Archery clubs supporting other clubs

[Brinkley]

Why does it seem like some clubs do not get support from other clubs in our sport? some clubs seem to get a ton of support from surrounding clubs and others seem to be out there all alone. Does is have to do with the type of targets used (Rinehart vs Mckenzie)? or Politics, or just logistics in a whole?

[Cathie]

We support other clubs in our area in return they support us. None of us have conflicting shoot dates so there is not a sense of competition among us. It is a friendly gesture and all club members benefit from it by being informed of all events close by.

[Wayne Meuir]

I think the problem is that there are so many shoots every week-end that it spreads the numbers at each shoot out a lot. The bigger clubs have more money to work with, so they can do more to promote the sport, so they have better attendance, so they make even more money, and so it goes.

It is as all economics seem to be, the more you have the easier it is to prosper, and ALL clubs require money from somewhere to survive.

Wayne

[Bigdaddy]

Why does it seem like some clubs do not get support from other clubs in our sport? some clubs seem to get a ton of support from surrounding clubs and others seem to be out there all alone. Does is have to do with the type of targets used (Rinehart vs Mckenzie)? or Politics, or just logistics in a whole?

This a loaded question!!

[The Insurance Guy]

This a loaded question!!

I don't think this is a loaded question. Knowing the man that asked it he really wants to know and so do I.

What would make you choose one club shoot vs another. Other than location. I'm sure that's the number 1 reason to attend.


Keeping a course new is what I like to see and what we are working on at Mesquite Archery club. Next season no one will recognize the place.

[Brinkley]

I like to attend the club shoots that make me and my kids feel welcome and that has a nice friendly atmosphere. I enjoy shooting with or against people I know. I also like to financially support the clubs that I want to see around for my kids to enjoy with their kids. Pretty simple for me. I just have noticed that some clubs get more of a turn out than others. Even last weekend at banana bend a fine club with good people had a seemingly low turn out for an Asa state qualifier to me. Others like the now gone saltgrass. Montgomery seemed to not pull the regular shooters around. Could be that the area I live in now is different from when I was in dfw area.

[Dusty Britches]

I try to support as many as I can get to, but sometimes life happens. It is hard for me to go to a shoot on a Saturday. I have no need to practice on Rinehart targets because I compete in ASA at the pro level.

The difficulty of the range plays a big factor to me, too. If it is too easy, it isn't worth my time. I love the challenging courses.

I will promote clubs, even if I don't shoot at them because I think they are great courses. For example, I am promoting Huaco this weekend, but I'm going to Dogwood Hills because Huaco is on a Saturday AND, the biggest 2 reasons - Dogwood will get me ready for London and I am looking at a tractor in Flint.

[CarbonExtreme]

Certainly a loaded question with many aspects and ways to answer it. Some of the issues concern everyone as they impact our communities. It doesn't stop at just clubs. It's at the shop level and even present in the many organizations within the archery world. Comes down to one thing. Greed.

Those that have been around awhile know who's who. There are some that bend over backwards for others while another batch will sit idle and or even stir the pot for their benefit. A great example is Archer's for Christ (sorry to call you guys out). They went out of their way to help Emory get up and running (and aren't too far away from each other). Those two are a GREAT example of two clubs close in proximity who are working together (instead of against each other). They support each others shoots and literally help each other. AFC even helped some folks here in Dallas this past year. They lead by example. When it comes time to support a club I always go out of my way to show support when I can.

Same with Mike and Tracy Smith. Want to talk about a thankless job? Those two right there. If it wasnt for them and their predecessors like Jimmy Mitchel (and a few others), Texas archery wouldn't be anywhere close to where it is today. But does anyone really stop to thank these people? Very few...and these guys gave SO much. Where are they now? Loving archery but burnt out. They've been beat up for years yet let their passion lead the way. How long can that go on?

Another club in the area is the Texas Archery Academy. Completely trash talked by the "elites" yet they are pulling in more archers than anyone in Dallas (10,000 members strong). People have yet to realize that archery has developed in to a large spectrum like many other sports. Skill levels range from Rec level to Elite National competitors. Everyone has a place in the industry. That trickles down to our communities as well and everyone doing their part if we truly care about the sport.

Another big issue is that the archery industry as a whole (in my opinion) is very static. It evolves very slow. It's significantly behind in approach and being open to change. Some stubborn mindsets and thought processes out there. It has gotten better in the last few years but for the most part its flat. I know people that have tried to change the model and bring in new ideas and energy and it's shot down time and time again so things can stay "status quo".

Being in the area for about 10 years now I can tell you the Dallas area is bad when it comes to archery politics. Heck spend 10 minutes surfing a few forums and you can find a buffet of history when it comes to politics in this area. Offline the reality is 10X that. I can only compare it to Game of Thrones (for the fans out there). It's almost like you have to pick a faction/family/club/shop to support. It's ugly.

Spend a few weekends on the tournament trail and you'll find hoards of shooters who absolutely refuse to shoot here or go there for one reason or another. Its very faction based.

I think a lot are responsible for killing the sport/community, while others sit around and kill themselves to build it back up. My advice to those reading this..do your homework. Help those who help the community and the sport will grow.

[ttimmerman]

We try to go to as many shoots as we can. We love getting new people involved and don't mind travel when it is feasible to do so. There are very few clubs whose ASA events we have not been to.

