Learn archery basics at Panola Mountain

When I watched the movies Brave and The Hunger Games, archery looked fairly easy. But when I took the basic archery class at Panola Mountain State Park with my 11 year-old daughter Allison and her friend, I quickly realized the sport is a bit more complex (and fun) in real life. The two-hour class, led by a park ranger, a certified instructor, and a trained volunteer, began with a 15-minute orientation about safety protocols and equipment. Safety is clearly of top importance. For example, nobody is allowed to retrieve arrows from the targets until the teacher gives three whistle blows, signaling that all shooting has stopped and all the bows have been hung up.

The instructor demonstrated the proper stance, how to load the arrow (always pointing down) and the three-finger technique to draw and release the bow. We couldn’t wait for our turn! We selected our equipment from a rack of compound bows, which have the pulley and wheel system. The draw weights (the heaviness you feel when stretching the bow back in preparation to launch an arrow) of these bows ranged from 11 pounds for the younger participants to 20 pounds for the adults. The leaders divided us into groups and helped us individually during the first round of six arrows. I was surprised by how much help we needed to get in the correct position, and the shoulder and upper back strength it took to draw the bow.

My daughter missed the target several times, and mentioned that it took a great deal of focus and precision to aim properly. This is not an easy sport, and the girls and I felt our arm and shoulder muscles getting sore. It seemed everyone was feeling the same way, as I heard one child tell his parent, “I have to sit down and rest.”  But because it’s challenging, we really felt a sense of accomplishment getting anywhere near the bullseye. After the first few times, I successfully got arrows in the red and blue zones. Yes! I felt really powerful.

My daughter never hit the target, but said she’d love to go back and try again. She liked that the sport is so different from others, since it’s more about concentration and using specific muscle movements in just the upper body. Plus, you get instant feedback: you can see exactly where your arrows hit. Each group shot two rounds at 7 yards, 10 yards and 13 yards from the target and before we knew it, the class was over. We plan to go again. Instead of just trying something new, we discovered a fun, low-impact sport that we can do as a family, with the adults as involved as the kids.

– Rebecca R. Leffler