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How to get started in the sport of archery
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| How to actually get started is such a
"loaded" question. Most of the answers depend on the new archer. Skill, time
to practice, patience and budget are all important considerations. For the
purpose of this website, we will provide the "recommended" path for both
young archers and late teen/adult archers. As mentioned, nothing is ever
"firm" this web page is meant just as a guide to let you know many of the
steps required - and things to consider when starting out. The most
important part of archery is to just have some fun. The Victoria Bowmen
recommend taking lessons before joining the club, for more information
on our lessons please click here
Kid's Archery (10 -16 years) - Overview
Ok parents - first thing - DO NOT go out and buy a whole bunch of
archery gear for your child before starting out (assuming that you will be
coming to the club to get a feel for things). Come on out to the club and
have your kid (s) try different sizes of bows, different weights of arrows,
try shooting different distances and learn as much as you can. There are
over 100 members that are always ready to share an opinion or some
experience on what one may need.
Also, with the J.O.Program in place, there
is an excellent environment for your child to develop skills and for both of
you to learn about the different types
of equipment. Kids can learn the basics of the sport by coming out to
shoot at various times and also ask
questions of the JOP instructors.
Additionally, sometimes club members will know of used archery equipment
that is for sale
Kids Equipment
Again, just as a guide, below you will find basic list of what you can
expect to purchase for a starting archer and some very "rough" pricing.
Bow
It is recommend to start with a very light Recurve or longbow for the
initial lessons. Very light bows are easiest to learn basic form on,
nothing can be substituted for strong basic form!
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$75.00- $250.00 New $50.00 - $200.00 Used |
Bow Case
Something to protect your investment and hold your gear. Cases
come in hard or soft shells and can accommodate additional gear (such as
arrows) or just hold your bow.
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$20.00 - $150.00 New $20.00-$100.00 Used |
Finger Tabs
These leather or rubber/plastic protectors for your finger tips to
prevent the strings from destroying your fingers .
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$5.00-$20.00 New |
Arrows
The most important equipment are arrows. They don't have to be
expensive, but have to be matched to your bow. It is important that the
archer be measured for the correct arrow - if you get arrows that are
not matched, it will cause nothing but frustration - trust me.
The components of an arrow are:
A: The "shaft"
B: The "nock" - the thing that holds the arrow to the
string
C: The "Fletches" - (feathers/flights) - on the end of
the arrow.
D: The "inserts" - these go inside the front of the
shaft to screw/glue the tips into.
E: "Points" / "Tips" - call them what you wish, they
are the pointy things on the end that allow the arrow to stick into the
target.
- Don't start with "carbon" arrows - they are very cool for sure,
however the $$ will be sadly missed as you begin to lose your first set.
Wait until you've got some experience before buying the cool toys.
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$4.00 - $15.00 EACH |
Quiver
A case that is generally attached to your belt or waist that will carry
your arrows and also a pencil/paper/scorecard. |
$12.00 - $50.00 New
(and up for the custom ones) |
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Process/What to Expect
All the club programs require you to have taken archery lessons from
one of our beginner programs.
Most kids who join the Victoria Bowmen, are automatically enrolled in the
Junior Olympic Program (JOP). This is an excellent starting point for the kids to learn the
basic skills, earn "badges" and partake in some club and regional
competitions. As most kids need a little time to learn the basics, they will
be learning archery on the target (flat) field. This is done by attending
structure sessions once or more per week and also coming out on "club
nights" where review of skills can be practiced. As a club member, you will
have access to the range at all times.
Once basic competence has been achieved, they may wish to also learn about
"Field Archery" - targets shot in the woods, or 3-D archery (burlap sacks
with animal outlines or actual 3D models of animals), again, shot in the
woods.
The Victoria Bowmen have 2 courses in the woods for archers to shoot,
however basic competence should be demonstrated and club equipment is not
permitted to be used by archers in the "woods" (due to loss/damage risks).
More information on these styles of archery are available in the
"Archery Styles" section.
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Teen/Adult Archers (16 years old and up)
The Victoria Bowmen offer lessons, these are offered on a continuing basis,
contact the club for more information.
Most adult archers start on Recurve bows and once they have a few months
experience shooting will decide whether they prefer Recurve (also referred
to as 'Olympic') or compound bows. Please see our
"Types of Equipment" section for
more details on the bow types.
The equipment acquisition process is very much the same as the process
outlined above, however adult archers can make budgetary decisions
concerning equipment easier than their children. Members of the club are
always willing to assist, just ask!
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How to Join:
Dues
Membership fees include all Provincial and Federal affiliation fees and
5 million dollar liability insurance. Lessons are available for members
at no charge.
Single
Membership (Junior and Senior) $160
Couple (2 persons same address) $240
Family Membership (3 or more persons same address) $280
Associate Membership (non shooting) $ 20
Make Cheques payable to The Victoria Bowmen Association
Pro
rating scale: (new members only - not for renewals)
Dates
Single Couple Family
- March -
December
$120 $180 210
- June -
December $105 $125 140
- August
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December $ 95 $115 125 (or full year**)
>
September Full year only
** New
Memberships purchased after September 1st are treated as the
next year (i.e. a new membership sold September 2008 expires December
31, 2009).
All
memberships include membership in the
Federation of Canadian Archers, the
British Columbia Archery
Association and 2 million dollars personal liability insurance.
Membership Director Larry Gagnon– Victoria Bowmen Association
c/o 1237 Bewdley Ave., Victoria, BC V9A 5N4
Telephone: (250) 382-1266
Download the membership form by clicking here |
Optional Competition
Once a certain degree of proficiency is obtained, many archers like to shoot
some basic archery competitions at our club in Victoria or at some of the
surrounding archery ranges. Again, as the main point of archery is to just
have fun, these competitions are completely optional. Normally there will be
a tournament fee of $15-$25 to cover the cost of new targets and reporting.
Information on the different types of competitions that we shoot can be
found by clicking here, or by
speaking with any of the club members.
The club generally hosts between 15-20 competitions per year (both indoor
and outdoor) and has also hosted a number of national competitions and the
World Championships in 1997.
If you have any questions about what else you may expect, please contact us
and we will do our best to get back to you quickly (usually within 1 day),
or, if you would like to make arrangements to come out to take a look around
or give this a try, please contact our membership director or JOP director -
their numbers are listed on our contact page. |
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Archery
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