Archery has been changing ever since it started; it is still changing, to match the lifestyles of those who enjoy it as a pastime and /or sport.
The archery that I know best, is club level archery. For many, that can mean shooting with friends now and again; for some it is shooting to improve and possibly take part in competitions. I have shot with a few archers who went on to shoot for their country.Their shooting may have started at a local club, but they had to leave most of that behind and change their lifestyle in ways that the rest would never consider making.
Those archers who reached GMB and beyond need very different archery experiences from the ones club level archers need.
They need to spend far more time on getting to a higher level and staying there.They have to move up several gears.
Another type of archery is becoming more common these day; the "have a go on holiday" type of archery. More and more beginners are telling me that they first tried archery on holiday, at a have a go session.
bentarrow won't mind my saying that he likes the idea of people being able to shoot a few arrows now and again without having to join a club or take a beginners' course. He describes it as " pay and play" archery, in the way ten pin bowling happens.That idea is starting to appeal to me more and more as I give it more thought. I have tried to imagine the club where I shoot, offering have a go sessions as a frequent part of what the club does. I am not sure about that??
Perhaps it would be better if more " pay and play" archery places were set up. Some of the teachers/coaches may be archery club members as they would give a good introduction to those " paying to play". The establishments could operate at times when most archery clubs are unlikely to be "open".
It might be even better if the "PandP" places were linked to AGB, so some common ground could be established and traffic could run in both directions.
The archery that I know best, is club level archery. For many, that can mean shooting with friends now and again; for some it is shooting to improve and possibly take part in competitions. I have shot with a few archers who went on to shoot for their country.Their shooting may have started at a local club, but they had to leave most of that behind and change their lifestyle in ways that the rest would never consider making.
Those archers who reached GMB and beyond need very different archery experiences from the ones club level archers need.
They need to spend far more time on getting to a higher level and staying there.They have to move up several gears.
Another type of archery is becoming more common these day; the "have a go on holiday" type of archery. More and more beginners are telling me that they first tried archery on holiday, at a have a go session.
bentarrow won't mind my saying that he likes the idea of people being able to shoot a few arrows now and again without having to join a club or take a beginners' course. He describes it as " pay and play" archery, in the way ten pin bowling happens.That idea is starting to appeal to me more and more as I give it more thought. I have tried to imagine the club where I shoot, offering have a go sessions as a frequent part of what the club does. I am not sure about that??
Perhaps it would be better if more " pay and play" archery places were set up. Some of the teachers/coaches may be archery club members as they would give a good introduction to those " paying to play". The establishments could operate at times when most archery clubs are unlikely to be "open".
It might be even better if the "PandP" places were linked to AGB, so some common ground could be established and traffic could run in both directions.