Archery class teaches Kila students patience, discipline

Beginner archers lined up in a grassy field outside Kila School on May 3. Teacher Jenna Morgan blew a whistle, the command for students to place their bows on top of a foot. Blowing the whistle again, students formed a comfortable stance and lifted their bows toward targets placed 10 yards away.

“I want to make sure they have the 10 yards down before going to 20 yards,” Morgan said.

Pulling the drawstring back into a fixed position, seventh-grader Ila Stevens lined her sight on the target. Her partner, seventh-grader Kaeton Larson, shouted encouragement.

“Good job Ila. Continue to breathe. You’ve got this, you’re doing great. Your stance is great,” Larson said.

Stevens and the other students released their drawstrings. Arrows flew through the air, each hitting a target with a “thwap.”

“I really try to use positive reinforcement — that it’s not just about the target,” Morgan said.

This year, the school started the archery elective for middle school students as a National Archery In Schools program led by Morgan who is passionate about the sport.

Before class had begun that day, Morgan had students explain tenets of good archery practices such as patience, discipline, safety and attention to detail.

“It’s definitely more of a challenge, but I love that you keep that mental focus and that’s what I love for them too, is that they’re practicing that mental concentration and self-confidence,” Morgan said.

Stevens and Larson are both hunters, but have only used bows once during the school’s Heritage Days celebration.

“I’ve always wanted to do archery,” Larson said.

Many of the students come from a similar experience level and no previous experience is necessary to join the class.

The beginner archers meet weekly to work on their skills and shoot with Mathews Genesis compound bows that allow students to adjust the draw weight from 10 to 20 pounds.

“So this one’s easier [to use] because it has the cam on the bottom — the rotating wheel. It makes it easier because it balances out the weight and you can adjust the draw weight,” Morgan said noting it’s a major plus as students work their shoulder and back muscles in a different way to balance weight.

Students shoot four more arrows before switching with their partners. The beginners are off to a good start, hitting the target within the colored circles with just one or two arrows overshooting it.

The students walk up to retrieve the arrows as a group and tally points.

Eighth-grader Wyatt Hulford plucked the arrows he shot from the target while his partner Alex Eaton tallied up the score. Hulford appeared satisfied with his aim, having shot several arrows within the center yellow circle, but there was a learning curve to get to this point.

“At first I had trouble because I’m left-eye dominant, but I shoot right handed, so I switched between left and right handed bows,” Hulford said,

Eaton added, “When I started archery my first arrow went right through the top of the target,” Eaton said.

For sixth-grader Ella Lewis, the archery class was the first time she shot a bow.

“I finally shot a bull’s-eye yesterday, which is really insane,” Lewis said.

Lewis said she enjoys archery because she can be outdoors.

“Outdoor shooting is really fun. You can smell the fresh air, see the trees and plus you get to shoot bows,” Lewis said with a smile.

Equipment for the program was funded through grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The class will culminate with an individual and team tournament at the end of the month.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.