Archery for Kids – GOOD REASONS TO GET KIDS INVOLVED!
Archery for kids is a great sport!
I think you can agree that extracurricular activities at school provide a safe environment for adolescent growth while preventing students from starting bad habits like smoking and drinking.
Kids want to be with other kids, but let’s try to make this a positive thing!! Not every child is cut out for running back and forth across the basketball court or soccer field. Football can be pretty brutal with concerns of head damage etc. not to mention these sports are very seasonal so what do we do the rest of the year?
YEAR-ROUND …IN AND OUT
Archery for kids is available in indoor and outdoor settings, and it appeals to many audiences, come rain, snow, or sunshine.
SAFETY FIRST!!
According to the Archery Trade Association, archery is safer than every school-offered ball sport, except bowling and table tennis. (not sure about the DEBATE TEAM – that can get pretty scary).
ANY CHILD CAN DO IT
It’s also adaptable for those with disabilities, known as para-archers. Para-archers shoot from a stool or wheelchair. Some even use their teeth or feet to draw their bow.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Whether students earn cash or college scholarships at tournaments, archery can help meet their long-term goals. Many organizations are now recognizing Archery as a great sport to offer scholarships to. (YEAH!! It’s not all about the money, but it helps!!)
BETTER BEHAVIOR
Do you agree that “Rules outside of the classroom can improve behavior inside the classroom? Mastering archery requires skill, concentration, and perseverance. It’s a sport that’s fun, but also allows participants of any age or skill level to compete against others or challenge themselves individually. The sport has long helped archers gain confidence and physical strength. Once kids realize they can only shoot if they follow the rules, they get it. Kids with the worst behavioral problems straighten up because they know if they follow the rules, they can shoot. It’s like magic.”
LIFE SKILLS
Archers must respect the sport’s rules, as well as each other and range/tournament organizers.
As with so many sports, they learn respect for coaches and leadership figures. Whether solo or as a team, archers interact while honing their goals and determination. Instead of spending hours after school staring at video screens by themselves, they learn to interact while honing their skills, goals, and determination. You can always get to a higher “level” in archery!
FOCUS AND SELF-DISCIPLINE
Archery is learning a step-by-step method for drawing a bow and shooting an arrow. Even the youngest archers quickly learn that by slowing down and focusing on one step at a time, they are more successful at putting arrows in the middle of the target.
When archers make mistakes, they are taught that the solution is to analyze their steps and focus on improving one thing at a time…LIFE LESSON!
IMPROVED PHYSICAL HEALTH
Regardless of the setting, archery builds core, chest, back, and shoulder muscles. Case in point: drawing 40 arrows at 25 pounds each equals 1,000 pounds of weight.
Did you know: Archers walk as much as 5 miles through the course of one tournament? All that walking improves heart health, muscle tone, and leg strength.
Drawing a bow strengthens core muscles, which improves archers’ balance and stability. In turn, balance and stability improve posture, hand-eye coordination, and the chances of hitting the target.
A MORE CONFIDENT YOU!!
Whether their “target” is improving their health, physique, sociability, or focus, archery can help our student hit the bulls-eye and be a more confident young adult going forward in and out of the classroom.
There are many private archery associations in our area http://www.naspschools.org/
Check out the Grand Ledge High School archery team on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/search/str/grand+ledge+archery+team/keywords_search