On Monday, September 16th, the Emery Secondary archery club had its first meeting on the field. In the almost 100 years of Emery’s existence, nobody remembers there ever being an archery club or anything of the sort. Naturally, it brought excitement.
Twelve new archers stood in front of the instructor, Mr. Victor, as he taught them how to stand, aim, and fire. Before using the bow, they first had to use stretchy training bands to get a feel of the strength they had to use. Then, they stood in front of the foam targets, and one by one, shot their first arrow. One archer described it as “exhilarating,” and that they “felt different” while holding the bow.
Archery dates back to 20,000 BC, when ancient humans probably used it for hunting animals. Then, it became a weapon of warfare. With the arrival of gunpowder, however, the bow and arrow became a sport.
The first ever organized archery competition was held in Finsbury, England in 1583, consisting of 3,000 participants, although there is evidence of archery competitions taking place more than 3,000 years ago in Ancient China. Archery went on to become an Olympic sport in 1900, 1904, 1908, and 1920, before getting canceled on account of the rules being too varied across nations. However, it became an official part of the Olympics in 1972.
Archery is an important part of human history, and it wasn’t forgotten on the day of the first archery club meeting. According to Mr. Kibby, it has become human nature to find a target and shoot, just like our ancestors have for thousands of years. It was a survival skill. You just have to trust your own instincts, says Mr. Victor, and don’t take too much time focusing on the target.
And of course, this wouldn’t be a thing without the combined efforts of Mr. Kibby, Mr. Victor, and the archers of the Emery archery club. They are scheduled to meet in mid-October, along with the possibility of forming a team. With a team comes competitiveness, and competitiveness is the heart of school spirit.
Sources:
https://www.worldarchery.sport/sport/history
https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/sports/archery
https://ipv6.topendsports.com/sport/archery/history-competition.htm
