Marines

Military children learn archery fundamentals

24 Oct 2013 | Cpl. Charlie Clark Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

The fall after school archery camp provided the opportunity for 7 to 10-year-olds to learn archery fundamentals at the Tarawa Terrace Community Center aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Oct. 24.

While students learned the fundamentals of archery, instructors focused on firing line safety and archery basics, such as loading the arrow, proper posture and how to aim.

Grant M. Caraway, an Outdoor Adventures recreation assistant, instructed the young archers during the camp.

“We drill the steps into the kids, so when they leave here they know exactly what to do on the firing line, how to be safe and have a good foundation to grow,” Caraway said. “They all became good archers at the end of the week.”

The children set up their targets, set their bows on racks when not in use and retrieved their arrows after everyone finished shooting as part of the safety procedures.

Caraway kept a close eye on his students to ensure they were all shooting correctly and following the fundamentals of archery marksmanship.

“Archery is a sport where it is easy to develop bad habits with wrong posture or aim,” said Caraway. “If those habits aren’t fixed, they can cause problems for the archer and become a safety hazard on the firing line.”

The students learned how to shoot with both compound and recurve bows.

The students anxiously awaited their turns to knock, or load, their arrows. Though they also like to play more popular sports like softball and football, some of the children liked archery more.

“I asked to come to this camp instead of softball,” said Paige Cosby, a 9-year-old archery student. “When my dad gets back (from his deployment), I can show him how good I am with my bow.”

Another archery camp for children ages 10 to 12-years-old was held the week prior.

The next Outdoor Adventures archery program is Parent and Child Archery slated for Nov. 16 and Dec. 21.

Classes are $30, and registration is available at the Outdoor Adventures office in Building 728 adjacent to Gottschalk Marina.

For more information, call 451-1440 or visit www.mccslejeune.com/outdoor.

Find us on Google + (http://gplus.to/camp.lejeune)
Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/camp_lejeune)
Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/camp.lejeune)