Disappearing beginners

[Jimster71]

Our club is quite happy to let beginners use club bows until they get their own equipment. It is encouraged that they do get their own equipment when they are comfortable so they can get used to the specifics of what they own.

I bought my own tab, armguard and quiver pretty soon after joining but used the club bows for a good month or more before I bought my own kit.

[General Dogs]

Our club is also happy to allow beginners to continue to borrow the trainer bows until such time as they feel ready to empty their bank accounts over a shiny new bit of metalwork.

The downside however is that numbers at the club are on the up and when you also take into account the various 'have a go shoots' and other beginners sessions it soon becomes apparent that borrowing a club bow is not as practical as it sounds......

I was fortunate in that I was able to borrow a bow for a couple of months before striking lucky on a second hand recurve & limbs, thereby obtaining a bow that I could not easily have afforded brand new. I continued with club arrows for a while before buying my own (what a difference that made!!!) and then upgraded the sight when a second hand one became available.

The cost of kit, coupled with the club and GNAS fees - all coming together at once can easily put off beginners from taking up the sport. Especially if there are a number of children involved as well.

[napolienne]

As well as the trainer bows (free to use for as long as you like) we have a number of club owned GMs that we rent out to people off the beginner's course for a full year. If, at the end of the year, they decide to buy the bow, the rental money is knocked off the price and the money is used to buy a new bow for rental. Scheme is only into its second year but seems to be functioning well. Beginners (on a course in october/november)have to advance fairly rapidly in a university club if they are going to cope with the long distance tournaments by May/June (BUSA, Varsity). This way they get the better kit to help with that without breaking the bank.

[General Dogs]

Originally Posted by napolienne

As well as the trainer bows (free to use for as long as you like) we have a number of club owned GMs that we rent out to people off the beginner's course for a full year. If, at the end of the year, they decide to buy the bow, the rental money is knocked off the price and the money is used to buy a new bow for rental. Scheme is only into its second year but seems to be functioning well.

That strikes me as a pretty good idea, as some of the beginners / training bows at our club have seen better days!

[john rowland]

Originally Posted by chemistry

As a beginner (or rather, someone who had a 10 year holiday from the sport!), I'd humbly suggest the following.

After the beginners course finishes, let people use club kit for a couple of months, then arrange a club day where club members can offer up old kit for trial/sale and people can ask questions about what kit they might want to buy. Ideally then arrange a joint trip to the nearest archery shop. Whole idea being not to lose people because they are too scared to buy a bow from some unknown person on ebay or an archery shop where they think they will feel silly.

A few months after that I'd suggest a second day, to go through basic tuning and accessories they migt want to consider, such as long rods, whatever. Perhaps a bit of informal coaching from some of the clubs top shots (as much as anything to get everyone talking - I realise coaching is a different skill, I'm just talking about some friendly advice here really).

Then a year in, some sort of club shoot for that year's new 'intake'.

Finally, get peopls's details and if you notice they stop coming give them a ring or drop them an email to ask why - maybe that's all they need to restart their interest!

Good luck.

I think that is a very good arangment , i will put that idear to our committee John

[chemistry]

Originally Posted by john rowland

I think that is a very good arangment , i will put that idear to our committee John

John,

Kind of you to say so, I hope it works for you - let me know if it is a sucess!

I do think the key is that support tends to fall away from people once the beginners course is over. That's then exacerbated by the fact that once you move from a trainer bow, the 'real thing' looks awfully complicated and peopel fret about wasting money (most people I came across were terrified they would get limbs that were too light/heavy, but in many cases that could be addressed very easily just by pointing out that adjustments of up to 10% can be made...)

I do think that having a session a few weeks after the beginners course where willing club members bring their (old?) kit for people to try/buy would be really valuable. So, take that trainer bow and add a long rod and see the difference. Put together an ILF bow. Pull a 30lb or 40lb bow and see what that feels like. Try a finger sling.

That way some of the mystery would disappear, people could buy kit from club members willing to sell (gaining the reassurance of knowing it's background) or would have the confidence to try then buy from a shop.

