You are entirely correct, but the point I was trying to make was in relation to the comments that many people never manage to find the wider world of archery beyond the target club they start at, and which might provide something to hold their interest for longer.I mean, in the last couple of years AGB have started the AGB 3D National Champs (it's next month at Pentref if anyone is interested) and there are considerably more 3D shoots under the auspices of AGB than there were only five years ago. There was an AGB 3D shoot only at the weekend. It certainly isn't against AGB's interests to point their members to non-target events, there are at least 23 field events in the calendar, and that doesn't even include my county field champs!
And sure AGB have a bit of a monopoly on beginners, but a quick look at the EFAA website shows absolutely nothing about how to start archery. How to become an instructor, how to set up a club, that's there... how to actually take up the sport, nada. A look at the NFAS page tells me I can only be a 'provisional member' until I'm signed off... but nothing about taking up the sport or how to be 'signed off'. The AGB website, literally on the home page one of the options is "Start Archery". Maybe if the other organisations made even a minimum of effort AGB wouldn't have the monopoly they do on beginners.
Is AGB field doing well? As I said before, the only AGB field club that I know of in Scotland just switched to SFAA. It's all very well saying grass roots volunteers need to do something, but what did AGB do to hang onto the club that used to host the Scottish Field Archery Championships every year? Anything?Whilst field is doing reasonably well under AGB it does very much depend on where you are or how much you want to travel. My nearest AGB field club is a 100 mile/2hr trip. I would love something closer, but that is only likely to come if someone/some people have the time, money, and resources to set a new club up. Like many things in archery it comes down to the grassroots volunteers who have a particular passion.
That's what I was trying to sayIs AGB field doing well? As I said before, the only AGB field club that I know of in Scotland just switched to SFAA. It's all very well saying grass roots volunteers need to do something, but what did AGB do to hang onto the club that used to host the Scottish Field Archery Championships every year? Anything?
Unfortunately Argyll is the one that I am taking about.That's what I was trying to say
It's doing reasonably well IF you are in one of the hotspots or prepared to travel a long way.
For you and I, not so much.
And providing new opportunities/growth (or even just supporting/preserving what's there as you say) falls to the grassroots volunteers (with passion, time, and money), but I don't think all of it should HAVE to.
I'd like to see more support from above to help and drive growth in other disciplines and make it easier to try/access them, especially where they aren't common/available at the moment.
P.S.
GBNIField website suggests:
Argyll Field Archers – Taynuilt
Auld Braidlie – Scottish Borders
Whether this is up to date (last I heard Auld Braidlie moved to be SFAA/NFAS) or either of these are remotely close to you might be another matter.
Yes, I think so. Most sports run as hobbies don't seem to have the cachet and draw that the big money professional sports have. Why would you spend years training to be the Tim Henman of the archery world and scrape by on sponsorship, if you are lucky, when you could train the same years and be the Tim Henman of the Tennis world and earn £millions from sponsorship?Does it? I'd guess the vast majority of people signing up for beginner courses (mostly AGB due to aforementioned near monopoly) ...
Perhaps that's the answer, AGB should focus on the archers that are really good. Oh.....waitI stay ( on and off) as it's the only Sport I am reasonably good at. I suck at running and jumping
I understand where you're coming from, but how many people take up a sport/activity with the aim of becoming world champion/making millions as a sports star? A few, such as the Williams sisters, but I think the vast majority of new archers are here because it seems like a cool activity and something to do as a family or to relax.Why would you spend years training to be the Tim Henman of the archery world and scrape by on sponsorship, if you are lucky, when you could train the same years and be the Tim Henman of the Tennis world and earn £millions from sponsorship?
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I've thought about it quite often but even now I can't really say why I stayed with it.
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Perhaps it would help by understanding why people stay rather than why people leave the sport?
You’ll not be going for the new combined Archery and Running or skiing competitions then?I stay ( on and off) as it's the only Sport I am reasonably good at. I suck at running and jumping
I can't think of anything more ridiculousYou’ll not be going for the new combined Archery and Running or skiing competitions then?
Nothing at all as far as I’m aware.. I thought that AGB and SA might have asked us why we were leaving but nothing heard except from a few individuals asking if we were hosting the Scottish Field Championships.Is AGB field doing well? As I said before, the only AGB field club that I know of in Scotland just switched to SFAA. It's but what did AGB do to hang onto the club that used to host the Scottish Field Archery Championships every year? Anything?
Field archery isn’t a solution, it’s a disciplineThere are two field clubs in my area. The nearest field club to me is really small. They all shoot bare bow as gap shooters. No compounds allowed. You just turn up when you like so never really see anyone that much. The other club again no compound is a good hours drive if traffic is kind. I don't see how Field archery, at least where I live, as a solution to anything
I'm not in GB, so know little about the specifics of how archery is organized in GB, but the general issues seem pretty universal. In Australia, I understand, the "churn" is not really worse than other sports. Most other sports are youth based and suffer massive attrition as kids hit puberty. Archery on the other hand is a "lifetime" sport. Many people take it up as an adult, and some (few) people take it up in their youth and are still doing it in there old age. To those who have been shooting 30 years, it seems there must be something wrong if people leave after one or two years, but I think that is the reality for most sports. Most people just want to "give it a go".Membership churn for as long as I have been in archery has been horrendous, that is acknowledged as a problem but that is as far as it goes decimating membership growth each year and no discount scheme is going to fix that.
Perhaps the only question we need to understand is why so many people are drawn to archery and what it is that turns them off after a very short time. Afterall most who join a club commit and end up spending £350-500 on equipment. Why is the reality not matching up with expectations?
Oh, just as a matter of trivia, a Pope Young round has six bosses set out on an arc, and six shooting pegs set out on another arc. One archer stands on each peg and shoots one arrow at each boss against the clock. They all then move by one peg. So you end up shooting 36 unknown distances against the clock.The only 'Pope & Young' that I could think of is bowhunting in the US, and the only non-bowhunting example using that name seemed to be bosses put out at random distances with random target faces on (ie - a club fun shoot), so there's probably a pretty good reason why you've not heard of it before.
I kind of agree and disagree.I'm not in GB, so know little about the specifics of how archery is organized in GB, but the general issues seem pretty universal. In Australia, I understand, the "churn" is not really worse than other sports. Most other sports are youth based and suffer massive attrition as kids hit puberty. Archery on the other hand is a "lifetime" sport. Many people take it up as an adult, and some (few) people take it up in their youth and are still doing it in there old age. To those who have been shooting 30 years, it seems there must be something wrong if people leave after one or two years, but I think that is the reality for most sports. Most people just want to "give it a go".
Of course, increased retention would be great, and especially if there are things pushing people away that should be addressed, but I think high attrition is just how it is with these kinds of activities.
I know of a number of local clubs that do this annually with lapsed members via email and the response rate is below 1% - with the answer no longer interested.On the other hand I feel that AGB seem to focus on bringing in new members (big weekends, project Rimaya etc) rather than keeping the ones that they have. I'd think that a start would be phoning lapsed members and asking why.
we've seen a lot of this. Members still paying their memberships but we never see them. When we paid their area fees for them 1st year of COVID and DIDNT take club fees, they still paid AGB. Now as we take club fees for the first time in 2 years we've seen the drop-off hit. Left the club very much in the lurch as we spent to keep the club running for the active shooters. Now as we return to a more normal outdoor season without covid levels scaring people ... the club has shrunk.There are many people who are non active members of clubs who are never seen yet in the past have paid their subs each year, this year I would expect they are re evaluating expenditure and choosing not to renew. That could have been inflating membership numbers over the years.