# Advice on keeping 15 year old daughter interested in archery?



## Mashrake108 (Dec 4, 2020)

Does anyone have any advice/experiences on what kept you/your child interested in continuing the sport?


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## DaveHawk (Jul 16, 2009)

Take her to 3D shoots. They have close ranges for youth, and there is usually other children there. Lots of fun and lots of good people.


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## Methodman (Feb 15, 2015)

I agree with the 3D suggestion. Also many states have SD3A teams. Indoor 3D can be had this time of year(Well in a Non-Covid year)

Tic tac toe on your home range. 

Video shoot systems

Youth Leagues and tournaments. 

Experiment with Field archery- Long shots and challenges

Brodhead league in the summer. Basically a 3d course with cardboard targets. My club doesnt require an actual broadhead, so you can use field points or fixed blade. I dont know about other clubs- but its a really nice summer thing at ours. When the course is done, theres always a few grills going..a bonfire pit, folks b.s ing. A bunch of guys have bow carts made up with music, coolers, etc added in. Several of our youth members enjoy hanging with the "big kids" in our league. We dont have enough for a "Youth Division" but its very non-competitive. If you cant make it on league night- the course is up all for several days. Very chill atmosphere.


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## Methodman (Feb 15, 2015)

Also try to attend some college events if your area has any.


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## carlosii (Feb 25, 2007)

When she turns dating age make sure he's into archery.


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## NKYBOWHUNTER#2 (Nov 29, 2020)

Don’t force it! Always offer, but don’t make them do it. I’ve watched my uncles turn my cousins off because they forced it on them.


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## OutbackBryan (Nov 30, 2012)

My kids always like 3D, and the biggest hit with them was reactive targets such as balloons. Fill them with water for a little extra fun, or keep empty for a little added difficult in windy days. Bottom line is, just keep it fun for them.


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## c_m_shooter (Aug 15, 2018)

The only thing that keeps them interested is within themselves. It helps if they have close friends who are also into it and it is social.


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## Daddymac (Oct 27, 2014)

13 to 15 range is when they develop “other” interests, my daughter played softball and I noticed that was the age so many of them would drop out of sports, only the serious stayed. Mine played through high school but I coached summer league and assisted at school, did not force it on her but encouraged her and any time she wanted to swing at a few I was willing to pitch. Another thing that helped was good equipment, we would get her some top gear to keep her interest up.

Support her and be ready when she is and a new top of the line rig never hurts.
Good luck.


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## EJhunter (Oct 2, 2015)

Following... My 13 year was excited about her bow when we got it and now it mostly sits....


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## Mashrake108 (Dec 4, 2020)

Thanks for all the input!


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## lkmn (Feb 28, 2006)

Have 13 year old twins (boy & girl) who have shot since they were about 6. Last year you could tell my daughter was starting to get disgruntled as she was struggling and upset with her results. After last years 4-H State Competition I got her a new to her target bow as her old one she was struggling to keep steady as she grew due to the short ATA and her draw length getting longer. That was the best money I have spent. With adding new bars to it she is shooting the best she ever has and loves to shoot.


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## Peter M. (Jan 11, 2021)

Buy her a new bow in her favorite color.


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## BigXX78 (Mar 16, 2005)

Mashrake108 said:


> Does anyone have any advice/experiences on what kept you/your child interested in continuing the sport?


Never force them to like it. Give them time and space to explore other things. Then, if they love it, they'll come back into it strongly. Otherwise, let them become who they really are. 

My father had no interest in archery. He loved sailing and wanted me to love sailing too. I was lucky he was wise enough to let me choose my own path. Later, though he never tried archery, he always asked me to tell him details of bowhunting trips, and he would watch me target practice.

My sons lost interest in hunting, in their late teens. In their early 20s, though, they both came back to it with me.


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## coyote13 (Nov 20, 2009)

Find an S3DA or JOAD club or both.
Once my daughter got into the team environment with the other kids she was all archery, she quit soccer and nows 4 day a week minimum. 
It's the other way around for me now, shes the one dragging me out to shoot.
Best decision I ever made. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## 1/2 Bubble Off (Dec 29, 2016)

My daughter never really lost interest in archery but she has found other activities that she is also very good at. (Softball and beauty pageants/modeling)



























She still shoots the youth league over the winters and when she has the time but instead of competition driving her, now it's a means to decompress and socialize with her friends from the club. She works on her own bow too!!! (with supervision of course)


















My advice... don't push. If their interest drops off abit.... keep offering and let them know they are always welcome to come along/shoot with you. Sometimes my daughter comes to the club just to talk trash while I shoot!!!!


