Carl Junction Schools Boosts ROTC and Archery with New Facility

By Allison Riechman-Bennett

As the fall semester begins, students at Carl Junction Schools can look forward to a new facility that houses both the Air Force Junior ROTC and Archery.  

The original construction began in January, and the completion of the building marks a new semester and near era for AFJROTC and Archery in the school district. We spoke with Major Scott Norman and Archery Coach Chelsi Leggett about the changes coming to their respective programs.  

Q: What does having a dedicated space mean to you and your cadets in terms of training, morale and community?  

Major Scott Norman: As our Air Force Junior ROTC program grows, the new building will be invaluable to our success. In addition to teaching aviation and leadership, the program also includes Drill/Ceremony and Physical Fitness. The new building will provide us the space we need for this portion of the program. AFJROTC also includes numerous extracurricular activities, including Robotics, Drone, Flight Simulation and Air Rifle Marksmanship, all of which require more space than you find in most traditional classrooms. We introduced Marksmanship to the cadets last school year and it’s already very popular. I expect that once we build our own firing range in the new facility and start to participate in competitions, it will be the most popular activity we offer and will bring many more students into the program. Our program ended our first year with 48 cadets and will start this school year with almost 90, and I expect that the new facility will greatly contribute to our program continuing to grow.        

Q: How will this new building impact instruction?  

SN: The biggest impact on instruction for AFJROTC is that we won’t be limited to a confined space. The program works best when the cadets can get up and move around. I have found that holding cadets’ attention for an entire class period of lecture and instruction can be difficult. In the new facility, we will be able to offer a mix of instruction, drill and physical fitness, all during the same class period. We will also be able to offer many of our extracurricular activities, including Marksmanship and Drones during class time, instead of having to schedule them for after hours when the gym or indoor facility might be available. This will allow our bus riders and cadets who are unable to stay after school to fully participate in these activities.  

Q: What message does this investment send to students and families about the importance of JROTC in the district?

SN: I think the message the school district has sent to students and families about the importance of the military in general has been clear, even before the AFJROTC program started just over 2 years ago. This is my 13th year teaching AFJROTC and my third school. I know and keep in contact with probably 50 or more instructors around Missouri and in other states, and I don’t know of any other school district that is more all in on JROTC than Carl Junction School District. The new facility is just one example of the amazing support they have provided our program. CJSD has been named a Purple Star School, recognizing their support of military-connected children and families, and they host over 200 local veterans for a Veterans Day ceremony every November, so their support for our Air Force JROTC program is just another example of their appreciation for our military. The investment in our new facility shows their dedication to one of our goals of making Carl Junction High School Air Force JROTC one of the top programs in the nation.      

Q: How has the archery program grown in recent years, and how do you see it evolving with this new space?

Coach Chelsi Leggett: We had some of the largest teams we’ve ever had this last school year. We had right around 150 students who started with us in November, 4th-12th grades. We have several archers that are wanting to continue competitive/noncompetitive archery after graduation. Our program has continued to grow regardless of where we’ve practiced. I cannot imagine the new growth we may see with a facility on campus.  

Q: What kind of facilities or equipment does the new building offer that directly supports archery training?  

CL: Storage! All of our equipment will be located in one building. We’ve never had that luxury before. This will be less wear and tear on our equipment having to transport it.  

We will be able to have a bow press and work area to better serve our team. In the past, it was always a struggle splitting equipment between two practice locations and making sure everything traveled to where you needed it to be.  

This building will also accommodate Outdoor Pursuit classes that I have the joy of teaching. We have a classroom and a storage closet in the new building. For the last several years, I’ve got to be the teacher who worked off a cart going to various classrooms to accommodate when weather wouldn’t allow us to go outside. Grateful for those who let me share their space but it will be nice to have a home and put our achievements/goals on the walls. While this is getting away from the original question asked, the Archery team will be able to utilize the classroom space to watch videos, team discussions and other various activities.

Q: Are you planning on expanding team size, hosting competitions or bringing new equipment for students?

CL: We’ve always wanted every student to have an opportunity to be a part of our archery family and will continue to accommodate growth the best we can.  

Competitions – We will continue to host our annual Pink Shoot in January and Centershot State Tournament in April. We look forward to hosting smaller tournaments with area schools now that we have a permanent range. There are bleachers and bathrooms to accommodate spectators.  

Equipment – We have a few things in the works that will help archers further develop their skills now that we’re able to leave equipment set up.  

Q: Can you describe how the new facility will change practice or usual routine?

CL: Over the last 14 years, we have been very blessed with a community that has accommodated us when the school structurally didn’t have the space to. We’ve practiced at a local church, an old grocery store and Twin Groves Event Center and multiple facilities on campus when available. This new facility will give us a home for our entire program, ease teaching Archery during the school day and create a more convenient and consistent practice location for families.  

We’re so excited to share this building with our community and area schools!  

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