Outdoor Leadership Training focused this week on archery. We start off with the rules of safety. For example, we have two parallel ropes on the ground. The one closest to the targets is the firing line and the rear rope is the waiting line.
So too, we explain the importance of always pointing the arrows toward the targets, the necessity to never cross over the lines, and most importantly, not to cross the firing line until they heard the range master call out, “Bows down?” Only after confirmation from all archers do we cross the firing line toward the targets.
We mimic the safety protocols that I learned as a kid at gun and archery ranges.
Fortunately, we had an extra experienced teacher. Reb Y Soltz was able to teach the kids the ways he learned many years ago. Both of us have unique styles and the boys were able to try them both to see what worked best for them.
The thrill of hitting your target is always exciting. Many archers practice shooting a traditional paper bullseye target. That helps score your shooting and is valuable for practice and competition. At this stage I want the kids to get a hit and hear the BOOM of the target. That gets everyone to cheer and our shooter feels great. That’s what OLT is about! We do not care if the kid will become an Olympic Archer, we do care if the child will feel like a winner!
Unlike classroom teaching, this is all hands-on and action-oriented. The first challenge is to listen and absorb my oral and visual instructions. For some kids that is too much and they need the instructions again in English and Hebrew. So too, I almost always need to visually demonstrate to each kid the grip of the bow, holding the arrow with the gripping hand, pulling the string back while grasping the arrow, aiming, and releasing the arrow. It’s a lot to master!
What do you do if the kid does not hit a balloon? You cheer him for sticking the arrows in the target! Or you praise him for his good form, even if he missed the target three times.
Every child deserves to be a champ!!!
With 12 kids in the group, it was a blessing to have another instructor. We also had three fathers who came along. This enhances safety and allows me to focus on the archery and less on the order.
Having the right equipment ensures success and safety. Notice we have lots of lights. We brought two rechargeable floodlights. You have to be able to see the targets to hit them!
Notice the different bows we had. The black bows are stronger and give a better stick. The red bows are easier to draw and give a smaller child more control and more success.
The name of the game is every kid deserves to shine!
Some of the goals of the Outdoor Leadership Training are that the boys should have fun, learn to work together, learn new skills, and gain self-confidence, self-control, and awareness of their abilities. Fortunately, every boy got to shoot three arrows at least three times. Everyone got the bead for this skill!
We started a system of merit beads. This is to be a visual reminder for each child of what he has accomplished. So too it is motivating to know that you are shooting for this skill and you have now achieved it.
In the past months the boys have worked on and received beads for “one-match fires” and Ferro Stick fires!
Follow along to see these wonderful kids gaining skills and self-confidence!
Many of these kids are developing serious leadership skills! I am so proud of them!
