Bullseye! Everybody LOVES Archery!

arch·er·y

(är′chə-rē) n.

1. The art,sport, or skill of shooting with a bow and arrow.
2. A sport that builds confidence.
3. A sport that challenges you against yourself.

Campers come to Forest Lake for many reasons: for friendships of familiar faces, the opportunity to experience something new, to gain independence, to meet new people, to experience living in a beautiful place, and for activities they might not have the chance to do back home.

Activities are a big part of our day at camp and through our daily activities campers can feel challenged, supported and inspired. Archery is one activity offered daily at FLC, for all age groups.

There is routine to archery. There is form. It is an art, which campers are drawn to. Is it the bright colors of the fletching?  Is it the curve of the smooth bow? Is it the sound the arrow makes as it strikes the target? Or is it simply watching the arrow fly through the air, even if it soars over the target 🙂

In archery you stand proud and tall as you pull an arrow from your quiver and pull back your bow. Pulling back with your fingertips, nice and strong you brush the skin of your cheek and let go – THUNK- is the familiar sound of the arrow as it strikes the target. What follows is a beaming smile from the camper and the enthusiastic encouragement from the counselor. There is no wonder campers are drawn to this experience.

Below are a couple reflections about archery from our 2015 campers:

My school doesn’t have an archery team so it is great to come and get better at camp. Archery has taught me to never give up and I now use that lesson in my “noncamp” life. –Caroline Neilson (Senior Camper)

Among all activities archery was one of my favorites. Even if I muff a shot, it feels good to be an archer. –Oleg (Senior Camper)

My favorite part about archery at camp is that unlike baseball, football or soccer, archery is a sport that I only practice at camp. That makes archery all the more special. I also enjoy the fact that archery is a time in the day for me to relax. All the other sports consume a lot of my energy but archery us relaxing. Lastly, I really enjoy archery because I can see myself improve week after week. Last year my first time shooting I scored a 2/50 but at the end of the season I scored 43/50. –Andrew Mazza (Senior Camper)

Archery has always been one of my favorite parts of Forest Lake Camp. The archery range is where I first learned the importance of practice and dedication. My first year down at the range, it was an accomplishment to get a single arrow on the target. As I returned year after year, I noticed myself improving. I would get a second arrow on the target, and then a third. I moved back to twenty yards, and then to thirty. Every year that I come back I am reintroduced to the joys of shooting at the camp range. I am so thankful to all of the wonderful counselors who got me started, and who have helped me every year since! –Madison Kelly (Senior Camper)

Archery is definitely one of my favorite things available to us at camp. I learned everything I know about archery at FLC, all thanks to our amazing staff. I spend a lot of time down at the range, and hopefully this summer I will be able to LIT archery activities periods! You can even win Archer of the Week (like I did!). It’s lots of fun! I encourage everyone to sign up and shoot down at the range with me this summer! -Alexis Klein (Senior Camper)

Archery is a unique program at Forest Lake that I have grown to love over the past two years. It’s unique because it’s a shooting sport that gives campers a chance to try something new and to develop skills that may be different from their regular routine. Archery teaches campers to be patient, calm, and most importantly focused. In order to really get good at archery you have to practice consistently to improve your aim and distance. As a counselor, I love instructing archery because you get to watch campers develop this patience and focus, which is something that they can carry over to other aspects of their life.  It’s a great opportunity for campers to try something different and hidden, something that they may not get the chance to try back home. -David Menard (FLC Counselor)

I love archery class at FLC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had never done archery before but it was definitely something I had wanted to do! I signed up for it every day and got better each time! Archery was my favorite activity at FLC and I talked about it in all my letters home. I especially liked picking out the arrow and finding the one that was right size for me.  Even if I didn’t always get a good score, I had fun learning and doing archery!!!–Madalyn Brand (Junior Camper)

This summer I found a passion for teaching archery that I didn’t know I had. When I was a camper I always loved going down to the range when I did, but it wasn’t one of the activities I always signed up for. As an archery instructor this summer, I knew I wanted to take what I loved about coming down when I was a camper and continue that at the range this summer. I wanted to make the range a place that campers would be excited to go to. This summer, archery was a great success. Between tournaments, archer of the week, and trying to achieve archery awards, there was no limit to what campers could get involved in down at the range. -Molly Mantus (FLC Counselor)

I like archery because I have so much fun.  I learn and then I do better at archery everyday. –Elisa Carbajal (Junior Camper)

At camp one of the best activities that strays from the norm is archery. Archery is a cool sport to learn and once learned is a fun thing you can brag to your friends about. –George Potterton (Senior Camper)

What is clear from reading these reflections from our campers is how much they value and respect the craft of archery. Archery is ultimately a sport where you are competing against yourself. Each day campers return to challenge the score they accomplished the day before. This self-motivation and focus is a skill set, that we as a camp, are proud of helping our campers develop.

We hope YOU will sign up for archery in the summer of 2016!