Why All Children Should Give Archery A Try

We can all reflect back upon the days of our youth, and fondly recall those activities which brought us joy. As children, our worlds revolved around our favorite pastimes, which kept us entertained as the days, weeks, and months passed by.

Children today are no different, and much of their existence centers around favorite sources of entertainment. For an ever-growing number of children, archery has become high on the list of enjoyable activities with which to fill an afternoon. If your child has not yet been introduced to archery, there is no better time than the present. 

There are several reasons why all children should give archery a try. These principles are universal and apply to any child, no matter their age.

No Better Teacher Of Patience

Anyone who has ever been in the company of a child is likely aware that patience is not typically their strong suit. However, patience is a virtue that we all must acquire in order to be successful in life. Why not allow your child to learn this trait, while having fun in doing so? 

Archery, at its very core, centers around patience. You must remain patient in your practice, as success does not come overnight. Taking your time and methodically controlling your breathing is another key point of archery. Even bowhunters must remain patient when waiting for the right shot to present itself when in the field.

Children who regularly take part in any form of archery quickly discover the value of remaining patient, and the calm nature of any archer naturally bleeds over to other segments of their day to day life. This alone makes archery a worthy endeavor for every child.

Promotes Time Spent Outdoors

We live in an ultra-modern age, where video games and television captivate the minds of our youth. This leaves many adults struggling to understand why our children would rather stay inside, than take in the fresh sunshine of a beautiful day. Archery can quickly and efficiently solve this problem, by presenting children with a new source of outdoor enjoyment.

Archery can be quite addicting. Once you start shooting, you cannot help but to long for your next chance to send arrows downrange. This is the best kind of addiction to have, as kids who are hooked on archery will no longer have to be pleaded with to abandon their electronics and come outside. Instead, you will likely have to wait on the sun to set to get them to come indoors.

Builds Additional Relationships

As archery continues to grow in popularity, children across the world are finding common ground in their love for this sport. In fact, it is fairly common for a single neighborhood to be home to more than one youth archer. This gives these children a chance to get together for practice and a little friendly competition.

Many schools today now participate in the Archery in the Schools program. Schools that take part in this program have their own archery teams, which compete in sanctioned archery events within their region. Children have the opportunity to progress through various levels of competition in a tournament like setting. 

These competitions teach children social skills and principles of team unity, which they can use in their adult life when in the workplace. Children are also allowed the opportunity to form lifelong friendships with their fellow archers.

Keeps Children Out of Trouble

It seems that with every passing generation, children are exposed to more and more temptations that have the potential to lead them astray in life. In today’s world, growing up is not always easy, and any activity that distracts a child, especially those in their teenage years, from life’s temptations, is something worth pursuing.

Archery is all-encompassing. Those that begin shooting a bow generally grow more deeply involved in the sport with every passing week. What starts as casually practicing with your new bow several times a week, becomes a healthy obsession toward mastering your craft. This keeps a child’s mind engaged in positivity, instead of negative influence.

This generally has a lasting effect on children, as archery is not an activity that one easily grows bored with. This stems from the fact that there are so many abundant and diverse ways to pursue archery as a hobby. A young archer can choose to shoot in target competitions or can take up bowhunting. Some archers even choose to do both simultaneously.

Learning a Way to Provide

While not all archers are bowhunters, many do choose to take their endeavors to the next level by pitting their archery prowess against the wary game of our wildlands. Bowhunting is not only exhilarating and highly enjoyable, but is an excellent way of providing food for the table. Game meat is typically low in fat and high in protein, making it an excellent source of nutrition. 

Being able to successfully hunt and harvest game is a wonderful skill to have, and can prove to be beneficial later in life. We all hope for our children to grow up, get married, and have children of their own. Bowhunting provides a parent with a way to ensure that their children are always fed, even in the event that financial hardship stifles the family budget.

A single deer can provide a family of four with enough meat to survive for several weeks, and it does not take long to stock your freezer to a level that provides insurance against hard times. Those that can accurately shoot a bow will never go hungry.

A Sport For Every Child

Perhaps the most valuable characteristic of archery, is that it is a sport that excludes no one, including children. If your child has never shot a bow, ask them if they would like to give archery a try. They will likely find archery to be their new favorite hobby and will quickly benefit from all of these wonderful advantages.