April Says

ASA EXTENDED FAMILIES
By April Williams

It's five o'clock Wednesday evening. You've cleaned your bow and you're ready to go. You've packed your bags. You hop in the car for your next ASA Tournament adventure and road trip. After a ten-hour drive, you pull into a dark camp site. You lightly tap on the door and are greeted by friends. People who care about you and are worried until you arrive safely. This is the part of the ASA tournaments that I think people don't always take time to enjoy. Most of us arrive at these tournaments with illusions of grandeur. Wouldn't it be great if everyone went home a winner? Unfortunately, most of us aren't that lucky.

You could feel the excitement in the air as you walked onto the range on the sunny afternoon of February 6th at the Easton Pro/Am in Newberry, FL. Seeing friends that you haven't seen since the Classic last August, hugging and catching up�all part of the ASA experience.

The newest topic of conversation this weekend was the Women's Known 40 class. Aside from the Women's Hunter, all forty targets at known distances, and Women's Open, twenty unknown distance targets on Saturday and twenty known targets on Sunday, now the ASA is offering a class for those women who would like to continue to compete out to forty yards. Whether you're a working mom that doesn't have time to practice judging yardage or judging just isn't your forte, there's a class just for you.

I witnessed mixed emotions regarding the Women's Known 40 class this weekend. Most women had nothing but positive comments and support regarding the new class. However, there were also a few negatives. The biggest concern among shooters was the Known 40 class having the yardage cards on the same course as the Women's Open on Saturday. The odds of seeing or hearing the yardages given to the K-40 class are pretty significant, whether on purpose or by accident. Only time will tell how the ASA and competitors will handle this temptation.

Among the sea of familiar faces, there were also some new faces in each of the classes. For the Florida Pro/Am, the classes had good attendance. Women's Open had twenty-four competitors, Women's Known 40 had twenty-nine, and Women's Hunter class boasted a whopping fifty-four competitors.

As hard as we all try, and I'm sure everyone gave it their best, only one person can come out on top. The Women's Open top three places were: 1) Cindy Steele, 2) Kailey Johnston, and 3) Sandra Ward. The Women's Know 40 places were: 1) Robin Green, 2) Patty Johnson, and 3) Brittany Johnson. And finally, the Women's Hunter class places were: 1) Lindsay Holley, 2) Krystal Colton, and 3) Lori Lowe.

Keep up the good work, ladies!!! Practice hard over the next few weeks and we'll see you in March at the Hoyt USA Pro/Am in Columbus, Georgia!
SHOOT 'EM UP!

Paris Texas...

Wow! What a thrilling weekend! With beautiful weather, despite the hurricane winds, and great friends to shoot along side of, I was able to pull off a 2nd place win in the Women's Open class at the Southwest Shootout in Paris, Texas. Exciting, yes! But there was a small issue that weighed heavily on my mind�the future of the women's classes.

A few of my fellow women shooters, as well as myself, noticed that our class had shrunk considerably. In Florida and Georgia this year, the Women's Open class (W-O) had 23-24 shooters. However, this weekend, our class boasted a whopping 16 shooters! Why the low numbers you may ask? Well, we shooters believe that introducing the new Women's Known 40 (WK-40) has greatly reduced our number of competitors. With this new development, at least half of the women who previously shot Women's Open have moved to the WK-40 class. In 2009, the W-O averaged 40 competitors throughout the season. This year, so far, our future doesn't look so bright. The concept of multiple classes for female competitors is great, but at what cost? More classes, each with lesser competitors.

With that being said, what does that do for the future of the Women's Pro (W-Pro) class? In my opinion, the Women's Pro class will never really grow very far beyond the participation that they currently have. The W-Pro class is a 40 target, 50 yard max, all unknown competition. All of the amateur women classes have at least one known yardage day. I spoke with a few W-Pro competitors and the general consensus was, the current amateur structure for women archers doesn't prepare them for the Pro class.

So, what's the solution? Here was one suggestion...

Current Structure
Women's Bowhunter - 35 yard max - 2 days known yardage - $300 win out/move up
Women's Known 40 - 40 yard max - 2 days known yardage - No win out/move up
Women's Open - 45 yard max - 1 day known/1 day unknown - No win out/move up

Suggested Solution
Women's Bowhunter - 35 yard max - 2 days known yardage - $300 win out/move up WK-40 or W-O
Women's "Open B" - 40 yard max - 1 day known/1 day unknown - $ win out/move up to W-O
Women's "Open A" - 45 yard max - 2 days unknown yardage - OPTIONAL win out/move up*
(*In the interest of individual and familial financial preparedness, a requirement for a win out/move up to W-Pro should be considered an optional move.)

