Former Payne County 4-H’er competes internationally

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Little did she know that flier she brought home several years ago from 4-H camp would change her life.

Brogan Williams, a nine-year veteran of the 4-H program in Payne County, said she got involved in the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development Program at an early age and had been active in the horse club. However, one day she picked up a flier advertising an upcoming archery workshop and it set her life on a different course.

“I had tried several different things in 4-H, including the horse project and raising bucket calves, but then I attended the archery workshop and I knew I’d found a passion,” Williams said. “I’d been active with the Horse Club and the Freedom 4-H Club, and then joined the Payne County 4-H Archery Club.

Her mother, Shawna Williams, said in the beginning, Brogan was the only girl participating in archery.

“She just had to shoot against the boys in the club,” Shawna Williams said. “In competitions, she was shooting against the boys and holding her own. She truly has a gift of some sort. When she shoots, she’s happy.”

Today, Williams, a sophomore majoring in psychology at Oklahoma State University, is known as one of the best collegiate compound bow archers in the country. She currently is ranked sixth in the nation in the women’s archery senior division and has represented the United States at international competitions. In fact, earlier this summer, she, along with her two teammates, brought home the silver medal from the 2015 Universiade Games that took place in Gwangiu, South Korea. These games are second in competition only to the Olympics.

In order to qualify for the Universiade, Williams competed in April in Los Angeles for a spot on the USA team. Her archery teammates for the compound bow team women’s event were students from the University of South Carolina and Texas A&M University.

When it comes to competition, Williams said she enjoys the mental aspect.

“Archery takes a lot of concentration, and for me, it’s a mind calmer,” she said. “I have to mentally visualize where I want the shot to go. There’s a lot of sports psychology going on when I compete.”

Her passion for archery has provided Williams and her family an opportunity to see many different places in the United States, including California, Nevada, Ohio, Minnesota, Nebraska, Florida and Texas, as well as South Korea and France. She participated in the National 4-H Shooting Sports competition in 2012 where she was the highest scoring female participant. Next on the agenda is a competition at Texas A&M University where she will be competing for a spot on the USA team.

Kevin Allen, state 4-H program leader, said Brogan is a great example of the positive impact 4-H can have on today’s youth.

“Brogan exhibits the qualities we strive for in 4-H, including dedication, team work, good sportsmanship and healthy competition,” Allen said. “I’m proud 4-H ignited the passion she has for shooting sports.”

For Williams, archery has not only given her family an opportunity to travel together, it truly is a family activity. Her brother, Gray, also a student at OSU, was instrumental in establishing a university level archery club about four years ago and the archery team has been competing for three years. Their parents, Shawna and Daryl Williams, both volunteer with the team. Shawna Williams is a line coach for the team and Daryl Williams is in charge of all of the equipment. The club began with just six members, but has since grown to about 20 members and last year sent two archers to the 2014 US Collegiate Archery Association National Indoor Competition.

Although no longer a member of 4-H herself, Williams still volunteers her time and talents with the Payne County 4-H Shooting Sports program as a certified 4-H archery instructor.

“I just love the sport so much and I want it to grow,” she said. “I want to help build the sport into something kids younger than me can dream to be a part of, just like kids dream to be a great basketball player or football player. I love that archery is a sport anyone can do.”

Williams noted there is a great Para Olympic archery division, which just goes to prove this is a very versatile sport.

“The Para Olympians are, by far, the most inspirational archers. They’ve overcome their disabilities to become great archers who can shoot just as well as anyone else,” she said.

When it comes to advice for those just starting out, Williams said to simply keep at it. Archery takes a lot of practice to be very consistent.

“Just keep competing with yourself, keep setting the bar higher to get higher scores, and before you know it you’ll be at the top of your class,” she said. “Archery isn’t a textbook sport, so while it’s good to listen to advice that comes your way, keep in mind it’s definitely a ‘what works for you’ kind of sport.”

For more information about the 4-H Shooting Sports Program, contact your local OSU Cooperative Extension office.