Archery

What is it? 

The practice of archery is an ancient form historically used in hunting and combat, but has become a competitive recreational sport in more recent history. The most popular form of modern archery uses the bow and arrow combination to shoot arrows at a target from set distances, with people competing for the greatest accuracy. 

What does it involve?

On a basic level, archery involves learning how to operate the bow and arrows correctly, and then how to aim at and hit a target. There are reasonable physical exertions upon the upper body, but mental effort is equally as important in archery to focus properly and understand how to get the best out of the equipment.

Why do it and what are the benefits?

Archery can improve focus, hand-eye coordination, attention to detail and patience alongside improving upper body strength; having a go at archery requires a combination of both mental and physical skills, and can be hugely rewarding particularly for younger children when they can see their efforts and improvement on the target in front of them. 

What equipment do we need?

The basic equipment needed for archery is the bow, the arrows and the target, but most archery outlets will have equipment to borrow when having lessons from them.

Who is it suitable for?

Archery is a reasonably user-friendly sport; people of almost any age can have a go as the level of difficulty can be changed for whoever is participating, but very young children may struggle with the operating the equipment. 

Costs?

The costs of archery vary greatly between establishments, and depend on whether you are booking a one-off session or a more extended course - it would be wise to compare prices from the providers in your area.

Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)

This sport can be reasonably dangerous if people are reckless with it, and the rules must be respected for safety - exercise caution with rowdy groups, and never leave young children alone with the equipment. The health and safety risks here mean you should always use an established archery company and instructors when involving school groups, and never set up your own amateur range and teach it yourself.

How do we include?

Archery is good activity to include students with disabilites in, as there is fantastic range of specialist equipment that allows many people with disabilties to participate, including those with blindness; consult with individual venues and providers to see what they cater for.

Doing it abroad? 

Archery is a sport popular all over the world, so there should be venues that cater for it in the majority of countries; make sure to do your research before travelling though!

Main website: 

Visit http://www.archerygb.org for the official UK archery website - it has some useful links about getting started with archery in schools