There may be some women who are content with continuing to compete in their current class. However, if you are continually winning, then you are probably one of those women, like myself, who have more long-term goals and want to eventually compete with the big girls! : With the current structure in place, our goals may be a little harder to achieve on a competitive level.

The issues we are facing as women archers won't be solved overnight. However, with enough input and feedback that can be provided by YOU the competitor, maybe a favorable solution will arise. I would really hate to see any female class omitted, but this is definitely something to think about and direct your attention towards.

Women's competitive classes�To Be or Not To Be.

Along the Way to an ASA

By: April Williams
The Great Smokey Mountains, Ruby Falls, Mammoth Cave...all beautiful wonders of nature. One of the greatest things that I enjoy during our trips to any ASA tournament is the scenic journey on the way to our destination. That has to be one of the biggest perks of taking a road trip. I understand that not everyone is able to drive to all of the tournaments; however, if you are one of the lucky few, take time out to visit some of nature's gifts along the way.
It started with us a few years ago on our way to an ASA shoot in Augusta, Georgia. Enjoying a warm spring drive through Chattanooga, Tennessee, Joey and I decided to stop at Ruby Falls. Ruby Falls is one of three attractions in the Chattanooga area. Lookout Mountain and Rock City are also located here. Ruby Falls is a 145-foot high underground waterfall that's water source has yet to be located after all of these years. What a beautiful sight to behold!
This year, on our trip home from Columbus, Georgia, we stopped at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Unable to devote an entire day to exploring the cave, we decided to take one of the shorter tours. The tour consisted of exploring the entrance of the cave, a room named "The Rotunda" and a brief history of the cave. Did you know that Mammoth Cave is the largest underground cave in the world? Pretty cool, huh! After experiencing the darkness and a noticeable drop in temperature, our tour ended back at the entrance. That particular tour only took forty-five minutes out of our day. The tour was quite enjoyable and a nice break in our drive home.
Most recently, we drove through the Great Smokey Mountains State Park, starting in North Carolina through Tennessee. Upon entering the park, we noticed a sign: Elk Crossing. Joey and I looked at one another and just chuckled. Yeah, right, elk? Less than ten minutes later, we were looking across an open field at two grazing elk with two more attempting to cross the road to join them. As we drove on, the altitude changed quite a bit, along with the scenery. As we ascended up the mountain, the trees and brush were very green and new. As we approached what seemed like the "top", we noticed that the trees were still naked and gray. Descending back down the mountains, we enjoyed seeing natural waterfalls down the sides through rocks and trees. Beautiful little wonders! There were even a couple of small tunnels we had to pass through.
These attractions are just the tip of the iceberg. It truly is the little things that can make our days enjoyable. As I said before, I know that not everyone is capable of taking a road trip to some of the archery tournaments. But, if you ever have the opportunity and time to drive versus fly to any competition, be sure to plan a stop or two to enjoy the sights and wonders available to us.

Picture this�Hawaiian print shirts paired with flannel shorts, bikini tops and pajama bottoms. What? Who would wear such fashion atrocities? Well, if you attended the --- Pro/Am held in London, Kentucky then you would know exactly who might wear such outfits. Yes, they've done it again�the Women's Open class!

In past years, the Women's Open class have gotten together and decided to bring a whole new aspect to a day of shooting. In 2008, we entertained "Funny Shorts" day and saw some really crazy ones. A few of us didn't stop at the shorts. Later that year we decided to decorate our shooter chairs. There was a toilet chair, Mardi Gras chair and a Mike Tyrell chair. We observed "Hat Day" in Mississippi in 2009. Hats ranged from an Army helmet to a fox headdress. Whew�I bet that got warm!

"Just Shoot" are two of the most simplistic, yet extremely crucial, one-syllable words that you will find in an archer's vocabulary. What could possibly be so important about these two little words? They seem a little silly, I'm sure.

When any of us arrive at any tournament, whether you shoot IBO, ASA, FITA, NFAA, etc., we arrive with a sense of determination. That determination grows as the weekend continues. Our goal is to win our division/class and go home with the top trophy.

