Archery in the Dayton region: Ranges and classes to check out

Archery made its Olympic debut in Paris in 1900 and was contested regularly through 1920 before a 52-year hiatus. It was reintroduced for the Munich games in 1972 and has been a mainstay in the Olympic program ever since. Olympic archery consists of five events — individual competitions for men and women, team competitions for men and women, and a mixed team competition. The United States won two medals in Paris — a silver and a bronze.

Olympic athletes, however, aren’t the only ones who can take aim at the targets.

“We jokingly say it’s for anyone from 9 to 90,” Cline said. “We’ve worked with kids as young as 6 years old and we’ve seen 86 and 87-year-old archers in tournaments.”

Archery basics

One of the oldest sports still practiced today, the first recorded archery tournaments took place in China during the Zhou dynasty (1027‑256 BC).

Targets measure 48 inches in diameter and are positioned 230 feet from the archers who attempt to shoot their arrows as close to the center of the target as possible. Olympic competitors use the familiar recurve bow. The shaft of the arrows can be made of a variety of materials including wood, fiberglass, aluminum or carbon.

Beginners, however, usually don’t need to be bogged down with the technical aspects of the sport if they are taking an introductory course. Some local recreation centers, outdoor clubs and specialized facilities like HotShots offer beginner classes.

“We offer a five-week intro to archery class, and we provide all of the equipment,” Cline said. “All ages and all sizes, everyone can do it.”

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources also offers an interactive online introduction to archery learning module at https://ohiodnr.gov.

Archery benefits

While some archers thrive on competition, it’s not titles or hardware that Cline sees as the biggest perk of the sport.

“One of the major benefits is that it’s such a confidence booster,” he said. “You see yourself getting better and that’s such a great feeling – the idea that practice makes progress.”

And unlike some sports, archers don’t have to be the most physically dominant athletes.

“I’m a very logical, technical type person and that’s perfect for archery,” Cline said. “For those who aren’t super athletic — people who don’t want to run a 5K — archery is a sport they can enjoy and excel at.”

While self-reliance is another benefit of the sport, archery also offers camaraderie as there are leagues and teams for those who want to delve deeper into the sport.

“It’s you and the target, but you can also have a team to celebrate with you or console you,” Cline said.

Local archery ranges