepts archers ages 6 and up from across the region. Tryouts run year-round and are evaluated case by case based on focus, coachability, and physical readiness — not prior experience.
The X-Ring Program (USA Archery indoor and outdoor) is $200/month. The Upper 12 Program (ASA 3D) is $300/month. SAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and 100 percent of program funds support athletes — no coach draws a salary.
Not at all. Many SAA families drive farther than this for swim, soccer, or baseball travel teams. The 15 to 25 minute commute via I-75 is shorter than most competitive sports commitments and is a normal range for elite youth athletics in Manatee County.
Yes. SAA is a JOAD-affiliated club, and Bradenton athletes who join earn JOAD pin progression alongside the rest of the team. JOAD national age divisions are 8 to 20, but our local program welcomes archers ages 6 and up.
There is no competitive, tryout-based archery team within Bradenton or Manatee County. Sarasota Archery Academy, located just south in Sarasota at the Manatee-Sarasota county line, is the closest competitive program. The academy fields athletes in USA Archery and ASA 3D circuits at the Florida state level, and actively trains athletes from Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ellenton, and throughout Manatee County.
Sarasota Archery Academy is the competitive archery team closest to Lakewood Ranch, located 20–25 minutes south via I-75 or SR-70 in Sarasota. Lakewood Ranch is one of the academy's most active recruiting communities, with athletes enrolled in both the X-Ring Program (USA Archery, $200/month) and Upper 12's Program (ASA 3D, $300/month). Both programs compete at the Florida state level under Level 3 NTS-certified coaching.
Lakewood Ranch to Sarasota Archery Academy's training facility is typically 20–25 minutes via I-75 south or SR-70 west. The facility sits just south of the Manatee-Sarasota county line, making it one of the most accessible competitive sports programs for Lakewood Ranch families.
Athletes drive in from across the region. Find your city's page for local details.
Year-round training in Sarasota. Tryout-based admission. All skill levels welcome.