Children Belong Outdoors

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend my favorite weekend of every year, the Annual Spring Bowhunters Festival. This year was the 23rd year. I have been participating in the great sport of archery since I was seven years old. Most of the last 12 years have been spent competing and educating others on just how fun archery can be. The Annual Spring Bowhunters Festival is a great opportunity to meet new people and their children. This weekend reminded me of just how important it is to get children away from their tv and video games and to show them just how wonderful the great outdoors is.

I watched children jump for joy because they hit the 3D target or walk away in disappointment because they missed and lost an arrow. This "emotional roller coaster" is good for the ego and a learning experience that they can't always be perfect. Personally, I have struggled with the need to always have a perfect shot, causing me to lose sight of the reason I began shooting in the first place: to have fun. I truly hope I am able to witness children's lives being transformed because of archery for many years to come. I will continue educating and encouraging children and adults of all ages to just give archery a shot (pun intended!) because you never know where that one arrow could take you - it very well may become the best thing you've ever done.

2 young kids having a blast at the 22nd Annual Spring Bowhunter's Festival.

This article is a great depiction of just how much the Annual Spring Bowhunter's Festival means to the surrounding community members as well as the Boy Scouts who generously allow us to use their 1,100 acre facility each year.