–Nadine Davis– Unlike most sports, archery is a sport that anyone can do. You do not have to be the strongest, fastest, or most flexible to join archery; you just have to be yourself. I have been shooting bow for 3 years now and I saw someone shoot a bow with their teeth because they did not have arms. There is a professional archer that shoots bow with his feet! You can read about him here.
Like most sports, you can have varsity and junior varsity teams, but archery is different. As much of a team sport it is, it is also very individual. It allows you to improve yourself rather than improve for your team. You can set new goals for yourself, and as you achieve them you create new ones. Archery has endless possibilities for you to become better; whether that is becoming a better shooter or just becoming a better person.
Another thing that makes archery stand out more than other sports is the competition. It is the friendliest competition there is around. Not only do your teammates support you, but other teams also do as well. You make friends and help each other during a competition. I have seen this at a few other sporting events, but you see it every single time you go to an archery tournament.
Altogether, archery is not like any sport. You can be yourself, achieve your goals, improve throughout the archery season, and you gain confidence. Archery is more than a sport; it allows kids to find themselves and to have a good time. Once more, the benefits that archery has on a person is endless. Sports are all fun in games, but the true fun comes from shooting a bow with your family and friends, and well of course some friendly competition!
Nadine Davis is a 2022 Student Contributor. Watch for her future submissions.
