The Derby Recreation Commission (DRC) is known for offering a variety of lessons and activities to fulfill the desires of the community. One unique type of lesson that the DRC offers is archery.

Every Tuesday and Thursday students can be found at the Derby Middle School practice football field aiming and firing their arrows across the field.

“It is something that we offer every summer and we always get a good turn out,” DRC representative Todd Hackleyman said.

There are a total of 21 students in the archery classes which are single-handedly instructed by Paul LaCaze.

“It’s difficult to be the only person and be able to watch ten and eleven people at a time,” LaCaze said.

This year is LaCaze’s second year teaching the lessons at the DRC and overall, his third year of instructing.

During his adolescence is when archery stuck to LaCaze.

“One of my buddies back in Texas got a bow for his thirteenth birthday,” LaCaze remembers. “I’ve been hooked ever since.”

LaCaze takes joy in teaching other young kids the knowledge of his skill.

“It’s all about being outside and getting younger kids into the sport,” he said.

Outside of archery LaCaze has a variety of different interests, most involving the outdoors.

He loves to read and has been fly-fishing since the age of six. With any spare time that he has from archery he trains dogs for duck hunting, currently he’s working with a yellow Labrador Retriever.

From working at Sportsman Warehouse as archery management and an archery tech to training dogs and teaching people of all ages, the busy LaCaze leaves the determined with a few words of wisdom.

“Anything is possible if you just go out and try and work hard at it.