Starting Kids in Archery

Recently an email questioner asked me how to get their child started in archery. I was at first surprised by the question, after having been so very involved in archery over the last few years I immediately thought that getting started with archery was as easy as tying your shoes. But of course it is not that easy and the questioner was asking a very good question and one that is relevant to those of us who want to see the sport of archery grow and prosper.

An important first step is to ask why get started in archery at all. That's an easy one to answer. Archery offers a combination of a love of the great outdoors, camaraderie, competition, and the never ending seduction of excellence in accuracy. Archery is both an outdoor and indoor sport, with hunting, outdoor target, and indoor target seasons. It is possible, if one so chooses, to shoot archery all year around.

Hunting in itself offers the most tranquil and peaceful moments to be had because it insists that you spend hours a field not only hunting the game of your choosing but observing and learning the rhythms of nature. Hunting also brings as much excitement that one could expect to have in sport - that moment when all of the practice and concentration go into bagging your trophy animal.

If not afield the typical archer might be found at an archery league or searching out an archery tournament to participate in. Our archery community is rich with shooting opportunities at various times during the year (things get pretty quiet during the archery hunting season though). You can choose from animal target, long range outdoor, and close range indoor tournaments to participate in.

Archery mentors are easy to find within the Minnesota archery community, and advice is always given freely. This said it is also apparent that the level of competition in the State is high and to get to this level rigorous practice is important and essential. The seduction of the tournament scene and in putting that arrow in the middle is great. Once you've shot that first arrow in the center knowing full well how you got it there you'll be hook!

Getting started in archery begins with a trip to your local professional archery shop. The staff at any of Minnesota's great shops have the knowledge to get you started and on track with a properly fitted bow and the use of correct form. The most important aspects of a bow purchase are cost and fit. See what's available in the price range that you want and then focus on getting the bow fitted.

Fit is very important. The bow should feel good in the hand. A beginner should ask how to hold the bow properly - using a low wrist grip works best for many people, and might give the beginner the most repeatable results shot to shot (if you can master repeatability; shooting each shot with the same form, you have mastered archery). How does the bow feel with the grip that the shop salesperson has directed you to use? It's important to understand that bows are different and bows in the same price range differ from grip to grip.

Fitting the bow also means finding the correct draw length for the new shooter - this is very important. The draw length is the distance that the bow is drawn from rest back to the anchor point somewhere along the shooters jaw line. Make sure that the shop, after having set your grip and given the new shooter an idea of where to anchor, measures the draw length. The shop might do this with a bow that they have set up for this purpose. Once the draw length of the new shooter has been determined correctly the shop should be able to set the bow to the new length. This is very important. If the shop does not have a bow that will adjust to the new shooter's correct draw length don't buy the bow - wait until either the shop gets in a new bow of the correct type or buy from another shop. I learned this lesson the hard way.

There are attendant items that will complete the package. Depending upon the style of shooting that the new shooter is planning to participate in (shooting with or without sights; shooting with fingers or release; shooting compound bow or recurve) a sight, a release mechanism, and arrows will also be needed. For a beginner a sight should be basic and functional enough so that the moving up and down and in and out is not frustrating. A release should also be basic but must be comfortable in the new shooters hand - try several to see how they fit. Arrows must be fitted to the bow and here you'll rely upon the expertise of the shop. Arrows for a beginner should not be expensive, and you should expect to get a very good set of arrows for a reasonable amount of money.

Archery form is everything and the shop should give some basic advice on this. The new archer should also look around for advice and might try one of the many resources in print and on-line. The new shooter should be concerned with how the bow is being held, the positioning of the draw arm, and learn how to use back tension to set off their arrow release.

Beyond this it helps tremendously if the new shooter can get involved in a club or archery leagues. I know of at least one shop that even offers leagues for kids after school. Through these types of events the new shooter will learn more about what it takes to improve and to reach their own shooting potential.