Jillian McClanahan March –Some of my most fun archery memories are my team’s special activity practices. Shooting the target is fun too, but sometimes you just need a break. So shooting just for fun is the best way to relax and just have fun with the team.
My favorite activity with the team is the balloon shoot. We get teams of three to relay against the other teams to pop five balloons. Each archer gets two arrows. It teaches speed and patience, you have to shoot quickly but realize the importance of not rushing so you don’t miss.
Another fun activity my team does, that might be a cliche for archery but is fun nonetheless, is shooting apples. My coach puts an apple on top of the targets, and the objective is to shoot the target before your opponent. Naturally it gets super competitive and hilarious. It’s harder than it sounds, as it’s really difficult to find just the right spot. Too low and you knock the apple off without puncturing it, or going way too high and totally missing the target.
To make holiday parties more festive and entertaining, my coach puts a theme target cover or poster over our targets. My favorite, but the one I find most difficult is Thanksgiving, because my coach puts a turkey cover over the target that blocks the colors so it’s more challenging to aim.
It’s important to have fun with archery with games and friendly competition! Above are just a couple of ways that my team makes archery silly and gets our new season and holiday jitters out.
Jillian McClanahan is a 2023 student contributor.
