Archery isn’t just about shooting arrows and making friends. Life lessons you learn from competing in tournaments near home and around the world can be much more valuable than trying to learn them alone by yourself.
One benefit of traveling for archery is immersing yourself into cultures other than your own. North American archers usually experience a little culture shock the first time they visit Asia and see the everyday lives of the general population. Something as simple as eating a bowl of soup can vary greatly by country. Those travels can also help you understand how different cultures behave, and make you appreciate the different cultures in your own neighborhood.
Archery, however, is not just about learning different cultures. You’ll also learn much about yourself while training and competing. Training to compete can reveal your dedication to archery, and how persistently you work toward your goals. No matter what your goals might be, you’ll see how much you’re motivated by how eagerly you hit the range. Whether you hope to compete at the national level or at the Olympics, you can reach your goals if you persistently train at the level you’re pursuing.
To understand that dedication, consider the actions of American archer Nick Barbato, whose persistence and determination led him to greater things in archery and everyday life. Click here to read Barbato’s story.
Even with all the training required to become the archer you desire, you’re bound to make mistakes. Those errors include problems with equipment, form, and even thought processes. Don’t worry. Mistakes made along the way are natural parts of learning. Even typing on a keyboard doesn’t come naturally to anyone. It takes practice to learn how to type efficiently. Hitting the “backspace” key is part of that process. Making those mistakes – whatever they might be in archery – help you become a better, more efficient archer. Learning from your mistakes is vitally important to your growth.
By training as a high-level archer, you’ll develop mental toughness that’s usually reserved for those consistently working in high-stress situations. Using stress to your advantage requires skills learned over time. Sometimes that requires a way of thinking that’s the opposite of how you normally approach things. If you can think clearly during stressful situations and not bog down in negativity, you’ll show the mental resilience archery taught you.
That ability to deal with stress carries over from the archery range to everyday life. As you practice those traits daily off the range, you’ll become better at it, and eventually show your mental resilience on the range, especially during stressful high-level competition. Click here to check out an article by fellow Archery 360 writer Taylor Walston on the intersection of archery and mental well-being.
You can learn many little lessons by training and participating in archery. Many archery skills transfer into everyday life, shaping who you are as a person. Archery is also a great way to meet new people who share your goals and aspirations. After all, archery’s worldwide community is friendly and welcoming.
