# Archery as a sport for a 10yr old girl?



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

I've got a 10 yr old step child who I think is becoming of an age where she needs to get involved in something. She likes the outdoors and seems interested in what I'm doing with my bow. I think she might like target shooting. Not sure if this is really something for a 10 yr old girl. Anyone with kids out there in a similar situation?

If the opportunity cost is not high, I might put something together for her. I dont want to put something pricey together just to find out it's not for her. Anyone have suggestions with what they've put together for their little one?


----------



## Huntinggirl (Jul 20, 2006)

I have a 10 yr old cousin who I have been working with and she loves to shoot. 

We got lucky and a local archery shop had a bowtech that they were able to get the poundage down so that she could shoo it. Before you spend a ton of money setting her up look around and see if any of the sports clubs have JOAD (Junior Archery Olympic Div). They should have bows available for her to shoot as well as instructors to help. 

One the other hand I went out and bought my Nephew a $400.00 PSE set up and the bow has not been taken out of the case in more then 3 years. 

Good Luck !!


----------



## psargeant (Aug 1, 2004)

My kids are both boys, but I can share some thoughts on starting them out...

When my oldest was about 6 I got him a Bullseye recurve (about $89) and some old aluminum arrows given to me by my uncle. No sight, no anything. I would take him out to my club when I went to shoot a practice round (field) put him at about 1/2 the normal cub distance and let him fling away. I would then make a big deal out of it anytime he would so much as land an arrow on the bail. He really got taken with it quickly so then I started giving him a little bit of instructions one thing at a time, then praising him when he did that well, not even worrying about if he hit anything...We did that for a couple years and he has really started loving it.

This year for his 9th birthday I got him a genesis pro. He is struggling with the physical weight of it a little bit (not the draw weight), but as we get to shoot more, he is strengthing up. Tried a site on it as well, but he wasn't to keen on it so I took it back off. I really am just trying to keep it fun for him more than anything...

I am lucky enough that my boys are both Left handed, so my 5 year old now shoots the recurve that the 9 YO doesn't anymore. I still have to help him pull the bow, but he seems to really like it (though he does lose interest quickly). I don't know if it does, but I hope that helps...


----------



## irefuse (Jan 5, 2006)

Well... I have two competing thoughts on this one. 

The first thought going back to the first bow that my parents got me when I was about 12/13... Up to that point I hadn't really wanted to shoot. But I was really excited because they had bought me a new Browning that was really nice... I wanted to show it off :wink: 

The second perspective is now that I'm a mom.. I started both of my boys out with very inexpensive bows and we have been gradually working our way up to the best ones. :thumbs_up Like you I have been worried about spending a lot of money on a bow without knowing for sure if they are going to stick with it. Now that I know they are... I can't afford them. ha ha Soon though!

My advice would be to go with a mid-range bow (like the Whisper Creek) because it's not expensive enough to set you back a ton if she doesn't get in to it, but it is also a "big" enough bow that if she does get into it she's not going to outgrow it in a month or two. 

Good luck!!


----------



## hunt3dokc (Jan 30, 2008)

*Go for it*

I say Go for it. There is know better investment than in that ten year old.

When my boys were ten I bought them the Pse Ranger ( about $55.00 ), throw away the Arrows it comes with, buy some Goldtip Falcons. They shot single pin, fingers, until I could figure out their interest in Archery. When I knew we went for it. 

You are absolutly correct, it is time for her to get involved in something. What better than Archery and the PEOPLE who shoot Archery. Why not take a chance.

For a girl the pink PSE Kaos looks really cool ( about $300.00) Aaron


----------



## zimtown (Mar 4, 2008)

as an example:

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1053659900&postcount=160

Anna is 8 years old, she has been shooting since she was 3. Her closest competition this day was 78 points away. Girls can hang, and at a young age. 

My 12 yr old shoots with her and hopes to be as good as her soon. She only picked archery up 2 years ago. She is a low 290's shooter on a 300.

I say let her pick out a good quality yet affordable bow and start small with easy goals and easier targets. Get her to a pro shop and shoot different ones till she likes one. Thats the one to get, forget about brands.


