It’s springtime at South High, and for Individual PE students, the archery unit is just around the corner. Freshmen imagine themselves as the next Katniss Everdeen while veterans of Individual Phys Ed prepare to endure yet another period in the day. Though some might assume that archery has held a long-standing place in the Phys Ed curriculum, in reality, its tenure pales compared to those of the other staple sports offered at South: Archery was introduced at South High in only 2018, when the athletic director at the time, Coach Donald Herr, created the individual and team split and brought the archery unit to Individual PE. Whether you hate the waiting time or love how novel the sport is, most people can agree that archery isn’t like the other physical education units we have.
All physical education teachers must be certified before teaching archery. A two-day training is held in the building, and teachers have to pass a variety of both written and skill-based exams. “It was an eight-hour course,” said Coach Marques, who currently teaches Individual PE. “We had to learn all the safety stuff and how to fix the bows and arrows.” Every year, coaches must take an online recertification before they’re permitted to teach archery again.
To many coaches, archery is a rewarding sport—one that students can enjoy both now and as a lifelong recreational activity. Coach Marques said, “It’s one of those things that you can do forever…for archery, for some people, because you have to focus so much on staying calm and following the steps, it mentally relaxes them too.”
The overall consensus about archery is positive: Students consider it an enjoyable sport that isn’t too hard to learn. However, many feel that the time between shots is too long; in smaller classes, students have the opportunity to shoot two or three times if others don’t want to. In bigger classes, students have the opportunity to shoot only once, making PE feel like a free period for many. Other students, like junior Florence Ruan, like how much time they have to relax. “It’s very chill, and I get to talk to my friends a lot.”
For some students, archery has inspired them to shoot outside of school. Junior Ankie Huang said that taking archery in Individual PE led her to find an outside place to continue. “I started archery at school, and I really enjoyed it … I went out to find a place to do archery after that.” She also has her own equipment at home. “I have 10 arrows and a bow … Depending on the future and where my college will be, if there are shooting places nearby, I’ll probably go.” Archery has helped her find a new hobby and interest that she can continue to pursue even outside of school.
For most people, archery remains a relatively interesting and somewhat loose PE unit. However, even if students aren’t shooting outside of school, doing any sport as a recreational activity can improve quality of life now and in the future. Coach Schiereck said, “Recreational sports, not just archery, in general are a great activity to learn and to keep your mind going.”
