How long to GB?

[wanshu]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

do you think someone can pick up a bow, be taught the principles, shoot everyday or most days because they dont have to go to work. and under their own steam. with no real coaching. shoot for GB in 18months...

pete

Anything is possible and we should never discount the occasional special individual with a natural talents for archery. Archers who come along and shoot better than everyone else with minimal coaching. Like Ducks to water so to speak.

I actually hate putting people into time-frame boxes that state they can only achieve it in X time. We are all individuals and I feel that archers should always strive to help those with natural ability to reach their potential at whatever rate suits them. Most of us have something to offer. Not just coaches. Good guidance and good relevant information is always helpful no matter who it comes from. IMHO it's a good attitude to have in helping anyone achieve.

I believe that our own experiences of how long it takes to reach a good standard are only relelvant to us and should never be forced onto others, it's not an apprenticeship after all.
Wendy, Archery Mum is a classic example of what can be achieved in a short time. I think that Wendy has shown everyone that with good focus and dilligent practice plus time for GOOD practice....plus I'm sure a there is bit of magic in there too. The time frame from beginner to GB team can be shortened greatly as above.

[Shirt]

Where's Mr Womack?

Under 6 years from start, fair bit of coaching towards the end.

[Watch_Man]

Originally Posted by WhitehartFB

It's probably one thing getting the qualifying scores to compete for shoot off places yet harder to actually break in to the squad because of a lack of experience under these testing conditions.

That is exactly what Wendy found at the GB qualifying. It was totally new to her and she had never even done a Head 2 Head before. However what she learnt at the GB Quali's she was able to take to the National Indoors.

Until you have actually had to compete in the H2H high pressure situation I don't think you will know if you will be able to shoot at the highest level as a member of GBR.

[Robin the Hood]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

do you think someone can pick up a bow, be taught the principles, shoot everyday or most days because they dont have to go to work. and under their own steam. with no real coaching. shoot for GB in 18months...

pete

Have you been laid off Pete?.........
Are you hallucinating again?.........
WOW! that's some dream.....

Paul...

[Little Miss Purple]

Originally Posted by Yorker

It depends on the archer, the coach, everything. There is only so much you can take on and only so much you can do in a set time.
The archer would need to be able to learn very fast, adapt very fast, be in physically exceptional health with a large amount of GPP and strength already present.

Then the coach would have to have the ability to teach them at this rate and be able to take them all the way from day 1 to olympic tryout day.

Probability... very very low.

the question was....with little coaching

[bkupris]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

do you think someone can pick up a bow, be taught the principles, shoot everyday or most days because they dont have to go to work. and under their own steam. with no real coaching. shoot for GB in 18months...

pete

Nothings impossible but that would be one hell of an accomplishment! I would ask that person to please lay their hands on me

[not dead yet]

Originally Posted by bimble

Geena Davies (oscar winning actress) thought archery looked cool, took it up in '97 and tried out in '99 for the US olympic team. New York Times However, she hired one of the top coaches to train her and practiced six days a week. I seem to recall that she stipulated in her movie contracts that here had to be an area where she could practice on set!!

She had time and money and dediacation but was still unable to make the Syndey Olympics.

the man who coached her was don rabska, and she didn't hire him...

she lost out by a few points nothing more

[not dead yet]

watchman ...wendy had a proffessional coach.
so that doesn't count.

i will tell the story on sat.night on this thread.

i t galls me but ....i'll tell you then

compound outdoor target when we were on small ten in early 90's

[Robin the Hood]

I think I would have to go along with saying 'It is not impossible'.
But, it would take someone who would have to be quite bright and have had a good acheivement in another sport.
Archery is such a technical dependant sport, where the understanding of everything being done shooting the arrow, is as important to the result as carrying out the precision to repeat it every time.
To try and explain this , let's go the other way. We as archers know from experience that very often the problem lies in something so simple, but trying to cure it is difficult due to the fact that it has become so habitual.
If suddenly we got asked to take up say, 'Golf' with the intension of making the mark within 2 years, maybe we would be slightly wiser in the basics, knowing the importance of them having learned from archery.
So!.... Yes!..... ... I think it possible, under the right circumstances...

Paul....

[worthipa]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

(Geena Davis) - she lost out by a few points nothing more

Actually she shot a 1082 and finished 24th out of 28 and was eliminated in the first round.

Karen Scavotto ended the day in first place with a 1,287, 205 more than Davis. Jessica Carlson was second with 1,279 points and Denise Parker was third with 1,255.