----------



## Recurve Artemis (Mar 6, 2008)

I think it's a great idea to share your interest with your child! My twins got tiny bows when they were 6 and now that they're 8 they are shooting youth recurve bows. My daughter loves it and my son will shoot if he feels like it. (He likes his BBGun more.) 

I think it's a good idea to take her to a JOAD class and see if she likes it. They have equipment, so you'll have an idea what she can pull, too.

For beginner recurves, PSE Heritage series Deputy Heritage is a good one because it doesn't matter if you're right or left eye dominant and it comes with a sight AND it's safe.

As for compound, I am also eyeing the PSE Chaos for myself and my daughter, but you might not want to invest that much at first. But then she might outgrow something like the Genesis very quickly.... 

Good luck and I hope you will have a great time with her!


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Very cool! Great example. I'll just have to see if this is Sabrina's taste or not. I have a daughter on the way, so I got two chances to get one of them into archery. It'd be something great to do together.:thumbs_up


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Update: This is a good story, read below.

Ok, so last week, I was paper tuning my bow. My step daughter (who is Sabrina) was peeking her head in the garage wondering what all the racket was. I didnt ignore her but didnt really invite her in to see what it was all about. Afterall, it never occured to me that this might be something for her because I'm a dumb man. Keyword: man. haha. Anyway, thursday night I was switching my muzzys with field tips and she kind of sat there watching again. I mean, switching muzzys, no big deal but she was awful curious. This weekend, her father had her all weekend and she comes home Sunday night for school monday (today, and so on). So about an hour ago my wife talked to her ex about other things and she said I was interested in getting Sabrina into archery. Her dad immediately said "yeah, she told me she wants to do it. I told her I'd get her involved in the coming months when it warms up." haha! I couldnt believe it when my wife just called to tell me that. I knew that little girl was interested. I'm a step-kid so I know about the battles and stealing one's thunder so I will tread lightly on the subject and just leave it up to her instead of compete with her dad on it. I'm going to an indoor shoot Wednesday and she's welcome to come along if she chooses. I think daddy might be pissed though!! oops! :darkbeer:


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

http://www.fusearchery.com/youth/

I think she'd like the pink camo. Anyone familiar with Fuse? I'm looking into the other suggestions in this thread but this bow is available at a local archery shop. just an idea. Might be too pricey, I dont know.


----------



## zimtown (Mar 4, 2008)

PSE makes the Caos in a pink camo...


----------



## squirky (Jun 17, 2007)

Being a mother of 2 sons I don't know much about getting girls started in archery. but I'll say we started our sons very young with very good equipment now both are grown and still shoot. My best advice is... money really shouldn't be important because as she grows you can give your money to the bow shop or the cops you can choose but she will get the money. Best of luck and I hope she loves archery. :thumbs_up


----------



## Celtic Dragon (Jan 4, 2009)

Kcarel, I was encouracedd to pick up a bow by both my parents at age 6 (ok I'm a bloke but that makes no difference). I would whole heartedly encourage a 10yo to do the same.

You mentioned target, a good choice, it gives her people her own age to shoot with and thats the important bit, but let her make the choice. Take her to both target and field events and let her choose which she prefers.

The reason for mentioning shooting against people her own age, is, shooting with (step)dad gets a bit boring after a while!


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

I hear ya. She needs to shoot indoor and get her mechanics down without the elements and get that muscle memory down pat. Then we'll hit the field and of course, shooting with other girls her age. She also needs to understand the importance of responsibility and safety (being this IS a weapon). Lot's of things to prove to boring old dad before she gets out on her own with other kids. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we gotta find out if she really likes it. I'm hoping so! After I get her hooked, I'm hooking the wife next.


----------



## Celtic Dragon (Jan 4, 2009)

My second bow was a cheapy upgradde from a fibreglass trainer. IIRC its was a Samwah (sold in the uk as Pheonix) take down wooden riser job.

Served me well untill I got my Samick.


