Utah middle school targets learning perseverance through archery — and wins big along the way

Coach Tom Lasslo, far left, poses for a picture with his archery team during the 2022 World Open Archery Championship in Lousiville, Kentucky, on June 25. The team placed second in the competition.

Coach Tom Lasslo, far left, poses for a picture with his archery team during the 2022 World Open Archery Championship in Lousiville, Kentucky, on June 25. The team placed second in the competition. (Amy Morgan)


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PRICE — If you aren't aware that there are competitive archery teams at Utah schools, you certainly wouldn't know that one of the best archery teams in the nation hails from Mont Harmon Middle School in Price.

Since its inaugural year in 2016, Mont Harmon Middle School has placed first in every state competition before taking it to new heights this year by placing first at the Western Nationals tournament, earning a spot in last month's World Open/Championship Bullseye Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, where it placed second.

The archery program was established when physical education teacher and coach Tom Lasslo imagined that physical education could be more than dodgeball and kickball, eventually forming what the school calls "PE Exploration."

"What we found is we needed a place for our kids because we put so much time into academics, something fun for them to do with their elective classes," said Seth Allred, principal at Mont Harmon Middle School. "Instead of a traditional PE class, it takes them into non-traditional PE stuff."

Allred, who's been in education for 25 years, describes Lasslo as "one of those teachers that truly changes kids' lives," something that is evident by how many students tried out for the archery team — around 130 — as well as their sustained success.

For Lasslo, teaching physical education was something he knew he wanted to do from the time he was in college.

It's his approach to teaching and personal teaching style that make his classes unique, though.

"I try to kind of keep it really loose," Lasslo said. "I try to work with kids and just advance every kid individually. I don't really try to pin them down to, like, a grade for their performance, I just try to kind of take them where they are and try to just advance them as far as they can."

He added that he isn't interested in putting the pressure of making a certain grade on his students because "they get enough of that in the academics."

As far as coaching the archery team goes, Lasslo credits a lot of the team's success to what he described as "really good" feeder programs at the elementary school level in Carbon County.

He selects his teams based on how each student scores in tryouts, eventually selecting two teams of 24 students.

Kenzie Morgan, a student at Mont Harmon Middle School, aims her bow during competition at the 2022 World Open Archery Championship in Lousiville, Kentucky, on June 25.
Kenzie Morgan, a student at Mont Harmon Middle School, aims her bow during competition at the 2022 World Open Archery Championship in Lousiville, Kentucky, on June 25. (Photo: Amy Morgan)

"We just advance our top 24 on from there for like, the way bigger shoots," Lasslo said. "They're brilliant kids. They're focused, they work hard, they come in every day, they shoot (and) they try to have fun. They're incredible kids."

Even with the success of the archery team, Lasslo knows that shooting a bow and arrow isn't the most important thing students will take with them from their time in his classes.

As far as the biggest thing he hopes to instill in his students?

Perseverance.

"Just staying focused, keeping an eye on their goals ... and hard work. It pays off," Lasslo said.

The most gratifying part of coaching such a successful team isn't about his accomplishments as a coach, either.

"I just like watching them get excited when they're successful," Lasslo said. "You're kind of watching them when they come in, a lot of the kids aren't confident. ... They start to get the hang of things and you watch them kind of lighten up, and then when they realize that they can do it. Then it's watching them progress from kind of a low-level shooter or student, or whatever it is, to becoming more advanced. And then by the time they're in eighth grade, they're usually a leader."

He said that he's planning to continue the archery program and hopes more students — as well as schools in Utah — join the competition.

"Some of the other states have way more volume than Utah does, so hopefully more people can jump in in Utah," Lasslo said.

As for his team?

"We're just going to keep on shooting as much as we can and try to be successful at state and at the Western Nationals and hopefully qualify again for the bigger shoot," Lasslo said.

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Logan Stefanich is a reporter with KSL.com, covering southern Utah communities, education, business and tech news.
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