Josh Smith on Why He Competes in Archery

The first time I saw the Olympics on TV I was amazed by the athletes talent and dedication, and I knew that was something I wanted to do.
When I started archery I just did it for fun, but after a few tournaments I realized I enjoyed competing
and wanted to take it to the next level.  [...]

Tyler Schardt: The Conference

The mattress is warm, comfortable, and soft.  Smooth in every way, a perfect den enveloping your body.  Inky black conceals the room’s features.  The blinds cut out all light from the outside making 4:00AM look just like 10:00AM, just like a hotel room.  You could sleep all day.  Your body screams for rest, it’s [...]

Kristin Braun: Making the World Team at 18

About making the team at such a young age…..
When asked to write about making the US World Team at such a young age, I was at first puzzled. Was I really that young? Does my age make such a difference?
Going into the tournament, I felt like I had lost my rhythm, I couldn’t find the [...]

Emily Blake: From Dreams to Teams

I started archery when I was 8 years old. We shot at balloons during a girl scout outing, and decided to sign up for lessons. After one year in JOAD, I made the Vermont Junior Archers Road Team. We traveled around New England for regional tournaments and such.  It was the beginning [...]

Heather Koehl: World Team Trials and Beyond

The moment my last arrow flew, I knew that I was in the top four for finishing the World Trials. I had worked my way up from 6th place and didn’t know how far I had climbed the ranks. Having to trust in some form changes only a day before was very hard on [...]

Jake Kaminsky: Thoughts on Breaking the 1300 Barrier

Now, many people would be absolutely ecstatic about shooting over a 1300 in competition. This used to be a standard score to shoot for to be internationally competitive as an archer.
Just like everything else times have changed and so have the scores to be competing with the best of the best. I would say that [...]