Tournament officials, local leaders, and regional partners gathered Friday, April 21, at Camp Minden for a crawfish boil kick-off party celebrating the start of the Archery Shooters Association Pro/Am tournament in Webster Parish.
The annual event marks the fifth year of a 10-year agreement bringing the national archery tournament to Camp Minden, drawing thousands of participants and visitors from across the United States into Webster Parish and the surrounding region.
The crawfish boil served as a welcome event for ASA Pro/Am staff, elected officials, tourism representatives, and community partners who have worked together to host the multi-day competition.
“This has been such a great example of what regional collaboration can look like,” said Amie Poladian, executive director of the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission. “We’ve had people visiting from all over the country this week, and it’s been great to see everyone — from ASA Pro/Am tournament staff to area elected officials, Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, partners across Webster Parish, and the Louisiana National Guard at Camp Minden, all working together. It’s an awesome event for our area and a great opportunity to showcase Webster Parish. We’re really grateful to be part of it, and the crawfish boil was just a fun way to bring everyone together and celebrate that.”
The ASA Pro/Am tournament has become one of the parish’s largest annual sporting events, providing a significant influx of visitors and business for local hotels, restaurants, retailers, and campgrounds while placing Webster Parish in front of a national audience of archery enthusiasts.
The Louisiana Seafood Association donated the crawfish for Friday’s event, helping provide a distinctly Louisiana welcome for the competitors and guests arriving in the area.
Tournament activities continued throughout the weekend at Camp Minden as professional and amateur archers competed in one of the premier events on the national 3-D archery circuit.