Madi Rinevault April –In my experience, people lose interest when they aren’t having fun. This was the case for our archery team about halfway through the season last year. We practiced several days a week and the team was tired of the repetitive, boring practices. Then our coach got creative and made up a new game. Suddenly, our archers were interested in shooting and they were having loads of fun at every practice.
We have too many archers for them all to be on the line at once so we have group 1 and group 2. The coach went down the row of archers on the waiting line and assigned targets to the shooters in group 1 and then did the same for group 2. At this point, the archers had been made into teams with one shooter on the line at a time. He asked for a number between 1 and 20 and 17 was chosen by another coach. The object of the game was to shoot the number called with the combined score shot by you and your teammate(s).
The game can be played with up to four archers per target and on the same team, obviously waiting behind the line until summoned by the whistle commands. When we had uneven numbers some of our coaches joined the games which was a lot of fun for our team. Each archer only got to shoot one arrow which made accuracy a factor of maximum importance. To this day the other kids on the team still call it, “The game” and often beg the coaches to play at each practice.
“The game” was an important tool for the coaches because it forces the archers to aim very minutely so as to hit a ring that is less than 2 inches wide. The game that archers loved and enjoyed was really tricking them into aiming and focusing better when shooting. Other than improving their form, the game allowed our archery family to grow. Archers were divided into teams randomly so they were forced to shoot with kids that they otherwise had no experience. This method allowed our archers to grow closer and become more focused on their team members which reinforced the idea of being an archery family.
We play many games at practice including seasonal fun shoots with corresponding targets such as paper pumpkins for fall and balloons that look like Christmas ornaments for winter. If you hit the desired target you win a piece of candy while improving your skills as an archer. Candy prizes are reserved for fun shoots which only happen a few times a year. I personally found a few of our other games to be more challenging and beneficial for the team, despite the lack of Kitkats, Snickers, and Milkyways.
One of my absolute favorite games to play at practice is called, “Knockout”. The archers are called to the line and told to shoot one arrow. If at 10 meters they must hit in the yellow and if at 15 meters they must hit at least within the red rings. If they miss the red or yellow they put their bow on the rack and are replaced by another archer in order to allow everybody to play. If you make it, you stay until there are only 5 kids left on the line. Then, if at 10 meters you have to shoot a ten, and if at 15 meters you have to hit a yellow ring in order to move on. The game is nerve-racking as you watch other archers get eliminated with each passing round and you have to shoot as literally all of your team including elementary, middle, and high is watching. This continues until there are only two archers left, in which case they have to shoot a ten to continue playing. It is at this point in the game that all the other archers in the waiting line are told to, “Make some noise!”. Then, the final two have to shoot through the screams and chants of the team all while trying to hit nothing less than a ten and win Knockout.
Knockout is a great game because it allows kids to be competitive in a friendly way while also helping to improve their form. In order to move on, archers must hit select rings on the target which pushes the idea of maximum focus especially because they are watching their teammates get eliminated with each passing round. It is also a great tool for improving accuracy because as archers move on they have to hit a smaller and smaller area. If they make it to the final five, archers go through “nerve training” and have to shoot with almost 50 pairs of eyes on their backs which helps them learn to block out distractions when shooting. Then the final two archers are forced to shoot through the various whoops and cheers from their teammates which allows them to face and overcome distractions and onlookers when shooting. Knockout gives archers the most important skills for maintaining focus on the line and if you happen to be the last man standing, bragging rights as well.
The games we play at practice are really just the coach’s way of helping us to improve our skills. Whether it teaches us to focus or better the accuracy of the shot, the games are super important for the improvement of the team and the bond between archers. Although it may be a sneaky trick by the coaches, the games are still super important. When we play we reengage in archery even if it’s been a long season, and best of all, we have fun!
Some of my favorite memories of archery were made when playing the games. The excitement on the faces of my team members is probably my favorite part. I’ve seen archers who never talk to each other, jumping up and down with smiles on their faces because they just got that impossible point that they needed to get this round’s lucky number. I’ve watched a grin appear on the face of a friend who made the top two, shooting through seemingly nonviable shouts and stares pushing their limits, and winning the round. I see the archers that are eliminated, realizing what needs to be improved, as the fire lights within, and they decide to try harder and shoot better so they can win next time. Those are my favorite moments. Those moments when everyone is screaming with excitement and laughing and egging on other archers because that is when a team is made.
I’ll be honest, I’ve won quite a few game rounds, but watching my team improve and have fun is loads better than the win. That’s why the games are essential. Because with every shot, with every smile, and with every happy archer walking off the line, our team improves and our archery family grows closer. So, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to try archery, and for those that do, try playing some games at your next practice, happy shooting!
Madi Rhinevault is a 2023 student contributor.
