Bridging the gap

[Marcus]

At DVA the experiance we have with juniors is

* Mum rings up, with a 10 year old chomping at the bit
* We put child through course
* If the kid likes it they want to join and shoot
* They buy gear, come down for Jr Development and that's as far as they go.

So how do we get juniors from shooting at 20m to progressing to shooting comps. Our retention rate of juniors is to tournament level is microscopic, yet our club is doing well in this regards in Victoria.

Any suggestions?

[Mark]

Marcus

What type of support/encouragement is there to progress beyong the first stage ?? What age group are you taking about aside from "10" ? Generally younger or moving up to teens ?? Is your dedicated junior shooting time spent shooting Target week by week ?? How do you break it up??

Lots of questions, I know, but as I don't know your club I'd like some info befoe I shoot my mouth off

Mark

[Marcus]

More of an in general question rather than specific to my club. Most clubs have plenty of juniors but one or two that attend tournaments. How do we change that?

[Mark]

Reason for asking the questions is that I've been out of the club and Juniors scene for ages.

I suppose I should be asking - how are they introduced to competition and encouraged to compete (or at least participate in) tourneys ?? Do you have club based junior only tournaments - maybe based on aged where eveyone that participates wins a prize but the best scores are awarded medals ?? Not sure how political correctness weighs into this nowadays, but teaching the thrill of participation and a win did it in my day. After all tournaments are about competing and, whilst you can't scare of the juniors (I'm talking young not teens) from competing by the thought of losing, they need to know the thrill of the win - maybe teams against teams ??

I'm interested to know what the shift in junior competition has done over the years.

Mark

[PKF]

AT a number of Junior Tournaments all juniors who compete get some sort of recognition for competing. It may only be a certificate of participation but it is enough to keep them interested in competing again.

They should also be aware that they are setting a personal bets at the tournament. So the next time they compete they should strive to bet their best.

This system is used at our club with handicapping. It keeps you on your toes and makes you do your best every time you shoot.


ArcheryNSW has also setup a Junior State squad. Juniors register for the squad and are entitled to wear the State Squad shirt at events. Therefore becoming part of something much bigger that the clubs. There are Junior days set out on next years calendar where they can go to shoot and meet others. Some of the events are registered qualifying tournaments to qualify for the State Team.

[Keith Gaisford]

Great to see some forum on Junior retention.
In the Baldivis Club WA. We had few Juniors. An enterprising Father suggested a SPECIAL Junior Sat Morning Club.
Rather than do it for next to nothing the fee was set at $12.50 a day.
Day starts 9.30 finishes 12.00 We have 10 to 12 Juniors. Age from 8 upwards. Must have Parents attend.
2 Level One Coaches, who get paid. 4 weeks initial tuition, then into the OZ BOW Program. Progressive distances under coaching supervision.
Certificates of achievenmnet at each distance.
All equipment supplied. They can purchase equipment anytime after the 4 weeks but can keep using Club Gear for the full term of 24 weeks.
After 24 weeks their surplus fees are rolled over to full club fees and they join in with the Junior Program with the adults on Saturday afternoon.
Parents who come with the kids can also join in lessons at $15.00 per.
There are 3 Junior Tournaments run for the Juniors at 3 different Club Venues thru' the year. All are invited and shoot in categories to shoot the time of participation or classification. The new members can borrow Club Gear.
The senior Club Coaches take over when the kids move into the afternoon club. Some of the enthusiastic juniors shoot in the Wed night indoor.

Our club has grown since this program. Junior & Senior from 30 to approx 55.
Mr Gee

[Kuru]

I'd like to see new juniors teamed up with other members of the club that can help them with form and answering questions, basically a buddy system could work out really good. How often do kids who really want to get into shooting stand there at 20/30 meters spraying arrows by themselves because everyone else is at the 70 meter line, I'm guessing they would get pretty bored. Having a junior development officer at each club who can co-ordinate fun and interesting things for the kids to do will do wonders and by putting in the ground work I think it would be just a pregression thing getting them into comps. But number 1 thing clubs need to learn is kids ain't dumb, don't treat them as if they are ! They are the future of the sport so put the effort in to help them out. There are a few clubs in melbourne where the eh so called elite well they like to think so anyhow :lol: and tend to stick together in their little kliq and do whatever they want and screw helping out the kids and beginners

[Mark]

Gareth

I've got to agree with that. The day I started shooting with a couple of seniors on a regular basis was when interest and ability started climbing. Whilst there was no coaching per se it did give me a boost in confidence, and I guess you pick things up by watching and imitating at a junior level. A buddy system where you get the experience and the coaching (even if it is pretty light weight) would be a huge boost and possibly give them the legup into regular competitive shooting.

Can I say, from experience - the "clique" element must be avoided AT ALL COSTS AS IT KILLS THE EXPERIENCE. No elitism and exclusions where juniors are concerned. Welcome them, encourage them, coach them, improve them and make sure they see the enjoyment of participation. They are, as you said, the future of the sport and none of us should forget it.

Mark

[REIDY]

Gareth & Mark,

I am a strong supporter of junior archery for exactly the reasons that you have noted above. I have been doing archery myself for about 3-4 years and find myself increasingly trying to help out both juniors and new seniors at club level with fairly little real experience myself to draw on.

I have long thought that there is a large clique in archery circle and as you say, elitism seems to exist. I don't think that this is in anyway a deliberate thing and it occurs to me that archery has a unique situation in that archers can compete at a higher level for longer periods of time than traditional sports. In other sports participants have reached their highest possible level by their mid thirties and thereafter they seem to become involved in the training of the next age group to follow on from them. In archery this doesn't seem to exist as it is not unusual for the best archers to be at the top well into their 50's and probably 60's.

It is not by any means wrong for these experienced people to be still striving to achieve their best, but it takes them out of the day to day procedings at club level and this can be construed as being almost snobish.

I do agree though that juniors should be developed at club level (and probably state and national level) by people who are dedicated to the promotion of junior archery and not necessarily those that are concerned with trying to maintain these high levels of competition for themselves.

[rooster]

Marcus you should have a word with Warren Smith from the Sunshine Coast archery Club,he shall be at the Jnr Nats in Sydney, there are 6 juniors going from the club, he has taken the jdp there from 0 to 38, and is on track for 100 in 2004,(yes thats junior members),he has papers and submissions,ideas etc which he no dout will share with you so he says. Good luck to all at Sydney,regards rooster.

[rooster]

Marcus I forgot about the fully sponserd people mover+trailer to take the kids to all the comps up here in sqas land,he's alsoput in a full shade cloth shooting linefor everyone, there are lots+lots things going on here anew sponsorship deal coming up I hear?. I'm sure your Dad and Peter King can tell you of the set up here,if you are serious about junior archery have a chat with Warren he has done wonders up here for the jdp far more than anyone else imho Rooster.

[Kuru]

Rooster this guy sounds great !

[rooster]

Mistake should be 7 juniors not 6 going from the SCAC.