A Day In The Life Of An Archer

To say that shooting archery is an amazing past time for me would be an understatement. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could ever love a sport so much. Don’t get me wrong, I played sports in school, and I love watching college football more than the average gal, but there is something about archery that sets the bar. The day my husband bought me my first bow, I never thought I would go as far as I have with archery. All of this is the foundation that started the day in the life of an archer.

I have been very blessed over the years and have met some of my best friends who I now feel are family.

Many years ago, I joined Shoot Like a Girl as a staff member. We empower women and their families to participate in archery and all of the shooting sports. I have had the privilege of traveling all over the United States teaching archery instruction. The experience of watching a first-time archer fire their first shot with a bow never gets old, and I look forward to each and every trip.

A typical day in the life of an archer starts with the gym and while I despise it sometimes, I need to be in good physical condition to perform my best at tournaments. Then it is time to go to work at my regular job, for which I am very thankful. My work family knows how important archery is to me and are very understanding and supportive of my sport. Once work is over, it’s time to get home and practice. My husband and I both shoot in classes requiring us to judge target distances prior to shooting. We are not allowed to use rangefinders on the range during a national tournament, so practicing range estimation is important. Once we are done at the range, we get a bite of dinner and get ready for bed. Then it is rinse and repeat the next day.

Now it’s time for the big show, aka a national tournament. Most days this is where all your arduous work pays off, a day in the life of an archer. I wish I could say that every tournament I came out on top, but then every other archer has the same goal. It is simply not true. We all try to preform to the best of our abilities, sometimes our best isn’t quite good enough to come home with the win. As with any sport, you will have days like this.

You have to learn to take the good with the bad and learn to accept some days just aren’t yours, a day in the life of an archer.

Everyone tries to be a good sport and tell those on the podium, a huge congratulations, even though sometimes I really feel like crawling in a hole and rethinking my life choices. My sweet daddy would always tell me if I was hurt “Rub some dirt on it, you’ll be alright.” I believe what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, giving me the drive to do better.

The more I shoot, the more I want to learn and to share my experiences others.

Whether it is about fletching arrows, tying in a peep sight, or changing out mods on my bow, I like being hands on. The internet is a great resource and is full of knowledge for an archer. There are many YouTube channels and pod casts by professional archers as well as hunters offering wonderful insight and tips to upcoming archers. It is a terrific way to get other opinions, especially if a technique isn’t working out for you. Just because I like a thumb button release doesn’t mean that everyone will like one. You really have to find out what works best for you and grow from there.

This is all about the day in the life of an archer.

Looking back on younger me, telling me that I would be where I am today with archery. I would have called myself crazy. That still may be true today, as I am crazy about archery.

Are you interested in learning more about Archery? Read this article to learn more, Archery Pro Tip, by Debi Martin.