I was at Banana Bend last weekend and they did a great job with that shoot. The course was fair and the people were great. I think that the weather played a factor in the turnout as did location and target manufacturer. They went above and beyond and modified the targets so that they were as close to McKenzie as possible and while it does not affect me (I shoot known distance), it does affect those that have to judge yardage to an extent. Last year they had only 60-ish shooters and their shoot was held the same weekend. At this time in the ASA season, I think for some, they have already qualified and they choose not to drive to certain locations.

As far as support in general, it's a difficult question to answer, but what we hear from people is that they come to shoot with us regularly because the courses are challenging, but fair and fun, the shoots are well-organized and the people are welcoming and pleasant to be around. Likewise, if the club sets what the people are expecting (in most cases, ASA classes, targets, and rules) then they will be more comfortable in that environment.

[Brinkley]

Great points folks. I can honestly say that in my archery experience all over Texas I have never really had any issuers at the clubs. I respect and understand the thankless job that these folks do for our passion. Thank you folks for all you contribute.

[Arrowsmith]

It really comes down to a form of supply and demand. A kind of a watering down effect thats been created by the many available archery organizations, clubs and venues.

There are many more archery clubs in Texas (as well as in other states) than there were 20 years ago. There are also many more organizations offering competitive shooting. For example ASA, IBO, NFAA, OPA, FITA, TFAA, TAA, NASP, S3DA, 4H, JOAD just to name a few. Right here in Texas we have well over 30 archery clubs.

The growth of archery in Texas has been amazing to watch and be a part of over the last 20 years. I have been a part of the Texas archery community since the early 90s. I shot my first round of 3D at Mesquite Archery Club in about 94 or 95. This was before ASA existed in Texas. IBO was prevalent back then and had a good following especially out west (Cowtown, Abilene, Brownwood, Concho Valley, Canyon Lake).

There was not as many archery clubs back then and the club shoots drew more shooters. We would regularly have 80 to 100 shooters at a Mesquite Club shoot. I became president of Mesquite Archery Club in 2001 and through trial and error learned what it took to put on a great shoot.

ASA came on the scene in Texas in 1999 as the new kid on the block with the strange "Low 12" format. ASA struggled for the first few years. Fay Frigon and Jimmy Mitchell did a great job introducing shooters to ASA and getting a foothold for the "new to Texas" organization. I shot my first ASA season in 2000. We hosted the 2000 ASA state championship at Mesquite. We had 100 shooters. In 2001 we had 3 or 4 ASA clubs in Texas (Mesquite, Irving, Cross Timbers, and possibly Brazos County). We could make a couple of phone calls and set our entire schedule for the year. I guess you could say life in the Texas archery community was much more simple back then.

We now have 34 ASA clubs in Texas and 25 Texas ASA events. Like I said above...... demand and supply at work in archery.

Here is a list of the Texas ASA clubs.

http://www.asaarchery.com/IP/index.php/asa-federation/current-clubs/109-current-clubs-texas

I met Tracy in 2005 and my world changed. She was new to archery, but because I loved archery she was "all in". I attribute much of our success in archery to Tracy's enthusiasm and hard work. She has become known nationwide in the archery world.

At the ASA state championship in 2005 Jimmy Mitchell asked me to be an ASA state representative. Tracy was right by my side as we started the 2006 ASA season. We were promoted to ASA state directors in 2006. We went to every event and helped the clubs run the shoots. We actually continued to do this thru the 2014 season.

As mentioned in Troy's post above Tracy and I have cut our schedule back some. I would never say that our job has been thankless. We have gained many friends in Texas, around the nation and even some in Europe that we would have never met without archery. Our archery family has shown us a lot of love and respect and we are humbled by this. I would not say we are burned out, but we are now in our early 60s and we are looking forward to retirement. We have a farm in the big buck country of Southeast Iowa that we want to spend some time at. We also have elk hunting to do, trips to the Caribbean to take and a lot of relaxing to do. With this being said we will always continue to shoot ASA 3D and indoor archery events.

I maintain that Texas archery is more healthy and vibrant than ever. It is simply more diverse and spread out over more venues and formats. There are many options and opportunities to shoot your bows and compete. Get out there and have a great time whether it be 3D, indoor, field, or bow hunting !!!!

[Brinkley]

Great write up Mike. I do not see how some clubs can keep going with low turnouts and that is what seems to be happening with there being more and more clubs. This is good for the sport I just hope that the "market" can support this many clubs. I know here in the Beaumont area there is the GTBH that has a monthly shoot and I have yet to be able to attend one because they primarily shoot on Saturdays. We try to support the clubs within a few hours of us and hope to see the sport and venues stay strong.

[mparks]

I'd say location and what else is going on but I will say I have liked our Asa hosting clubs....no problem with any of them

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[Arrowsmith]

Great write up Mike. I do not see how some clubs can keep going with low turnouts and that is what seems to be happening with there being more and more clubs. This is good for the sport I just hope that the "market" can support this many clubs. I know here in the Beaumont area there is the GTBH that has a monthly shoot and I have yet to be able to attend one because they primarily shoot on Saturdays. We try to support the clubs within a few hours of us and hope to see the sport and venues stay strong.

Michael. I remember the day Tracy and I met you and your son Matthew at Cowtown. I even remember the target we were on.

[Brinkley]

Michael. I remember the day Tracy and I met you and your son Matthew at Cowtown. I even remember the target we were on.

Haha it has been a great time!! Love the archery family. I remember it too!!!