April update
Bank Holiday over and it’s been pretty much non-stop since!!
Popped over to Fakenham on Friday to see Steph Jackson before her TID at Lilleshall. Her shooting looks so sweet and relaxed it’s a joy to watch. From what I can gather the TID stuff went well and she should hear in a few weeks whether she gets on squad. There is a lot of potential there and certainly a name to look out for in the future. 2020 here we come. I only hope it’s somewhere hot.

Whilst I was there I had a chat to her dad, Andy, about his shooting as well. It looks really good and is working OK for him. Bit late in the day really (he was shooting at the Clophill FITA 720 the next day) but we had a quick chat about getting his alignment slightly better.
I just pointed out the basics without getting into too much detail and he PROMISED not to try anything before the tournament. The last thing you want to do is to change things the day before a shoot!!! But – being Andy, he shot the first round as normal for a 666 and then decided to try the new way.
Ended up with a new PB of 687, which isn’t bad for the first time with an altered technique.
Weather was apparently pretty bad on the Sunday which meant that scores were a 666 and a 660. Mind you – if your new technique in poor conditions gets you the same scores as the old one in good weather then it can’t be all bad.
Hopefully, with a bit of work Chris Whites record of 711 will be a real possibility.

Getting good alignment is really easy once you know how and can make a huge difference to your whole shot execution. I am sure it will help Andy push his scores higher and higher.

I also had a go with Andy`s L/Handed Monster – just for a giggle. I am R/Handed and with a short draw length like mine, it wasn’t exactly a perfect fit, and with such a short valley I was a bit overdrawn just to keep it over the cam. First shot at 70m was a 9 though (although I thought it should have been a 10, Jackson was not convinced – I can’t believe how competitive he is) I decided that one shot was all I wanted and thought that I should quit whilst I was ahead!!!

Journey home was not a quiet affair though. My new Business Mentor was bending my ear about all sorts of things. All really good stuff though and some positive ideas about improvements that could be made to the way I do things here at F+F HQ which, in turn, improves the service I can offer you.
It’s always a good idea to get someone else to look at what you do from time to time. Stops you getting stale and sometimes all you need is to look at things through a fresh pair of eyes.

Saturday was a bit of a strange one. Went out to buy some ribbon (don’t ask why) and came back with a washed and shiny car as well as a Blackberry. Only had it a couple of days and I really can’t see why I resisted for so long and how I did without it. All I need is a 5 year old to show me what all the buttons do!!

Saturday also brought news of our Para team out in the States shooting in the Arizona Cup. With a day of competition still to go, we had three gold, five silver and two bronze medals in the bag and probably some concern as to who would pay the excess baggage charges on all this metalwork!! Superb shooting and an excellent result from some truly great archers and some of the nicest people you could hope to meet. Well done to all of you.

Sunday saw me reprise my role as Hautbois technical adviser, this time looking at ways to make archery more fun and different from the usual activity centre experience. What I like about Hautbois, and especially the staff, is that they don’t rest on their laurels. They are constantly trying to improve everything they do.
Interestingly, archery is the activity that all the Hautbois clients want to do but is the one that most find the least satisfying. I suppose it is because most have done it before at various camps and it can get a bit “samey.” Doesn’t seem to matter how many different games or challenges you give them it all boils down to “stand here, do this, well done”
We now have some huge plans outlined which will hopefully see archery presented in a manner that appeals to the “Playstation Generation”
Can’t say too much at the moment but big things are afoot!!! Will keep you updated on this. It’s such an exciting project.

Monday heralded the start of a new and hectic week . First up was a Half-Term activity session arranged by the Borough Council. Real mix of ages and abilities but a good time was had by all and the winner of the “Closest to the Middle” competition was one of the lads who was convinced that he was not going to able to even hold the bow – let alone shoot it. He ended up as pleased as a pleased thing and took away his target face which had been signed by all the participants. Hopefully another convert to the noble art of Toxophilly.

Second session, back at Denes High, was a holiday club group. With ages ranging from 5 to 12 it was a fun but quite noisy session. I am not sure who had more fun, the kids, the staff or the coaches! They all went away having had a great time and with their Feathers and Fletchings badges clutched tightly in their hands.

