Archery is in a unique category of athletics because it’s a sport that requires no specific strength level or specific speed and you can practice it your entire life. Indoor 3D archery, specifically, is a great introductory format for any kid looking to start their path in archery.
Other sports usually fall into one of two categories: an individual sport or a team sport. Archery is in the unique position of being both of these. “It’s you against yourself, archer Wyatt Emmerich said. “Obviously there’s other people that you shoot against, but it’s mainly a ‘you’ thing, and if more people get into it, tournaments will be bigger and there’ll be better competition so it will be great.”
Scott Evans runs a nonprofit organization, Pinehill Archery Club, and one of his main goals is to get kids interested in archery. He agrees that the dual introspective/team aspect of archery can be a huge draw for kids. “I have found that over the years we’re getting a lot of kids that are homeschooled, and they’re able to come in and build a team.” They currently have about 70 kids on their team and just recently saw their first “graduate” archer, who moved out of the division after being in it all 10 years. “Our dream when we started it was ‘let’s get kids into hunting’,” Evans said. “We used to pull kids out of 4H locally in the state, then we moved to going directly to the town trying to bring in as many kids as we can. We’re trying to build good archers, but we’re also just trying to build good people.” When asked what he thinks the biggest selling point about youth archery is, he said it’s definitely the mental side. “Archery builds strong kids,” Evans said. “It builds kids that can deal with anxiety, pressure, and standing on the line next to 20 people and drill Xs the same way they do by themselves in the backyard. Archery is 80% between the ears.”
Dale Edwards, of Southwestern Archery, offers every archer who purchases a new bow at his shop a free lesson, eliminating a potential barrier to getting into the sport. The shop offers 3D archery in every age category and collaborates on archery events with the Girl Scouts, 4H club and church groups, hosting about four camps per year. He also hosts archery tag events, goes to archers’ houses to host birthday parties, and hosts an event that correlates with the local prom. All of these events allow him to bring archery to as many kids in the community as possible, making the sport accessible.
Cameron Hansen, of D & R Sports Center, works with businesses around the area to bring S3DA-style events to their shops. “We donate whatever they need, so if they come to us and they’re trying to set up a tournament, we help them out with the funds,” Hansen said. “I grew up shooting so I think it’s huge to get the kids going in archery. It keeps them out of a lot of bad stuff. Any of the kids in these programs have a bit of a jump start into a nicer way of going about their young lives.”
Evans also notes that from a business standpoint for retailers, offering youth archery just makes sense. For every parent that goes into the shop for their archery or hunting gear, they have an average of two kids that could also get into the sport and need new gear.
Edwards shares a similar sentiment by saying that when parents bring their kids in to get a new bow, the parents will be inclined to get a new one for themselves to. “We have so many who come in and say, ‘We haven’t shot a bow in forever, but if we can come in and shoot with them we need to buy a bow also,’ ” Edwards said.
Archery is a sport that the whole family can practice together for years to come, and your local shop will be happy to get everyone set up with the bow that’s right for them.
If you’d like to get your child into 3D archery, check out our Store Locator to find the range closest to you and see if they offer 3D leagues. Scholastic 3-D Archery is a national archery organization that collaborates with schools, ranges, clubs and other community organizations to provide archery tournaments and teach conservation. The archers are allowed to use any equipment they want, making it a perfect choice for young archers trying out different bow styles. Check out S3DA’s site for more information.
