Sept 30, 2012: Prepared

September 30 : Prepared
Weather is a variable this Sunday!

 11:30-class outdoors, rain or shine.

3:30 class depends on if thunderstorms

Last week members of the JOAD and SOAD programs continued to score and earned rank and pins, and awards will be presented on Sunday.
3 of our students have been attending regional and state competitions, and are doing very well, taking Gold, Silver and Bronze!

Prepared:
It’s a great time to be thinking about what you want to accomplish as an archer. Some students are new and just know they want to shoot and find out about archery, the basics and variables in equipment, and have just begun to get a feel for the programs basic equipment. More seasoned archers may have new equipment , or have been shooting for a while with their own equipment or program equipment, and are ready for their own..
In either setting, if you can step into the future and look back at where you are today, you can set up a guide to get to that “future self”.

What do you see for yourself as an archer? Does a competition interest you? How does that look? What will it take to get there? Do you want to be able to shoot longer distances, or perhaps beat a score you earned previously. Maybe have better endurance while shooting, or understand your equipment better, and find ways to make it perform to its optimum ability. Perhaps find ways to draw out your own optimum ability as well. What kind of training and practice time are you able to invest in your “future self”?

Several "get your feet wet", "go for the experience" competitions are coming up. The next is Dec 1st in Conyers, and is an indoor 25 meter tournament at a 60 cm face. 2 sets of 30 arrows. two time slots. http://www.gaarchery.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/25meterGEORGIA_ARCHERY_TEAM20121.pdf
This is a great first tournament experience, a place to feel the nerves, test your scoring abilities, and, something to prepare for. It's 2 months out, and is a great dry run test for regional and national indoor tournaments following in January and February. It's a chance to get equipment together and practice. Something to set GOALS for.

We will talk about goal setting strategies at our next session.

Sept 23: Balloon Shoot & Knock-out games!

September 23 : This Sunday: Our own "tournament"- The Balloon Shoot, and Knock-out" Games!
Outdoors!
Weather promises to be beautiful! We will hold classes outdoors.

Mail-in Tournament!

Mail in National tournament: Adult(SOAD) youth (JOAD) $10 to submit score:Deadline Sept 28
(Those JOAD/ SOAD members wishing to score, may do so)
Wednesday September Sessions underway!

Last week members of the JOAD and SOAD programs scored and earned rank and pins, and awards will be presented on Sunday (everyone did GREAT!)

This week, we will have the balloon shoot game along with the "knock-out" game. Everyone, please stretch out, get your gear set up and select 1 balloon to blow up and put in the big bag with your symbol or initial.

We will have a few warm up rounds of knock-out and start the games.

Knock-Out:

Strategy and skill as a warm up game... 3 arrows.
 

First round: red and better are kept .red scored arrows are kept to shoot for the next round.

Next round "8" and better are kept (arrows are getting down to one or two in a quiver ,and usually only one or two competitors are still standing.)

Down to Gold!!!(with what's left in your quiver)
(those Knocked-out, may begin practice for the balloon games, or scoring) 
 

Balloon Shoot:

The idea is shoot YOUR balloon first, before your competitor pops theirs.
They then step off, and you shoot for theirs.
If you shoot theirs first accidentally-they win and they move to the next round.
You will be out a round, but can restart shooting, independent of the game,
with others to create an underlying game.
Strategy is important.Timing is important.
Use the skills we've trained for in these games

ALL students, please head to the outdoor range from the back parking lot to check in. Do not use side door please!

Wednesday sessions are underway at, 4:30 for JOAD youth session and at 6:30 for regular open training session. We were again shooting distances outdoors last Wednesday in the wonderful weather. Join us!!

September 16 : SCORE!!

September 16 : SCORE!!

Outdoors!

Mail-in Tournament!

 

How does your routine work when the need to make the high score, or beat the other competitors and take home the gold medal, trophy or the coveted "hot Soda", comes into play?

When an archer concentrates on score, or outcome, they give themselves a disadvantage. Keeping the mind on the process, each step...each piece...one after another, gives the most composure, and best results.

 

Give yourself a goal of a “personal best” .

Each month, on the third weekend we score.
New students begin to learn the ins and outs of what each ring is worth, the power of the lines that edge the rings, and what arrows may help in a strategy to gain points . New archers keep score and may keep the scorecards to have a log of their own progress. If students are a member of the JOAD/SOAD program, they can turn in cards to earn rank and pin awards. This continual "dry-run" makes scoring at an event more comfortable and into a no-brainer.

We will score as we have in the past, shooting the outdoor rounds - 36 arrows (12 ends - 3 arrows each, or those with their own arrows: 6 arrows x 6 ends) , or, if weather is a challenge in the afternoon-indoor rounds - 30 arrows ( 10 ends -3 arrows each), and all must be on the appropriate target face at your distance.

Mail in National tournament: Adult(SOAD) youth (JOAD) $10 to submit score

We will use the scorecards you are familiar with, and students will score in an official manner, with two archers scoring and checking together, and can submit scorecards for a National mail-in tournament. . Official categories as outlined by USA Archery: http://assets.usoc.org/assets/documents/attached_file/filename1/50560/Age_and_Distance_Charts_for_the_JOAD_Mail_In_Tournament_Series.pdf

 

Two archers scoring and checking together.
JOAD/ SOAD may turn in scorecards for achievement awards.
New archers will learn how to score, the meaning of the rings and appropriate conduct and procedures.
If not thunderstorming, ALL students, please head to the outdoor range from the back parking lot to check in. Do not use side door please!

September 9 : Fundamentals.

September 9 : Fundamentals.

All Sunday Sessions are planned for outdoors-the weather is predicted to be beautiful!!

 

Back to basics. String release-relax! Tournament basics.

Last week we worked on some basics in fundamental equipment tuning, including checking brace height. We worked on the draw hand in set position, and raising it up.

This week we will again address the draw hand- the fingers on the string, and getting them relaxed by working with paint can- drop training.

We will also put a focus on basics in a tournament, procedures, what to wear, and how archers are assigned to targets, as many tournaments are going on this month.

Our new Wednesday sessions have begun, and the 4:30 JOAD youth session is doing great! The 6:30 open training session is small, and we were shooting distances outdoors last Wednesday in the wonderful weather. Join us!!

Image Courtesy: Fundamentals of Recurve Archery, Ruth Rowe

Courtesy: Fundamentals of Recurve Archery, Ruth Rowe