Shoot your shot: Georgetown Archery transitions from sport to club

Shoot Your Shot: Georgetown Archery Transitions from Sport to Club

By TYLER EVANS Staff Writer

Archery is one of the most popular sports in the world, especially in good old Kentucky. Since the dawn of time people have used bows and arrows to obtain food for their families or to win wars, but now it is one of the fastest growing competition sports around.

Two years ago, Georgetown made archery a competitive sport on our campus, supplying the newly-formed team with uniforms, rides to competitions, individual member scholarships and a practice location. Team members simply had to provide their own bows, arrows, and, of course, commitment.

I not only shoot competitively, but I also hunt using a bow and arrows as a way to help carry on a family tradition. As someone who has been shooting a bow since I was twelve years old, I was excited to find a college that would provide financial compensation for a sport I love.

Having an archery team here on campus made it feel more like home, as archery really is a little piece of home for me.

I quickly signed up for the team last year as a freshmen ready for plenty of new experiences and wonderful teammates that eventually became friends. As a team, we enjoyed competitive shooting in a wide range of places, from Cumberland Falls, Kentucky to Foley, Alabama.

Recently, however, necessary budgeting for the college and a redistribution of funds led to the decision by the campus to end archery as a campus sports team. Upon hearing this news, it initially felt as though a part of Georgetown that I loved was vanishing right before my eyes.

Once I arrived on campus, though, I soon learned that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Rather than disappearing altogether, archery is making the transition from a sport to a club, which means there is still plenty of opportunity for those on campus that are interested in archery to make connections.

Though many may view this as a “downgrade,” the truth is that this transition will greatly help everyone involved and those who wish to become involved.

As a club, archery will have less strenuous scheduling, commitment and requirements from members. I am sure many of you can relate to the idea that although there are plenty of things here on campus that I enjoy, such as being a member of the band and part of the Maskrafters, some things just don’t fit into my schedule.

As a club, rather than a sport, archery allows for a more free-flowing sense of involvement and community, so this strain on schedules is virtually gone now for those wishing to join.

If anyone else hopes to become involved in an engaging, interesting and entertaining club here on campus, shoot your shot and ask around for the Archery Club. Or, email me using my student email.