Not everyone can or desires to play team sports like football or basketball.
Those who do usually only play for a short time. Few people get athletic scholarships to universities and fewer become pros.
However, anybody with reasonable arm and back strength can shoot a bow and enjoy archery for the rest of their lives. Just like in other sports, students involved in the Archery In Mississippi Schools program represent their schools in competitive events. Some earn scholarships to shoot for university teams.
“The AIMS program does really great for kids who can’t or don’t want to play traditional sports,” Dennis Adams, owner and head coach of the Mississippi Archery Academy in Pearl, said. “In Mississippi, archery is one of the fastest growing sports. In 2023, about 16,000 Mississippi students participated in state archery events.”
Under the aegis of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, AIMS (www.mdwfp.com/aims/) introduces students from 4th to 12th grade to archery. More than 500 Mississippi schools participate. Most schools give participating students physical education credits.
To get into archery, Adams recommends getting a Genesis compound bow, the same type used by many schools in the AIMS program. A beginner bow costs about $150 to $200. Add a few arrows and a quiver to hold them, archers can begin shooting for about $300. Then, take a few lessons from an experienced archer.
“We offer introductory archery lessons for free,” Adams said. “A good beginner lesson is always essential for people trying to get into archery, so they understand the physical and mechanical basics of how a bow operates and how to shoot it correctly. We take children as young as 6 or 7 years old. We also have retired people in their 60s who want something fun to do shooting with us.”
Once they make their initial investment in equipment, archers can shoot all they want almost anywhere for nothing. Most people can’t fire high-powered firearms in their backyards. Archers can shoot in their backyards without disturbing or terrifying their neighbors. People can also shoot indoors in large buildings. Just make sure to use a good backstop to stop wayward arrows.
Shooting targets alone in the backyard could get monotonous even for the most ardent archers. Therefore, many archers enjoy entering tournaments. In many tournaments, archers shoot at life-size three-dimensional targets representing deer, hogs, or other game. Clubs throughout Mississippi periodically hold 3-D events where archers at various skill levels can compete. In some tournaments, top archers advance to higher levels of state, regional, or even national competition.
“From February through late summer, there’s usually a 3-D archery shoot somewhere in Mississippi just about every weekend,” Adams said. “Not only fun, these events sharpen skills for people who want to hunt with a bow because they shoot at targets in stimulated hunting situations.”
People interested in archery might want to join a local club or the Archery Shooters Association — asaarchery.com. For information on the Mississippi Archery Academy, visit mississippiarcheryacademy.com or call 601-500-2670.
