The tweet of a whistle and the soft thwack of dozens of arrows hitting their mark are about the only sounds in the small gym at MacArthur High School during the mornings this summer.
A dozen or so archers stand in a straight line with their eyes on the target in front of them, so zoned in on perfecting their technique that they eschew conversation with their neighbors. Most of the young bowmen are members of the MHS archery team, keeping their skills sharp this summer. Others, like Serenity Garner, are picking up a bow for the first time.
Archery camp is one of the programs held at MHS this summer funded through a federal 21st Century grant. The grant also funds other activities such as tabletop games, cooking, life skill classes, and dramatics. The goal is to give students somewhere to go and something to do during the summer. The program, which will be held through July 24, also provides free breakfast and lunch to participants.
On this sultry summer morning, large fans sought to keep about a dozen high school students cool as they inserted arrows into their bows, lined up their shots and let their arrows fly down the gym toward their targets. All the activity was under the watchful eye of Rafael Santos, coach of the MHS archery team.
Santos said half the archers this summer are members of the MHS team and half are trying it out.
“It gives a good chance for middle school students to get acclimated to their fellow classmates,” Santos said of the summer camp.
Garner, 16, is one of those new to the sport and has been shooting about two weeks.
“Constant badgering from Santos and all my friends,” is how she explained why she became involved this summer. Garner said she was the only one in her group of friends who was not involved in archery. Now that she has picked up a bow and some arrows, she said she has more time to spend with her friends.
“I can shoot pretty consistently, but not accurately. But I think I have been improving,” Garner said. “I’ve been enjoying myself because I have something to do. I can see I’m getting better so it is enjoyable and not frustrating. I can see why they (friends) are in archery. It is pretty fun.”
Olivia Butler, 16, who has been on the archery team for two years, is one of those friends who talked Garner into trying the sport. Butler said her mother suggested she try archery.
“My mom wanted me to get into an activity,” Butler said. “I’m not very active, but now I’m standing in place shooting.”
Not only is Butler getting some exercise, she has seen her confidence increase.
“As my score rises, so does my confidence,” she said. Butler said she received the Best Rookie of the Year award last year because her score went up 111 points from the first time she shot last season to the last time she shot.
“No. 1, I had a great coach. Basically, I went from crying at every tournament thinking I wasn’t doing great to thinking that I was, even when I wasn’t,” she said.
Students join the archery team for various reasons.
Raymond Mackey, 16, who has been on the team for four years, said he wanted something to occupy his time and to practice so he could go bow hunting with his father. Mackey said he hasn’t killed anything yet, but that archery has helped him with accuracy and learning how to judge distances. Archery also has helped him with his aim.
Samantha Clark, 17, who has been on the team for three years, had a simpler reason for joining.
“My mom is president of the booster club,” she said.
That’s not to say she doesn’t enjoy the sport.
“I always thought archer characters in different media were cool. Archery seemed cool and I wanted to try it out,” she said. She said the experience has lived up to her expectations.
Clark said one of the challenges for archers is improving their scores.
“I was told last year after I shot to wait 2 seconds before shooting again,” she said, so now she counts 1,001, 1,002 before taking her next shot.
Mental toughness is part of the archer’s mentality, and for Butler, the quietness is the hardest part.
“It’s hard to be quiet on the line. You can’t talk to your friends,” she said.
“I’m supposed to be making adjustments as I go. It is mainly mental stuff,” Butler said. “If your aim is not good, it doesn’t matter how light or heavy the bow is, you are not going to shoot good.”
For Garner, learning to stand still has been difficult.
“The hardest part is making sure you are standing right and your arm is straight and not moving from one leg to another,” she said.
Santos said the camp keeps the members of the archery team sharp during the summer and lets other students try out before committing to the team.
“I want them to learn that they can do sports at any age and all different levels. I want them to have fun and to push themselves to reach a higher level,” Santos said. “This gives them something to do. This gives them a break from some of the other stuff.”