Teaching Ideas in Archery

Archery is a challenging, yet rewarding sport where people are always in a competition with themselves to better their scores. People's first exposure to archery may come at a summer camp, at an archery club open house or at school. Whether you're instructing campers or privately coaching an archery student, there are some important ideas to keep in mind to make the sport both safe and enjoyable.

  1. Safety

    • If you're working with a group of beginning archers, the number one concept to start with is safety. This is especially important if you are working with young children. Explain the dangers of a bow and arrow. Be sure your students grasp the concept that a bow can be a deadly weapon if used improperly. Introduce the concepts of a range officer and the commands that they give. Be sure these commands are followed. Have a practice run of the different commands without the use of arrows, such as "ready at the line" and "retrieve your arrows." If students fail at these, have practice runs until success is achieved, as these commands are vital for safe range operation.

    Games

    • Play games with your archery students. This adds some fun variety and new challenges. Place items such as balloons and tin cans on the target. Have a competition among the class as to who can pop the most balloons or hit the most cans. Start at a distance of 10 yards. Once the round is complete, move the targets to 15 yards. Keep advancing the distance another 5 yards with each round until it becomes too difficult. Another fun variation on a traditional target would be to draw a picture of a person and have the students pretend they are William Tell. Attach either a real apple or drawing of an apple to the top of the head.

    Demonstration

    • Demonstrate things whenever possible. For a student who has never shot before, or may just be learning the sport, seeing an experienced archer demonstrate techniques such as a proper stance is very important. Show the students how to stand, how to aim and how to shoot and with each step of the process take the time to explain in detail what you are doing. Do this with several arrows. Then, let the student take over, by instructing you on what to do. This helps to re-enforce the concepts. When it comes time for them to shoot, have them explain to you what they are doing and why it's important.