MONROE - The youth archery league in Monroe has been operating since 1995 underneath the Voegeli, Ewald and Bartholf Law Offices on 10th Street, and despite its underground location that could denote a secret society, the league has a boisterous group of kids "nocking" and "loosing" at targets.
The converted office space in the basement has fluorescent lights pock-marked with slices in the plastic and plaster where rogue arrows skipped past their intended destination into white bales. A group of 15 kids straddled a red line marking a 20-yard demarcation from the targets on Saturday. The tweet of two whistle blows notified the kids aged 6 to 18 to draw and loose, playing a game of "300," similar to darts. The kids compete against themselves, but the normally solitary sport of archery seems to foster camaraderie here.
One 6-year-old flung an arrow that hit the yellow bullseye mark and looked over to an approving parent, and some of the middle school-aged girls congratulated each other after each round, also picking apart their form.
South Central Wisconsin Archers Club President Allen Metz said they first teach the kids to be safe and then mostly set them loose to practice.
"We provide some basic equipment, then set them down the right path and answer any questions they have," Metz said.
Metz said the league has grown a lot since their first days moving into the underground shooting range.
"The first year, we didn't have heat," he said.
Eventually the club grew as more families joined, and now they typically have about 75 kids signed up per season, though they have had as many as 100, Youth Director Ritch Miller said. The club provides entry-level equipment including bows in a range of sizes and styles, as well as arrows, targets and a SWCA shirt for the kids. The club subsists off of local businesses' sponsorship and their membership fees, but the money mostly goes toward equipment, rent and repair, Metz said. Annual membership costs are $25 for the youth, $45 for a single adult and $55 for a family membership. A lot of the kids tend to have at least a cursory knowledge of how to shoot a bow before joining the league, but Metz said they take any skill level.
Miller wandered the 20-yard line Saturday inspecting the kids' form and dropping tips to improve their shots, like keeping their draw hand coming back to the same place on their face.
"Make sure your anchor point is always in the same spot," Miller said.
Some of the more wobbly and nervous kids in the 6-, 7- and 8-year-old league later toed the 10-yard line and carefully nocked their arrows, with only a few arrows slipping out and onto the ground. Miller stops to visit some kids individually and helps them nock their arrows, encouraging them to shoot - never pressuring them to hit a bullseye every time.
"It's all practice, right? No trophies today," Miller said.
Miller has been the youth league director for about three years, and he said they are the closest youth league outside of Janesville, getting kids from New Glarus, Juda, Brodhead and as far away as Argyle.
"Some places kids have to drive like four hours just to practice, so it's great we have this here locally," Miller said.
The league has produced several state champions and even national champions, like Metz's daughter Kelley. He said she won her first state competition when she was 6 or 7 and won a national competition in her late teens. Metz said the league is mostly for the sport, and though they have a few hunters in the group, the league focuses on practice for competitions. Miller said they have a youth competition the last week of February that is open to all clubs in the area.
For the last group of about 10 young kids in the 6- ,7- and 8-year-old range, Metz walked in front of the 10-yard line and ran through some of the safety measures.
"What does one whistle mean?" Metz asked.
"Grab your bow," the kids yelled.
"And what about two whistles?" he asked.
"Shoot," the kids answered.
"Wow, you guys are the best group ever - you got all the questions right," he said.
The converted office space in the basement has fluorescent lights pock-marked with slices in the plastic and plaster where rogue arrows skipped past their intended destination into white bales. A group of 15 kids straddled a red line marking a 20-yard demarcation from the targets on Saturday. The tweet of two whistle blows notified the kids aged 6 to 18 to draw and loose, playing a game of "300," similar to darts. The kids compete against themselves, but the normally solitary sport of archery seems to foster camaraderie here.
One 6-year-old flung an arrow that hit the yellow bullseye mark and looked over to an approving parent, and some of the middle school-aged girls congratulated each other after each round, also picking apart their form.
South Central Wisconsin Archers Club President Allen Metz said they first teach the kids to be safe and then mostly set them loose to practice.
"We provide some basic equipment, then set them down the right path and answer any questions they have," Metz said.
Metz said the league has grown a lot since their first days moving into the underground shooting range.
"The first year, we didn't have heat," he said.
Eventually the club grew as more families joined, and now they typically have about 75 kids signed up per season, though they have had as many as 100, Youth Director Ritch Miller said. The club provides entry-level equipment including bows in a range of sizes and styles, as well as arrows, targets and a SWCA shirt for the kids. The club subsists off of local businesses' sponsorship and their membership fees, but the money mostly goes toward equipment, rent and repair, Metz said. Annual membership costs are $25 for the youth, $45 for a single adult and $55 for a family membership. A lot of the kids tend to have at least a cursory knowledge of how to shoot a bow before joining the league, but Metz said they take any skill level.
Miller wandered the 20-yard line Saturday inspecting the kids' form and dropping tips to improve their shots, like keeping their draw hand coming back to the same place on their face.
"Make sure your anchor point is always in the same spot," Miller said.
Some of the more wobbly and nervous kids in the 6-, 7- and 8-year-old league later toed the 10-yard line and carefully nocked their arrows, with only a few arrows slipping out and onto the ground. Miller stops to visit some kids individually and helps them nock their arrows, encouraging them to shoot - never pressuring them to hit a bullseye every time.
"It's all practice, right? No trophies today," Miller said.
Miller has been the youth league director for about three years, and he said they are the closest youth league outside of Janesville, getting kids from New Glarus, Juda, Brodhead and as far away as Argyle.
"Some places kids have to drive like four hours just to practice, so it's great we have this here locally," Miller said.
The league has produced several state champions and even national champions, like Metz's daughter Kelley. He said she won her first state competition when she was 6 or 7 and won a national competition in her late teens. Metz said the league is mostly for the sport, and though they have a few hunters in the group, the league focuses on practice for competitions. Miller said they have a youth competition the last week of February that is open to all clubs in the area.
For the last group of about 10 young kids in the 6- ,7- and 8-year-old range, Metz walked in front of the 10-yard line and ran through some of the safety measures.
"What does one whistle mean?" Metz asked.
"Grab your bow," the kids yelled.
"And what about two whistles?" he asked.
"Shoot," the kids answered.
"Wow, you guys are the best group ever - you got all the questions right," he said.