----------



## Kendall Archery (Mar 15, 2008)

All five of my Kids shoot, They started out around the age of 4 or 5. We started them on youth recurves and as they improved we let them decide which equipment they wanted to shoot. Now we have 3 shooting compound and 2 shooting traditional. They love to shoot, it's one of the things they look foreward to when the weather gets nice is 3-D season. We spent quite a while up past the cub stakes and when folks asked us what we were doing past the stake we just told them, practicing hitting not missing. There's nothing more rewarding in archery than bringing a youngster into it and watching them improve and grow in the sport. There are quite a few rigs out there that will work for her, check the classifieds on here or E- bay. Our three kids that shoot compound shoot Hoyt banshees and we bought two off archery talk and one off e-bay most expensive one was $75 pretty reasonable I think, and most archery shops that I've been to have old sights and rests laying around that they've pulled off bows and some old aluminum arrows that they are more than happy to let a kid have to get them into archery. Guess they figure if they hook ya on archery now they will make more money on ya in the future, plus they like to see youngsters get into the sport.


----------



## MN_Chick (Jul 13, 2008)

Three of my 4 kids shoot, including my 10 yr old daughter. Her attention span is short, though. When we go to the outdoor range, she shoots for about 15 minutes, they chases bugs and snakes and frogs for about 20, then she wanders back and shoots again. We usually make a day of it, and pack a lunch. She enjoys 3D targets a LOT more than spots. 

You can also get novelty targets-- a dart board or a deck of cards, or even just hang balloons for her to shoot. Let her have fun, and don't push too hard on perfect form or lots of practice. The drive for that will come after the addiction has fully set in.

Do you and her father get along well enough to work together on this? Does she have a birthday coming up? Or suprise her with a bow for Valentine's Day, from both of the men in her life. Can you imagiine anything cooler for a 10 yr old girl? You could get her a very nice little bow if you split the cost..something like a Misison Menace might be a good choice, one that will grow with her.


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Excellent advice. I caught myself being a little too perfect with her when I showed her how to shoot the Fuse. She just wants to pull back and let go. I will definitely heed that advice and just let her shoot for the sake of shooting (which I think is all she really likes to do). She doesnt have my competitive drive, so I have set that attitude aside when working with her.

Her father and I get along fine but of course, she's daddy's little girl and he is quite jealous over this situation. Her dad does not shoot at all and I think Sabrina has slipped a time or two referring to ME as "daddy." So, there is a level of resentment and naturally so. I have a daughter on the way and already can understand what demons he's battling over right now. But the main focus is on the child and her happiness and I feel bad when me and my wife are talking about the new baby and she is kind of in the back drop of things. Plus on weekends, she plays video games at home which is fine but excessive for her age in my opinion. Now would be a great time to do something with her to let her know it's not just about the new baby. We will not be able to split the costs, I'm afraid. We dont get along that well as I think he would be a bit intimidated by my presence over obtaining the right equipment. I'm not an all-knowing guru, dont get me wrong I'm definitely not saying that. But he knows absolutely nothing about bows and I'd be taking the lead on getting the right stuff. He thinks he only needs $100 to get everything she needs. That right there tells me he has no idea. And there is nothing wrong with that. If we both were enthusiast shooters, I think we could easily come to terms on something and actually become shooting pals and shoot 3D together. Most people I meet and talk to are on very similar paths with their set up, so the agreement would come naturally easy. I really dont care about the costs. I think $250-300 is sufficient for a good start up and the opportunity cost is minimal even if she only shoots for a few months. It's worth the $$ just to see her try it. But I'm afraid her dad will run out and buy a walmart recurve which would discourage me if I was her. So, I have no problem buying all the stuff and she can take it wherever her heart desires whether it be my home or her daddys. Afterall, it's not for me, it's for her.

Sorry it's so long-winded!


----------



## hunt3dokc (Jan 30, 2008)

Long winded is OK. What a great place to be able to discuss any needs and challenges we all face.

It is Unfortunate that he doesn't shoot. 

I am the Biological Father, my son lives full time with me. We get know help in anyway from my sons mother. My sons step has nothing to do with him, especially financially. HIS LOSS. Him and I get along fine, but because his Mother and Step have no involvement, nor do they reap the Benefits. My wife who has raised my boy is his step mom but he calls her mom. His biological is very involved in his life, just not very emotional, lovable, you know the type. My wife and I have been married since he was 2 he is 16 now, so they are just like blood, you would never know they were step. When I was making decisions for him i always made it clear my goals, and involved my wife in the decisions. That way when his biological questioned, Majority ruled in his life. 

