The club has its outdoor range at Forrest Road Strathalbyn and Indoor Archery is held in the Goolwa Sports Stadium, Glendale Grove, Goolwa.
Beginners Courses
Courses
* Each course continues fortnightly for 4 sessions of approximately 2 hours each. All reservations for places in the courses will be entered into a booking list on a first come, first serve basis. All cancellations will be offered to each person, in order of bookings received, until all places are filled.
* There is a Beginners Course Booking Form and a booking fee for courses in 2007.
* The booking form can be completed and returned with the non-refundable deposit of $20 to the Club's postal address.
* The course booking fee is to cover the administration, hiring of equipment and insurances.
Introduction
* Courses on how to shoot a bow are open to anyone who wishes to learn.
* No matter what age or ability, everyone can learn. We have children as young as 8 years old, boys and girls, and adults well into retirement years, who all participate in the sport, either socially for exercise or competitively for awards.
* It can be a sport for the whole family to enjoy together.
* In the sport, we also have disabled persons competing along side able-bodied archers.
* We prefer to teach children who are at least 10 years old. We also prefer that at least one parent accompany their children at least for the first lesson.
* Everyone attending is fully covered by Archery Australia's public liability insurance policy for the duration of the course and up to a maximum of 8 weeks after the course is completed.
Course Location and Facilities
* The Beginners Course is located at Archery Park, Forrest Road, Strathalbyn. Please find enclosed an information pack, which contains a map on how to find us. If you wish to park your car in the shade of the trees, please beware of possible risk of falling branches from these trees.
* Please use caution and drive slowly on entering the grounds as there may be cars and pedestrians in the vicinity.
* Please GIVE-WAY to cars entering through the gate as it is only one-way traffic into and out of the club grounds.
* The shed is used for Club Members.
* Visitors must sign-in before entry to the archery ranges.
* Everyone attending the course and parents should meet the Coach at the shed to complete insurance forms and attendance book sign-in. We have a disabled toilet located at the club grounds, and there is no electricity currently connected, but we do have rainwater available for coffee and tea facilities and drinking water.
* The archery ranges are open field areas, so there is little shade available on the shooting line during the lesson.
* All parents are encouraged to stay, at least for the first lesson, but it is not a requirement.
Course Duration
* The Beginners Course runs for 4 Saturday mornings, starting at 8.45am and finishing at 11am.
* The first lesson of the Course requires insurance cover forms to be completed and receipts issued for fees prior to the lesson starting, so please be at the ground early to ensure the paperwork is completed on time.
* There is a ten-minute break at approximately 9.50am for morning tea.
* Cold drinks and snacks are available for purchase.
* If the weather is very windy or it is raining constantly then that days lesson may be postponed. If it is extremely hot (over 32 degrees Adelaide temperature), then that days lesson will be postponed.
* If the Coach decides to postpone the lesson, each person enrolled in the course will be advised by phone the evening prior to the lesson.
* The course dates will be extended to make up for any lessons postponed due to weather.
Course Fees and Course Bookings
* The Course Fee is $60 per person, $110 for two people, $150 for three people and $200 for four people including insurance cover, equipment hire and coaching.
* On enquiry a Booking Form , plus an information pack will be mailed to your address.
* (The Course Fees are subject to review by the Club Committee and may be changed at any time.)
* Due to changes in Public Liability Insurance Cover, every person on the Club grounds must sign the attendance book, and shooters must sign a Temporary Player Form to be covered by the insurance policy. These forms will be available at the first day of the course.
* Bookings for courses will need a completed Beginners Course Booking Form , returned by mail to our postal address at;
Strathalbyn Target Archers, P.O. Box 289, Strathalbyn. 5255.
* We will require a contact name (parent or guardian), postal address or e-mail address, contact phone number, name/s of person/s attending and their age/s (if under 18 on the first day of the course).
Other Requirements
* The one safety rule on clothing is that open-toe sandals, thongs or bare feet are not allowed, due to arrows that may be lodged in the grass, can injure your toes or feet if walked into.
* Generally clothing should be close fitting and not too bulky around the chest and arms so as not to get caught in the bowstring. Similarly, jewellery such as long ear-rings, cheek or lip or nose piercing, necklaces and arm bangles may need to be removed for safety reasons, as well as long hair may need to be tied back.
* In sunny weather, a suitable soft-brimmed hat and sunscreen lotion is required. The drinking of any alcohol prior to or during shooting is strictly not allowed.
* Smoking during the lesson time is also not allowed on the line or within the vicinity of the clubrooms.
* Please switch mobile phones off or at least put into silent mode, so as not to disturb the lesson and other Club Members.
* If a mobile phone needs to be answered, please do so well away from the shooting line, so as not to disturb other people's concentration.
* If any person has a medical condition that requires medication or has any allergies to food, plants or insects, should advise the Coach prior to the course starting, so that medical care can be given in case of an emergency.
* All people attending the course must have a "Medical Attention Form" completed on the first day of the course.
Course Details
The first lesson will introduce beginners to:
* the basic safety rules
* bow parts and their names
* arrow parts and their names
* eye dominance for each person will be checked. (eye dominance controls aiming)
* the 10 basic steps of how to shoot a bow
* each person will be given a suitable size & strength recurve bow, matching set of arrows, arm guard and finger tab and a ground quiver.
* shooting will be on a blank target butt at a distance of 5 metres.
The second lesson will revise what was learned in lesson one, plus:
* how to string a bow
* string alignment
* concentration
* back tension, shoulder muscles and bow arm rotation
* grouping of arrows and sight adjustments
* shooting practise will remain at a distance of 5 metres.
The third lesson will revise what was learned in lesson two, plus:
* archery warm-up exercises and muscle toning exercises.
* shooting practise will concentrate on the finer points of each persons shooting form
* how to score arrows
* types of bows
* shooting practise will remain at a distance of 5 metres, with the use of a target face.
The fourth lesson will revise what was learned in prior lessons, plus:
* shooting practise will move to a distance of 10 metres.
* how to select the right bow and arrows for you.
* the care and maintenance of archery equipment
* a short competition including scoring of 5 ends of arrows may be shot.
All courses are fully supervised by Level 1 Archery Coaches.
At the end of the course, each person will be invited to join the Club as a member or may continue to use the Club's equipment for a maximum of 4 weeks, at a hire fee of $7.00 per Saturday afternoon.
For new members wishing to buy their own archery equipment, the Coach and other club members are available for advice.
Equipment catalogues and price lists from Adelaide Archery Dealers are available from the Coach.
EQUIPMENT
All equipment is supplied by the club for beginners. Qualified coaches are able to coach from beginners up to State Team standard.
CLOTHING
It is required that all archers wear closed shoes at all shoots. Shirts should be smooth fitting, a hat with a soft brim is recommended and archers should use sunblock and have a water bottle with them.