Archery

HISTORY:

Experts believe the bow and arrow are one of the three most important inventions in human history - right alongside the discovery of fire and the development of speech. Once, sticks and stones were man's only weapons against bigger, stronger and faster predators. But armed with the bow and arrow, man suddenly became the most efficient hunter on Earth, able to shoot his prey accurately from a safe distance. The bow and arrow gave humans greater protection, a diet richer in protein, and also a more abundant supply of the raw materials like bone, sinew and hide, upon which early man depended for survival. 

Dating back to the Stone Age, The bow and arrow are two of the oldest tools known to mankind. As the bow and arrow became dominant, history began to change, and in creating lore and legends of Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Robin Hood and William Tell, the bow and arrow literally changed the world.Modern American archery history began in 1828 with the first organized recreational archery club formed in Philadelphia, growing to over six million archers today. 

Why Archery?

• Archery adapts easily to individual physical needs and archers face only the challenge of improving their own score, competing against others or testing their skills in pursuit of wild game. 

• Excellent physical condition is not required for beginning archery classes. 

• Upper body, shoulder and arm strength can be developed, as can hand-eye coordination, and both gross and fine motor skills. 

• For a student, competitive shooting matches provide an opportunity to both compete against one’s self and to share in personal achievements, team spirit and team pride in competition with others. 

• Participating with a team can create feelings of unity between students and their peers and allows students to develop disciplined self-control.