April 5, 2000
Archery club on target for kids
Members of Grand Traverse 4-H Archery Club drawn to sport
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Stringing, nocking, drawing, sighting and shooting.
Just another evening of fun for members of the Grand Traverse 4-H Shooting Sports - Archery Club. The five attendees at Monday evening's meeting at the Grand Traverse Conservation Club in Blair Township received an in-depth lesson in the basics of setting up a recurve bow before a session of target practice.
"I like the shooting," said Nathan Heikkila, 8, a member of the club since September. "I want to bowhunt when I am 12 and I have learned the stance and how to shoot."
Heikkila attends the club meetings with his father, Kevin, and friend, Matthew Bouwense, 9. Both boys have come from families that bowhunt and had prior experience in archery at home. Although neither of their fathers has much experience with archery or bowhunting, after coming to the club meetings this year they are both interested in taking up the sport.
"Matthew's dad and I are thinking about getting bows," Kevin Heikkila said. "My wife's father and her family are all into archery and bowhunting big time and I am certainly encouraging it in Nathan."
The Archery club formed two years ago to give youngsters ages 8-18 a chance to learn about the ancient sport of archery. They alternate 10-week weekly shooting sessions, which often draw as many as 30 children, with monthly seminars on different topics about bows. Even the monthly seminars include a little shooting, thrown in for good measure to keep the participants' skills sharp.
This month, attendees had an opportunity to learn about setting up a bow as the club recently received a donation of 12 bows, arrows and other assorted archery equipment from the Michigan Whitetails club and Gauthier's Archery. This equipment helps the club attract and keep members who otherwise might not come because of the cost.
"It is really important to have donated equipment because a lot of kids won't try the sport because the parents don't want to put up the money," said Gary Reamer of Traverse City, one of three leaders of the group. "People can bring their own equipment if they want to, though."
The leaders stress safety, camaraderie and competition to club members. Every member starts out at the lowest shooting level, which is three arrows at seven yards. As they master each level, they can progress to the next one, gaining a much-cherished certificate for their efforts.
"We have a couple of kids who plan to go the state shoot in August, which covers all the 4-H shooting sports," said Andy Darling, a co-leader who has taught archery for more than 10 years. "We are keeping better track of everyone's scores this year to help motivate them."
Sarah Sullivan, 12, joined the club last year when it started and just recently competed in her first tournament bringing home two medals for her efforts. Coming from a bowhunting family, she and her brother, Michael, 10, practice their archery in a range in their basement in between club meets.
"I really like the sport and always want to do better," said Sullivan, a sixth-grader at Blair Elementary School. "I used to shoot and my scores were four or five, now they are in the 20s because I learned better posture in shooting."
Darling sees archery growing in popularity and enjoys coaching and sharing his love of the sport. He noted that he has coached students from the Kalkaska Archery Club who went on to try out for the Olympics and that small clubs like this one keep the sport alive and thriving among younger people. Girls, especially, can succeed at archery, as demonstrated by Sullivan's success.
"Archery is more of a female sport than a male sport because women have grace," Darling said. "This is not a sport about power, it is about endurance and gracefulness."