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## pliberty (Dec 27, 2010)

You realize you’ve raised the well rounded daughter that every college is looking for, right? We’ll done. 


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## Beast of bows (10 mo ago)

Shoot balloons and dollar bills if she hits the dollars she gets to keep them.


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## FirewoodGuy (3 mo ago)

My 14 yr old daughter is just now starting to show interest in archery. So while I don’t have experience with my own daughters, I have watched and learned from other young women in the clubs and at shoots over the last 25+ years.
1) Make sure you pay attention to THEM… not your buddies or other archers. Nothing will kill their interest like being ignored.
2) If you get bored of shooting the same bow every year (and accessories), she probably will too. The best thing you can do is communicate with her and ask her if there is anything she would like to change.
3) Don’t EVER force her to shoot. Sometimes they just don’t feel like it.
4) Don’t get mad or frustrated if she doesn’t shoot EXACTLY like you do. She is finding her own style. You are not an Olympic coach and she is not an Olympic shooter. She is a beginner.
5) Always try to make it fun for them. Be creative. If all I had to shoot at was paper targets or a block target, I would get bored too.

I’m sure there are others in here with much better advice than I have. This is just my $.02


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## G.Lizard (3 mo ago)

Running into this myself I have 3 currently shooting in 4H and 1 starting next year. Maybe a rehash, but current successful trends:

-colors. don't underestimate it! especially with girls.

-give them space. if you force it they won't love it = they won't be that good at it anyway.

-join them. I am working on my Level 2 coach certification and starting to train for doing competition WITH them. We will all be shooting our first indoor shoot this winter and getting out first scores in the USA Archery record books.

-bribe them. shoot games/3 arrow matches etc. for money. If they beat me they win $1 a match. I was doing this with my 65# longbow against their target recurves. I let them pick the range. They soon learned to call me out on 20 yard+ for a guaranteed buck. I usually smoke 'em under 20.


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## NockWorst (3 mo ago)

carlosii said:


> When she turns dating age make sure he's into archery.


But it won't last if she beats him.


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## Steven Bressan (May 6, 2009)

Keep her away from boys.
Make it fun and teach her how to make her own accessories. 
Keep the targets close until she feels comfortable moving out further.
If her school has an archery program get involved.


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## hockeyref (Jun 2, 2006)

You can't... It has to be important to them because it's important to them. All you can do is lay the foundation for them to build on.
My older daughter just turned 24, she's shot bows since she was 4 and guns since she was 8. Last year was the first year she didn't hunt or shoot her bow at all - she had tags for buck and doe that went unfilled. Life happens and priorities change. She scaled way back on shooting and hunting to concentrate on classes and doing the stuff that college students do. This spring and summer she had all of her weekends filled with multiple bachelorette parties, weddings, and car shows with her boyfriend. With her life long love of archery, hunting, and shooting sports, I thought that she would be one of the kids that make the transition into adulthood and continue to shoot and hunt. It's her choice, maybe she'll find her way back to it later in life. As for me, I've resigned myself to hunting and shooting alone. I'm working on clearing out most of my "stuff" as I do not foresee grand kids in my future to pass it on.


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## NockWorst (3 mo ago)

Steven Bressan said:


> Keep her away from boys.
> Make it fun and teach her how to make her own accessories.
> Keep the targets close until she feels comfortable moving out further.
> If her school has an archery program get involved.


If her school doesn't have a program, here is the place to start one: www.naspschools.org. There are other places as mentioned. Have fun!


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## Melody09 (2 mo ago)

As a daughter, I would say that I dislike shooting the most when my dad is always "coaching". my favorite times are when we just go shoot with out the pressure of having to be perfect. I have more fun walking a 3d course goofing off, rather than hearing how I jumped my thumb trigger again. Dont pressure, just be present.


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## Vikings_Victory (2 mo ago)

Excellent advice, thanks. I have twin 13 year old girls who want to begin shooting. I’m excited and want to make it fun and rewarding for them.


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## Flyinhawaiian (Nov 2, 2018)

Lots of good advice here. My daughter also went through a slump. Keep it fun by shooting at non-traditional targets and playing archery games. Buy new archery accessories in their favorite colors. I also helped my daughter shift to the dark side (lol) and bought her a new bow that was (gasp) compound (we are predominantly recurve archers). She loved it and, in fact, rarely shoots her recurve now. Tbh, that new bow is the single-most reason she is still shooting at all! Being able to shoot both also added to her proficiency and confidence in her archery. She also took some USA archery instructor training. Best of luck!


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