Bows and arrows for all

The UC Davis Archery Club provides resources for everyone, regardless of experience

By JENNA LEE — features@theaggie.org

The Saturday morning sun shines bright on the archers at Howard Field. The scene is noisy — across the street, a soccer team practices drills and Unitrans buses drive by on their way to and from the Memorial Union terminal — but at the shooting line, dozens of students, ranging from seasoned competitors to beginner archers, are focused only on their targets.

While archery is often seen as an exclusive and expensive hobby, the UC Davis Archery Club hopes to flip that narrative. They welcome archers of all skill levels, providing equipment and beginner-friendly coaching to everyone on campus and in the Davis community. For the club, the only barrier to entry is the will to try their hand at archery.

“There’s a large wealth of resources available for you,” UC Davis Archery Club Secretary Mina Kwon, a second-year cinema and digital media major, said. “Whenever you need it, it’s there.”

These resources include around 40 bows (a majority of which are barebows, a bow type that doesn’t use any accessories, as well as a few Olympic recurves and compounds), targets, coaches and access to practices on Howard Field. 

Kwon shoots compound fixed-pin, meaning she shoots a compound bow in the fixed-pin division, a division that sets limits on equipment adjustment. When she joined the club during her first year, she barely had any experience with a bow. Now, she competes nationally.

“I’d always been interested in archery since elementary school, but I could never afford lessons, and I definitely couldn’t afford equipment,” Kwon said. “Knowing that I’m able to borrow this equipment for free makes me feel secure, like there’s always going to be something there. And even if there’s not, [the club] will help me find an alternative.”

In the club, team members aren’t just peers, but also serve as a resource for improvement, offering feedback or acting as “spotters” to catch mistakes in their shooting form.

Kayleigh Boelts, a fourth-year philosophy major, learned most of her tricks with her barebow from the club’s team captains. Boelts joined this year, but she already competes with the team. 

“The club having equipment definitely makes it a lot easier,” Boelts said. “I probably wouldn’t have joined otherwise, because renting or buying equipment is very expensive.”

Prices for a barebow setup can range from $200 to over $1000, depending on added accessories, while compound bows range from $300 to over $2000. Even if students aren’t buying their own equipment, there aren’t many places to rent bows in the Davis area.

This is why, before archers commit to purchasing their own equipment, the club offers “try days,” where members can try any bow to see which type they like best. It’s also not uncommon for students to lend each other bows.

Despite the high financial barrier, Coach Larry Okinaka finds the opportunity to work with college students worthwhile.

“College students are coming to archery because they want to come to archery,” Okinaka said. “Their parents aren’t forcing them, and it’s not some sort of required class. With that enthusiasm comes a desire for learning. In an odd way, they’re teaching me. I’ve been teaching for such a long time that I can get jaded about it, but they bring a fresh, excited perspective.”

Okinaka has been with the club since its creation 15 years ago, and as a coach, he’s always striving to be better. For him, mentoring students through the challenges of the season is the most rewarding part of the job.

“I love watching people have that moment of joy when it starts clicking and they start hitting bullseyes,” Okinaka said. 

But for the student-athletes, the club offers something else — a social outlet.

“Archery is the most social thing I do,” Boelts said. “It’s nice to have a dedicated time where you’re hanging out with other people, doing something everybody enjoys and working toward a common goal. It feels like a bunch of friends hanging out while also doing archery.”

To foster this sense of camaraderie, the club organizes special events. In October, the club hosted a “Pumpkin Shoot”: a Halloween event where archers could shoot at pumpkins, spider webs and “IV bags,” which were filled with colored water. 

“There’s never a single type of person who joins archery,” Kwon said. “Everyone has very unique and diverse personalities. There’s a big roster of characters, but even with how different everyone is from each other, we get along really well because we all share that passion for archery.”

The club is an even mix of experienced shooters and beginners, but Kwon explained that the club strives to support beginners especially. When asked for advice for newcomers, she emphasized that they won’t be alone.

“You’re not going to be the only one who’s new to the team and new to the sport,” Kwon said. “Everyone’s very accepting, and there’s a lot of support, even if you’re struggling with stuff outside of archery, because all of us are still students."

Okinaka also shared his perspective.

“We want to provide a positive experience and be as inclusive as possible,” Okinaka said. “Archery is for everybody.”

Written by: Jenna Lee — features@theaggie.org