Daddy's Little Girl, Woooo, that is a tough one. I admire your wanting to involve her in something you Love. Involve the Mother, this very important. That way it doesn't look like your taking over. Have her tell him you will invest in her future, and this is the beginning. You have the right to make her a roll model for the little sister on the way.

As far as equipment I say GO FO IT. If she looses interest you will have it for your future Archer. Good Luck A:thumbs_up


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

hunt3dokc said:


> Long winded is OK. What a great place to be able to discuss any needs and challenges we all face.
> 
> It is Unfortunate that he doesn't shoot.
> 
> ...


Wow, the storyline of son and his relationships with his elders were quite like mine. My step mom really took over as a parent when she came into my life when I was 5. No competing, my birth mother really just didnt commit emotionally and rarely got me involved in stuff. I think that's why I dont like seeing kids sit around.

My wife, bless her heart, absolutely hates sports and hunting. No foul in that. Sometimes it's nice to go do our thing alone. The father knows I have the best of intentions but I cant blame the resentment in the situation. It's just the ugly side of divorce and I told my wife that was something they accepted together when they filed and it works both ways (i.e. him finding a wife who acts like Mom). But I just focus on the big picture: the child being happy and content. He needs to understand, however, that if you just let a kid wander in the house or confine themselves to video games or glued to the TV, depression and isolation will develop. I just feel this is a critical time and if nothing else, the father will come to accept and understand the situation. Sometimes I think he'll get jealous if he sees her bring that bow with her to her dad's house but to me, he should see that the bow being in possession anytime and anywhere she wants to shoot shows that this is about HER, not me or him. My wife suggested two bows but that just shows the separation. If she is holding the same bow on both sides of the tree, she'll see some unity in her parenting. THIS I KNOW as a child. I clearly remember having to change clothes or leave things behind going from one parent to another. I never liked that and I recall feeling the animosity between the two because of that. Thankfully, no parent hates each other or fights. This is key to her development in my opinion.


----------



## hunt3dokc (Jan 30, 2008)

You have a good Heart. He is lucky to have you in her Life. Good Luck Aaron


----------



## Angela (Oct 19, 2006)

My 8 year old (almost 9) has been shooting since she was 2. She loves it. She has a Browning Micro Midas 4, I believe. 

My youngest is 3 and started shooting last summer. She shoots a little long bow, until she's big enough for a compound.


----------



## bowtechbuffy (Jul 3, 2007)

my 9 year old couldn't pull 15lbs when he started 6 months ago, so we started him out with a Bear Warrior (About $50) just to see if he liked it. He LOVES it. So we invested in a Diamond Cutter that will grow with him. Hubby had it cranked up to 27 lbs and our little guy could actually draw it back even though we're still goign to keep it lighter than that for him. 

Archeyr is a great sport for ALL AGES, 10 is definitly not too young to start.


----------



## bigbuckdn (Sep 19, 2007)

my 6 and 12 year old girls both shoot they love it and they are getting better at it all the time might even end up with a huntress or 2


----------



## bowgirl5 (Aug 6, 2008)

I started shooting when I was around the age of 6. I got kind of bored/frustrated with it after a while, and went on hiatus for 5 or 6 years, and am now back into it. It's a great sport for kids to get into. Recently we sold off our old bows for a new hoyt. The oldies included 2 internatures and a Scout. Nothing terrific, but kid's bows nonetheless. Perhaps don't even buy anything when she begins shooting?? Most places have bows you can rent, and, when she's starting to get confident with it see about finding a seconhand bow that can be messed around and adjusted for her. This is generally the true test of archery for a kid. It's frustrating to get this new bow and be so bad at shooting when you were great with an old bow. Go ahead and get her started. Ooops. I need to stop procrastinating now, lol. Competition tomorrow!!!