A quick break for tea and cake before the first of the Optua disability group sessions. 11 students, all with various degrees of disability, learning difficulties and sensory impairments. Most had never been given the chance to hold a bow, let alone shoot an arrow so the first part of the session was, for me, just an assessment of their varying levels of ability. The trick here is to focus on what the participants CAN do rather than what they CANNOT. Once you have that sussed the rest is easy.
Within 15 minutes we had all 11 on the shooting line at once, all having fun and all hitting the target with varying degrees of success.
OK – so the majority of techniques were not what you would call “textbook” but actually, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they tried and experienced something new and different. Something that made them smile (as archery should)
I absolutely love these sessions. There is just something about the sheer unbounded joy and enthusiasm for life that these Optua groups display that makes me feel privileged to do what I do.
If this had to be the last group I ever worked with I don’t think it would bother me. Why can’t everyday be like this??
Can’t wait for next week now.

I think the parents and carers were more nervous than the students but after a couple of ends everyone relaxed into it. It was strange to see that as soon as the parents relaxed, the participants relaxed as well.
I have noticed this before at some tournaments. Non shooting parents will, on occasions, stand behind their offspring showing signs of nerves, frustration, and panic etc. The kids pick up on this and they themselves feel nervous.
If children are unsure about something they will often turn to their parents or other adult they respect for guidance and reassurance. If they see that the parents are concerned, they feel that there is something to be concerned about. If they see happy, smiling parents then everything must be alright then mustn’t it.

Coach Hoods helpful hint to Parents Number 1. At a tournament, your child is safe, secure and doing something they enjoy with friends and likeminded people their own age. Leave them to it. Go to the back of the tent line and read a good book. Be there for them by all means and if they look back at you for help, advice and reassurance then all you need to do is smile at them. That’s all they need. They trust you enough to see that if you are enjoying it, then they can as well.

I spoke to USA archer Matt Clelland a couple of years ago and he told us that he gets kids as young as 10 shooting compound with back tension releases. This elicited gasps and panicky faces from the assembled throng (well, the four of us). How could you teach kids to use something as “dangerous” as a BT release aid? What if they drew up wrong and it went off. What about the red runny noses and split lips that can result if these things go off at half draw? Surely you need to know how to shoot with a “safer” type of release before moving onto a BT?
Matt went on to explain that actually, kids only see things as dangerous because we, the adults they trust, tell them things are dangerous. If we teach them correctly from the start and tell them things are fine – then that’s what they believe.

Anyway, Optua over it was time for the Junior Club session. Not many in this week (Easter school break so I assume a lot are away with family etc). This did give us the opportunity to work a bit more closely with a couple of the archers techniques. Only small modifications – nothing too big and scary for them. Set them small goals that they (and their parents) can self monitor. Things like trying to keep the bow arm up for a certain number of shots out of 12. That sort of thing. It is then quite easy for them to see the progress they are making. If they see that they are more likely to continue trying. No scoring this week –it just distracts from what they are trying to achieve.
One arrow challenge was won (again) by Jack B. Well done Jack.

Final session of the day was the adult Pay and Play group. Again, down on numbers this week but those that turned up spent the evening giggling and laughing like teenagers. Interesting to see the competitive element emerging from those who only come along to “shoot a few arrows” It’s the thing I love about this sport. No matter how much you think you are doing this for fun, the reality is that as soon as you put up a target face you try to get more in the middle than the next person.

Tuesday saw me off to John Grant School, in Caister, a school for those with mild to severe physical, sensory and learning difficulties. It’s also my favourite place to work on the entire planet. Not just because of the quantities of tea and biscuits I always seem to be provided with but because of the kids and staff. I don’t want this to come across as patronising or anything but working there is a truly humbling experience. It makes you see your own life from a totally different perspective.
I first worked there about three years ago and archery was such a hit (`scuse pun) that I have been back a few times a year since.

As usual it was a great session. Perfect weather and enthusiastic kids. Highlight for me was a young lady who, after shooting her first arrow ever, managed to hit the grass about 6 feet in front of her. She was so excited that she had done it all herself that she looked at me with watery eyes, smiled, threw her arms around me and started laughing uncontrollably. If any of you coaches or archers out there read this and wonder why we do what we do – then give me a ring, come along and see for yourself.
Back there for another session on Thursday.

Wednesday. Easy day today. Another meeting at Hautbois. Catch up on paperwork and more meetings with web people and designers with regards to my new logo. Scribble my thoughts into this blog. Lunch and then more paperwork. Joy!!!

Not much other news from around the world to tell at the moment.

If you have got this far through my ramblings then congratulations are in order. Sit down, have a break and some cake – you deserve it.
Keep smiling
Andy