Senior Project Proposal

Introduction

While watching the Beijing Olympics this summer, a remote control in one hand and a bowl of ice cream in the other, I began to feel a little ashamed of my sedentary lifestyle. Many of the athletes competing were around my age, and on appearance seemed to come from average families much like my own. My shame grew thinking about all that I could have accomplished over the wasted summer months. What I needed was a competitive sport that was not too strenuous and would get me out of the house. I found my answer. While most of America tuned-in to basketball, swimming and gymnastics, I turned my attention to a lesser-viewed sport. Perhaps I will never win a gold medal, but I have been inspired to train in the Olympic sport of archery.  With your approval, I propose to 1) learn about the origins of archery, (e.g. How did it became an Olympic sport?), 2) purchase/rent archery equipment, 3) find a qualified mentor to teach me how to become an archer, 4) join an archery club, 5) compete in at least one archery competition, and 6) share my senior project experience with the local Boy Scouts. Completing this project will help me to get outside and become active while also bringing attention to a lesser-known sport. Who knows what I might be capable of doing by the London Olympics of 2012?

Background

I am motivated to learn archery because I want to become physically healthy and less sedentary. I am also inspired to complete this project by the many Olympians who have come home bearing medals. Archery will be a great fit for me because I am a lover of the outdoors, but since childhood have not had much of an excuse to be out there. Archery will lend me a reason to “play outside” while learning a sport that I know next to nothing about.

Scope & Approach

As stated above, the six targets of my product will be to 1) learn about the origins of archery, 2) purchase/rent archery equipment, 3) find a qualified mentor to teach me how to become an archer, 4) join an archery club, 5) compete in at least one archery competition, and 6) share my senior project experience with the local Boy Scouts.

My plan

September

• Research archery, learn the ins and outs of the sport. What kind of equipment do I need? Where can I practice? Where did this sport come from? How did it become an Olympic sport?
• Draft a short paper (2-3 pages), including my research, to be used when purchasing equipment and when presenting to the Scouts. I will keep my notes for later use.
• I propose to have my research completed and paper written by Sept. 29.

October

• Rent or purchase equipment and find a mentor. I will start by consulting the Internet, asking friends and teachers, stopping by stores such as Dick’s and Gander Mt.
• My target date to secure a mentor is October 17 and I plan on having all equipment by October 31.

November

• Meet with my mentor on the weekends and practice, practice, practice!
• My mentor and I will set further skill-related goals.

December

• Find a club to join (indoors) so that I can continue to practice during the winter. Holiday gift ideas: archery equipment and club membership?
• My goal is to become a member of a club by the end of the month.

January

• Register and train for an archery competition.
• Learn the rules of scoring and tournament etiquette.
• Attend at least one Scout meeting and talk to the leader about presentation ideas.
• The first meeting that I will attend is January 7^th.
• I need to register for the competition by January 20^th. (The actual deadline is Feb. 1, 2009.)

February

• Compete in 3-D Shoot in Hamlin, NY on February 14, 2008.
• Revise and practice archery presentation for Scouts.

March

• March 13 – Deliver Archery Presentation! 

Mentor & Others

My mentor is Maid Marion of the Rochester Archery Association. Marion has been teaching archery skills for over 15 years and is licensed by New York State as an instructor. I was fortunate to meet my mentor through my father’s friend, Little John (a long time bow-hunter). Marion and I will meet every Saturday at the Archery Club in October, November and December from 8-9, and then I will practice independently from 9-10. Working with Marion, I expect to be well-prepared for my first competition in February.

I will also be working with members of the Rochester Archery Club to fine tune my skills as well as with my father’s friend, Little John. The Scouts will also aid in the completion of my senior project.

Timing & Costs

In order to reach my goals, I will need to stick to the timeline outlined above. Possible obstacles that I face are not developing archery skills as quickly as I need to for the competition, not enjoying archery as much as I hope to, not managing my time so that I have Saturdays free to work with my mentor, and not being able to find the time to practice on my own. I will overcome most of these obstacles by keeping the competition in mind. I will have to spend less time watching TV, and will pack up the Wii for a few months.  I will also try to have fun while learning this new sport, and maybe try to talk a friend or family member into learning archery with me.

I anticipate this project to be expensive as I need to purchase a long bow, arrows, quivers and a club membership. I will also need to pay a registration fee for my competition in February—all totaled, about $400.

Project Deliverable

My product will be complete after my presentation to the Scouts. Even if I am not successful in the archery competition, my product can be considered a success if I learn a new sport, become more active outdoors, and bring attention to a lesser-known Olympic game. My product will require many hours of practice, a competition, and a presentation (with research notes and a 2-3 page paper).

Closing

Thank you for considering my proposal. I hope to have the determination to complete my senior project in which I will 1) learn about the origins of archery, 2) purchase/rent archery equipment, 3) find a qualified mentor to teach me how to become an archer, 4) join an archery club, 5) compete in at least one archery competition, and 6) share my senior project experience with the local Boy Scouts. I know that I am suited for this task as I am motivated by the recent Olympics to learn a new sport and to become more active outdoors. I am a confident speaker so I feel that I am also well-suited to present my project to others. With the help of my mentor, I know that I can be successful in competing this product. I look forward to your approval so that I may begin my senior project journey.