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Thanks for all the responses everyone. Looks like I'm just going to do my thing with her and that will be that. Tomorrow we're going to bass pro to pull back a Mathews Genesis. If nothing at Bass Pro Genesis-wise, then I'm going back to the other bow shop to order the pink-camo Fuse Freestyle. I hope she sticks with it. Wish me luck! haha


----------



## hunt3dokc (Jan 30, 2008)

*Fuse Bow*

That Fuse Bow Looks really Cool. I choose that one for her. Make sure and let us all know how she likes Archery. Good Luck


----------



## Rnfrazier (Sep 7, 2008)

My daughter has a pink Pse chaos
and loves it


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

hunt3dokc said:


> That Fuse Bow Looks really Cool. I choose that one for her. Make sure and let us all know how she likes Archery. Good Luck


As did I. This evening, I took Sabrina to a local archery shop (for the 2nd time) and we looked at where she fell within the draw length range. She is exactly halfway. So I figure she'll have a few years with the bow. I drew it back full length and I tell ya, it's probably 4-5 inches from my own draw! lol. So, she's got plenty of room.

I've got her set up with the Fuse sight, whisker biscuit, true ball release and I bought one used carbon fiber arrow (she's not using those crappy rubber vaned arrows. The tips wont even stick into a target. I'm going to get a set of 6 thunderstorms in the next week or so. I just need a break from the bank. haha. Oh well, it'll be worth it. She ended up picking out the camoflage Fuse Freestyle instead of pink. She says she wants a bow to look like mine. haha.

Anyway, I might throw some pictures up of her shooting it one night. Thanks for the great discussion!:shade:


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

*First night out at the shop*

I took Sabrina out last night for the first time to get her acquainted with the area (where they have the kids tournament). We shot 5 yds and 10yds. At 10yds, given only 10#s, the arrow is barely getting there. 5 yds is better for her, for now until she can pull back more. At 5 yards, she is the 12 point ring, dead center. I was like "wow!" haha. I've got the sight moved all the way down and she's getting better on form. I think the draw length is a little long because she tends to arch her back when shooting. But, hand on your jaw, nose on your string, looking through the peep to find the pins and line em up! :thumbs_up Here are a couple shots. The second picture is at 10 yards. I didnt get a pic of the bullseye shot at 5 yards because my cell phone is out of memory.


















After last night, I already got my $250 worth. She really loves it. We shot for about an hour and I asked if she was tired. She said "no way! but the bow is getting heavy!" haha. Great stuff.


----------



## squirky (Jun 17, 2007)

Great shooting :thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up Thanks for the update


----------



## Landmine (Aug 28, 2006)

I'm getting my 6yr old girl a gennesis mini bow for her 7th birthday in March


----------



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Yeah, we looked at the genesis but came to find that was not the bow for her. They are good training bows but do not fair well for 3D or stuff like that.


----------



## Sarah (Jan 21, 2009)

*Used bow*

My first bow was a used bow. It was actually given to me because it had been outgrown, but it was/is and awesome bow. It has an old camo pattern, so it doesn't look as cool. But it shoots faster and better than than many new bows. If you and your daughter aren't picky about looks, a used bow may help get her interested and get something high quality in her hands. Used bows can be a double edged sword though. we have had lots of people some into our shop who have purchased used bows that don't fit them, are missing pieces, or are not safe to use. those people get great deals, but it ends up being a waste of money if you can't use the bow. 

I think the most important thing is that any bow is better than no bow. If she decides her bow is not good enough, I'll bet she'll let you know.

Good Luck!


----------



## kodiakemt (Feb 10, 2009)

I've been trying for a couple of years (started when she was 8. She just turned 10 in Jan) to get her to the rifle range with me. Nothing doing. Few months back I was given an unneeded bow. Threw it in the car one Friday morning on the way to work and I didn't stop hearing about it till about a month ago. Borrowed an old scout camp bow from my brother and have been showing her the part and so on. It is a little to heavy (draw weight) for her so I am looking at getting a used bow. I figure if she doesn't take to it I'll just keep for a few year and let my son have a go at it. She is getting to the point that if I don't figure something out quickly, she is going to have my head.


