The archery club shoots arrow after arrow at targets, animal decoys and other objects, all while perfecting their shooting skills. The Archery Club is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the sport. 

Spencer Bradley, the coach and club adviser, has been coaching since 2014.

 “I first got into archery when I was around six or seven years old,” Bradley said. “My father cut a plum tree limb up and made a little homemade bow with that and a weed-eater line. He gave me some arrows and taught me how to shoot it. I’ve been addicted to it ever since.”

The archery club is also led by Ashton Brown-Haywood, a graduate student studying art from North Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I got involved with archery by accident,” Brown-Haywood said. “I went into the archery room looking for a pin to get into the gym at the Health, Physical Education and Sports Sciences Building. When I got in there they asked ‘Are you in here for the Archery Club meeting?’ and I was like ‘Yeah that’s totally why I’m in this room right now.’”

Brown-Haywood said she shot for the first time at A-State and fell in love with the sport. She said that the sport also helps her focus and relax.

“I have generalized anxiety disorder, and it’s something that I’ve struggled with for a very long time,” Brown-Haywood said. “This was a sport that I got into and I just don’t think, I don’t over-analyze it. You know how in movies when the character is about to swim or hit a ball, and everything slows down? That’s what it is for me.”

Daiki Saito, a sophomore accounting major from Niigata, Japan, said a friend first invited him to the archery club, and he enjoyed it enough to stay with the team. Saito said he enjoys the games that the archery club plays. 

“We bet money sometimes, or we bet Starbucks on shots,” Saito said. “I never win because my shots aren’t the greatest, but I am improving.”

Brown-Haywood said that there are other games that archery will do. Among these games are what the club refers to as Legolas Day, in which the archers shoot with their legs, like Legolas from “Lord of the Rings.” Another of the games involves the use of foam-tipped arrows, where archers shoot arrows at a ball thrown into the air.

Tomoya Ishimura, a senior business administration major from Chiba, Japan, said that his friends also invited him to join last semester. Ishimura said his favorite memory of archery is just making good shots. 

“Shooting from a long distance was especially difficult, but when I made that shot, I became happy,” Ishimura said.

Jesus Cortes, a junior mechanical engineering major from Queretaro, Mexico, joined the team this year. Cortes said joining the team gave him a new confidence to try new things. 

While  equipment is provided for club members, archers looking to get serious about the sport are encouraged to invest in their own equipment.

“If you’re going to get serious about the sport, you’re going to want to get your own equipment so you can customize it and have it to your liking,” Bradley said. “Everything is very customizable, from the bow to the arrows, so it helps to have your own setup.” The club is open to everyone who comes to the meetings, and attendance is encouraged. “If you think you won’t be good at it, just try it,” said Cortes. “I wasn’t good at first, but after trying it I got better. I promise you’ll get along with everyone here, and I promise you will enjoy it.”

The club meets in room 112 of the HPESS building every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

Categories: Sports