Links Home
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
Elite Archers JOAD (Youth) & Adult Training Program Infomation
How To Register for Classes
Directions, Hours & Rates
Private Coaching
Tournaments
Events
Employment
JOAD RANKINGS
Anthony's Movie Reviews & More 6/20/2010
The Coach's Corner
Flash News
Sign up for ArrowWire
Store Policy
Privacy
OFFICIAL NOTICES |
Archery Champion or just another team player?
Now that Summer is almost behind us, I'm sure many kids will be participating in sports such as, hockey, soccer, baseball, and lecrosse.
It never ceases to amaze me how the coaches of these sports start their recruting in early summer with constant phone messages and emails to families to be certain they have that one more player starting that opening day.
This year once again, some coaches have increased the ante. hockey, Lecrosse, baseball and soccer are BIG Business, and someone has to pay for all those fields and court time. Parents are held in place with threats of their child being dumped from the team if a practice or two is missed.
I've spoken recently with many parents that tell me their son or daughter will have to cut back on archery (or drop archery till fall) because their baseball, soccer or lecrosse coach now has their child practicing two to three hours a day, three to four times a week which essentially locks them out of any other activity and into theirs. Not only are they exhusted when they get home, but they hardly have any time for schoolwork.
My heart saddens because I see such progress in my students cut short because of the high demands of other sports and the parents that give in to them. And then, or if, they return after the season, it's just like starting all over.
I have been coaching archery professionally for almost 23 years. That said, I can assure you that it doesn't take anywhere near that time to know that if an archer practices even 4-6 hours a week- that archer will be a National Champion within a year or two, if they want to take it that far!
Archery is one of only a few sports in which you can accomplish that; and that is what is so amazing about this sport. It's repetitive improvement! It's success, both physically and mentally, that you can be proud of because you accomplished it yourself. You didn't have to rely upon how good another player was, or how much the other team sucked less that day. in order to win.
Many kids are exposed to Archery during summer camps and want to continue in the sport but don't know what to do or where to find archery because they think it's just an outdoor summer sport.
Actually, Archery is a year round sport. Our state archery association and those of our ajoining states all have outdoor and indoor tournaments. If one wanted to, you can go to a tournament every other weekend somewhere closeby.
Indoor events are sponsored by a handful of archery shops or specialized training centers like ours offering Jr, Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) or Junior Elite Training (JET)-TM programs. Our club name is "Elite Archers".
Outdoor events are fun! With all the family and team tents, flags, it looks like a modern medieval game.
It's been my goal for a long time, to promote our sport until it becomes as recognized as soccer. So I'm urging everyone not to abandon archery for other sports, perhaps increase your practice time, and keep up with improving your skills!
Thank You,
Anthony
President
ArcheryUSA
"TRAINING CHAMPIONS FOR OVER 18 YEARS"
TM/AUSA
|
|
Events:
|