----------



## Floridaboy (Dec 8, 2003)

Step daughters need a man in there lives...especially if DAD is not in the picture.....they are looking for love, approval, and encouragement. If it is shooting a bow, fishing, hunting.....it does not matter. Get involved show her you are interested and she will be too and you could end up with a buddy for life. Make it easy and fun at first and then challenge her and praise her when she does well. If mom is not interested in shooting she will never give you any crap about her daughter shooting because you are taking interest in one of her most prized possesions.


----------



## rcarrier21 (Jan 22, 2009)

*Worked the other way for us*

I'm the mom of a 10 year old son. The way this all started for us is my son was at Sportsman's and he was oggling the archery department. I nice woman named Terry asked me if it would be okay if he shot a couple of arrows. I said, sure. Then she asked if I wanted to shoot a couple of arrows. I said, sure. I've shot guns (made topgun at POST). I hadn't considered archery. Pretty soon, every time I offered my son a reward, he asked to go to Sportsman's and shoot. No skin off my nose. I liked it too. Pretty soon, I got us one genesis with the idea that we would both shoot that. Well, he started overdrawing it and developing bad form. Can't have that, so I got him a little Phantom (Fuse). Course if he got a new toy, maybe I needed a new toy too. So I got a Diamond edge. We joined the club here. Next thing I know, 10 year old showing real promise! He gets a hoyt trykon jr. Course, he gets a new toy, I get a new toy :angel: So I get scope and a sure-loc with a viper scope. We've done a Vegas and an indoor novelty together. I stand right next to him in JOAD  None of the little boys in the class seem to mind that I am a middle aged woman! Next weekend we'll do another indoor novelty. I'm sure one of these days, he's going to tell me "no mom, just us guys." But I'm going to ride this for all it's worth right now!


----------



## lorit1964 (Feb 8, 2008)

*10 year old girl*

My daughter started shooting when she turned six. She started in a joad program with a 12 lb recurve. after a few weeks she decided she wanted to stick with it and compete. We went to a pro shop and got her a compound bow that was dialed back to 12 lbs fir her and she had it for 5 years (it grew with her) then she got a hoyt bow and I can't pry it out of her fingers. 

If you want to ak someone of that age group she is now 12 and has her own account here I can ask her to get in touch with you.

I see no reason your step chilld can't start shooting. I would recommend it.
It helps with co ordination, focusing at school, there are many pluses.


----------



## Archery Ang (Apr 24, 2006)

My 9 year old daughter started shooting when she was 5 and started competing when she was 7. She absolutely loves it.


----------



## 09hoytkatera (Feb 16, 2009)

*YES to the girls*

This bow belongs to my 10 year old daughter. I've taken some pics of her shooting it but they aren't on this computer.


----------



## sass67 (Jun 7, 2006)

I brought up both my Son and Dtr. hunting and fishing. Archery was not only in the woods but something we had a ball with in our yard all year long. My children are older and I now have two grandchildren. My son is an avid bow hunter and my dtr is just now getting back into it a little. 
If you give her the opportunity to try it, no pressure, just have fun shooting and go from there, she will show you if she likes it or not. My dtr did, but got away from it for several years and is now coming back. You should make sure you get her a bow that fits her. She will let you know the rest......
Archery is a wonderful way to build a relationship!


----------



## Toryjo (Feb 4, 2008)

All three of my children shoot i have a 10 yr old boy, and two daughters 6 and 3 that shoot they love it when we go to the club to shoot. We actually started all of them with the genesis bow that way the let off and drw weight wasnt to much for them my son now shoots a 30 pound diamond edge which of course he needs new limbs now since he can draw more weight now but the girls are shooting the genesis mini and they have a ball shooting my girls are very ompetitive in all they do so its fun to see them strive at some thing they like to do my 10 year old and 6 year old even wrestle cuase it makes you use your muscles they tell me....lol... good luck and if she is interested get her going.....


----------



## nag (Jun 13, 2007)

Of course archery is great for a girl! Archery teaches disipline as well as confidence, not to mention the physical benefits that come form pulling a bow.
A great bow to look at and one that will "grow" with the child is a Bowtech Edge. It has adjustability up the wazoo and is a good performaning bow.
I believe the newer offering from Bowtech for 2009 is called the Razor's Edge.


----------