Added to that, dropping lapsed mebers an email to make them feel loved couldn't hurt - maybe they just think they will have forgotten too much and just need gentle reassurance that they are welcome back.

chemistry

[phil_r_58]

HI all,

Been watching this thread for ages. I agree about lots of coaching, encouragement, club competitions for beginners etc.

But especially for kids, they get bored easily, we used to have little fun sessions at the end of coaching and practise. One was to get 2 lots of balloons, like red and blue. Pin an equal number on each bale. Split the kids/adults into 2 evenly matched teams, the winners pop their balloons first. Of course, a bad shot is going to pop the rivals balloons. Did I say kids love it?, funny. plenty of the adults ended up joining in. One tip, put a teaspoon of talc in the balloons. Big cloud on bursting. We had archery darts faces as well, especially popular with the adult beginners, make it fun, lots of cheering on.

I don't agree with the 'leave it all to the coaches, its their job' thats Cr*p IMHO. Having a club is expensive, we need new members to keep coming in and stay to keep the club viable.

We used to devote the first 40 Min's of the indoors in winter or outdoor evenings to the beginners, they shot, we all teamed up with them and helped them out.

And you top archers in the club, the ones who the lower shooters look up to in awe, especially the kids. OK you are practising for the county champs, but as above, without the lower members fees, your club will go bust, then nowhere to practise for you. Use your status as a tool for good, its free and rewarding.

Imagine what its like for some young kid or adult learner for you to sit behind him/her for a few minutes. How do you think he or she will feel if you watch them and praise them in front of everybody? Any tips or little bits of advice will mean a lot to them. All it takes is for you to give a few minutes of time.

It's not anyones job to help newbies, its EVERY BODIES job IMHO.

[Florence]

Originally Posted by phil_r_58

HI all,

And you top archers in the club, the ones who the lower shooters look up to in awe, especially the kids. OK you are practising for the county champs, but as above, without the lower members fees, your club will go bust, then nowhere to practise for you. Use your status as a tool for good, its free and rewarding.

Couldn't agree more, but some people can be very shortsighted and frankly, selfish. Presumably even the top bods had to have help from other top bods at the early stages of their archery career.

[phil_r_58]

Originally Posted by Florence

Couldn't agree more, but some people can be very shortsighted and frankly, selfish. Presumably even the top bods had to have help from other top bods at the early stages of their archery career.

Depends what you call top shots though, we had a few.
Dave Till, the clubs founder, once European re-curve champion,
Mike Houghton, 7 times European champ, twice world champ, once National champ (compound U/l),
Joan Green, world and European ladies re-curve champ,
Mark Hamilton, European champ (compound u/l),
Jez Wilson world, European and national junior champ, (compound u/l),
Martin Coe, Junior European silver medal and National champ.
And of course Chris Jones of merlin, too many medals to remember.

I was always a bridesmaid, just out of the medals. Although Mike, Chris Jones, Dave till & myself won the national open club team once.

Every one of the archers above would always give a little time to anybody, new or improver. Interestingly, all the archers under Dave and Mike in the above paragraph were introduced and trained by them. Thats what top shots can do to the lower archers, pull them along in their wake. If they make the time.

In essence, our club had 2 top shots, who then produced a crop of top archers from beginners.

Sadly, in the last few years the club stopped looking outwards, became unfriendly to beginners. Membership dwindled to the point that the club could not afford the rent and running costs. It is now dead and gone.

[chemistry]

Originally Posted by Florence

Couldn't agree more, but some people can be very shortsighted and frankly, selfish. Presumably even the top bods had to have help from other top bods at the early stages of their archery career.

Can I add that the archery etiquette trotted out that "It is rude to offer help unless an archer ask for it.." isn't helpful in the case of beginners improvers.

The top shots presumably abide by the etiquette and so don't offer advice to beginners/improvers who would welcome it (but I suspect don't like to ask for fear of 'disturbing' them).

I suggest that the way round this is to encourage the top archers in each club to go up and ask the less experienced ones if they would like some help (rather than offering advice in the first instance), thereby breaking the cycle...

chemistry