Sports Journal: Archery

About three years ago, I joined my local my local 4H archery team. I wanted to participate in a sport for my high school physical education credits, but I didn’t want to join a competitive sports team. When I learned about archery, it seemed like the perfect sport for me. 

4H archery lasts all school year, with a fall season for indoor archery and a spring season for outdoor archery. To join the team, you need to find a local 4H extension with an archery team and join that 4H program. 

It is not always required that you own all the necessary equipment when you join, however, some teams recommend that you buy your own arm guard and glove after a few weeks, and a bow and arrows after the first year. For archers 12 and under, it is recommended that beginners use a Genesis bow, because they are relatively cheap, and the weight is easy to adjust. For smaller archers, a Genesis Mini might be a better choice. Genesis bows are often sold in good used condition, they are often quickly outgrown. 

With my archery team, we attend four competitions every year: two county competitions and two state competitions. Competitions are optional but recommended, because they give you the opportunity to meet with other archers from around the state, which is fun. 

I enjoy archery, because it is not a very competitive sport and other peoples’ scores don’t affect my own performance. Although I attend every competition I can, I don’t need to compete against other archers, because the goal of archery is to improve your own performance, not necessarily to out-score your opponents. 

-Abigail Harrison, February 2026