06 Apr Archery: “Clear to Shoot”
The call rings out and 24 St. Stephen’s Archers step up to the line to let 5 arrows fly, one round after another. They take their time: focus, draw, find their anchor point, breathe, aim, and release. The successful archer is patient, focused, consistent and able to shake off disappointment… every arrow is a new opportunity to hit the mark! Boys or girls, young or old, fast or slow, strong or weak, anyone can succeed at archery! Like so many sports, archery is not only a physical challenge, but often more of a mental one. You can have all the physical skills needed, but if you are tense or upset at having done poorly, it will affect how you shoot. So many lessons in life can be learned through this sport. Lessons such as the ability to calm oneself and focus on your goal no matter what is happening around you or inside you, to take your time and shoot when you are ready and not under pressure from anyone else, to keep trying even after disappointment, to focus on the process more than the result in that moment (proper form = consistency = improvement over time), to breathe and release control. As Adrian P. said, “The best way to get better is to slow… down.”This amazing group of Archers is so full of energy! It is always exciting to see the thrill on a child’s face when they get handed a bow and arrows and shoot for the first time! Then seeing them learn and improve and hit a bullseye for the first time is inspiring. Oliver T. shared that he enjoyed archery because, “it made me feel like I accomplished something, and the tournaments gave me a chance to test what I had been practicing.”
This year we had 24 Archers, 15 from the Lower School and 9 from the Upper School. The team has competed in 5 tournaments at Archers Afield in Tigard where they practice, 4 outdoor shoots at Sylvan Archers in Sherwood, and 14 members of the team were able to compete at the state tournament in Bend March 2-4. Of those, 12 received awards in their age and shooting category! Way to go Archers!
When asked about the season, Todd T. said, “As a parent, my favorite part of archery this year was the outdoor shoots. These were family events, and it was great to have a day outside with such great people.”
Archery season has come to a close for this year, but we are looking forward to another strong season starting in the fall.