In archery, I've realized that too much thinking can get in the way. For instance, if you try too hard, some archers can anticipate their shot, causing a small amount of target panic and end up with a not-so-pretty score. If you are too relaxed, your competitors see you as uncaring and an easy target. Too relaxed can also lead to a shooter becoming "soft" in their shot. We tend to put too much stress on ourselves to do well. If we are unable to relinquish this undue stress, it can be truly detrimental to our mental game.

When you feel yourself getting a little too worried about where your score ranks among others or if you are going to beat this person or that one, take a minute to regroup. Take some long, cleansing deep breaths. Hum a little tune to yourself. Take an IPod or MP3 player, sit back and listen for a minute. Do anything to get your mind off of the importance of the task at hand.

Determination is a great thing. Competitiveness, even better. However, too much of either one can truly get in the way of our shooting. Sometimes you've got to let it all go and just shoot!

Here we are, another ASA season in the history books. What do we do now? Some shooters will be looking forward to the IBO World Championship in Ellicottville, New York. Some will ready their gear for the upcoming hunting season. Still others will relive the last year and decide how to improve for next year. A wise man once told me, "Do not expect to improve by continuing to do the same old routines that didn't work the first time." Well said!! So, here I sit. What do I need to improve on?
I personally have a few things to get worked out of my system before meeting up with my "girls" in Newberry, Florida in 2011.
Do you have trouble guessing yardage?
Joey and I were advised to purchase some of the McKenzie targets that are regularly used by the ASA, set them up in your back yard and study looking at them every day that you possibly can. That would be quite expensive; however it would definitely be helpful and productive. Also, we would need to move from our current residence somewhere that we would be able to set up the targets. A quarter acre lot in the middle of town isn't an ideal location.
Does your shot lack conviction?
The answer to that may lie within the "blank bale" realm. A good shot is the result of your muscles and equipment moving as one, performing as one and repeating the same every time. So, if you remove the "target" factor, stand 5-7 yards away from a blank bale, bag or "face-less" target, set your stance, pull, shoot and repeat, and you should be able to imprint a mental image of your perfect shot, as well as create muscle memory that will keep you on top of your game.
Do you repeat your shot sequence the same with every shot?
One of the best things that Joey and I have found that has helped us tremendously is using a video camera during our practices. We will film one another each time we shoot, take notes on how the shot felt and possibly where it hit on the target. Then at the end of the day, we upload our filmed shots onto our computer and compare them. Why did this shot go right? Did I pull my bow arm off target? The majority of these questions can be answered by just studying yourself.

Now that I've given you some things to think about, I'm going to leave you with this to remember. You've got to want it to win it! I don't know about you, but I really want it next year!

So, keep posted this fall and we will keep you up to date with what seems to work for us!

Yes�we enjoy our time out on the range, seeing old friends and getting to know new shooters that we've never seen or shot with before. Most of us have a great time. But, what happens after you're done shooting? Do you go back to your hotel or campsite and lock yourself up with no outside contact? No way! You get together with your friends. You hang out at their "Scamper" camper and enjoy one another's company.

Recently, Joey Girvin and I had the privilege of staying with Gary and Whitney Meadows and family at their campsite at Uchee Creek in Columbus, Georgia. We arrived in their campsite at 1:00 a.m. Thursday morning. We were greeted with smiles and hellos, however sleepy they may have been, we were "home" for the night.

On Friday, following the Zebra Twist Team Shoot, we joined Whitney and Gary again, along with many other friends and enjoyed a "wild" buffet of food. Donnie Meadows contributed a wild turkey breast from one of his hunts, Mike Graham provided some spicy Italian venison sausage from one of his, along with some chicken breast, a variety of sides, a homemade cherry pie from our cherry harvest last summer and Cindy Steele providing beverages, we feasted like kings. Enjoying one another's company, we spent hours talking, catching up, laughing, sharing hunting videos and just having a blast!

I live in Kokomo, Indiana, the flattest part of the state. The ASA shoots are quite a drive for us; each tournament averaging ten hours one way. It's safe to say that some of my best friends are those that I get to visit with at the ASA tournaments and we all travel to a common location to shoot and enjoy time together. I commend the ASA for promoting a family-oriented organization. All of our friends are definitely our family away from home.

Don't let these shoots pass you by without taking time to enjoy those who matter most to you. As I stated before, I would love to return home with a 1st place victory from an ASA tournament, however, I remember to enjoy the down time that we have with some of the most important people in our lives, outside of our family at home.