I would always advocate going to a GNAS affiliated archery club; archery is a weapons sport with an excellent safety record, and it makes sense if you want to shoot a bow to learn how to do it properly, safely and in an approved environment.

There are over 60 archery clubs in Yorkshire, of which 10 are in South Yorkshire.

Many clubs run beginners courses. Typically these last for 12 hours tuition, often over six sessions, one session per week, and beginners are required to complete this course before they can become full members.

Such courses are intended to get you up to a standard where you can shoot safely and enjoyably though you will still have a lot of learning and skill development to do. Many clubs have qualified coaches who can help you to improve and progress.

Contact clubs in your area to find out which are running beginners courses, when they will be running them and how much they cost. A list of clubs can be found on the YAA website (click here).

Local Clubs

Sheffield

Abbeydale Archers - click here for website

Arrowflight Archers (contact Yorkshire Archery Association for more details)

University of Sheffield Archery Club - click here for website

Barnsley

Barnsley Archery Club and Junior Archery Club- Click here for website

Barnsley YMCA Archers - click here for website

Rotherham

Chantry Bowmen Archery Club - click here for website

Doncaster

Danum Archers and Danum Junior Archers - click here for website

Dearne Valley Archery Club and Junior Archery Club (contact Yorkshire Archery Association for more details)

Greenman Archery Club - click here for website

Hangingwood Archery Club (contact Yorkshire Archery Association for more details)

Harvester Archers - click here for website

Equipment

We advise beginners against buying bows and arrows immediately. It`s best to complete a club`s archery instruction course and gain some experience in using the equipment before making a purchase, otherwise you could buy equipment that is not suitable for you. This is especially likely to happen if you go to a general sports shop or fishing tackle shop rather than a specialist archery dealer.

Clubs usually have a number of bows and sets of arrows that beginners may use, and club members will have plenty of advice on what equipment will suit you.

There are different types of bows that you may wish to shoot, and you can often try these at a club once you join, or at a specialist archery dealer.

There is no upper age limit in archery - some people continue well into their eighties.

There is no hard-and-fast lower age limit either, but many coaches have found that 10 years old is a sensible lower limit. Children younger than 10 sometimes struggle physically to control a bow, and children under 8 often don`t understand the safety instructions. If in doubt, a club`s coaches will often be willing to assess the child`s suitability at a special session. The GNAS insurance that covers clubs does not allow children under 8 years of age to shoot with a club or to participate in beginners courses.

Protection of children and vulnerable adults

Our national association has issued some guidelines on the protection of children and vulnerable adults. We encourage all clubs to follow these guidelines.

The guidelines require that a parent or guardian accompanies children under 14 years of age throughout the duration of the beginners course. At least two adults must be present, at least one of whom must be a member of the Grand National Archery Society.

Children aged 14 years or over may shoot only if there are at least two adults present. These adults may be club members, parents or guardians. At least one of these adults must be a member of the Grand National Archery Society.

Similar considerations apply to vulnerable adults. The exact rules will depend on the nature and severity of the vulnerability.

Coaching in Archery

YAA Coaching provides training for archers who wish to become coaches, and supports the continuing professional development of coaches.

There are different levels of Coach grade, the higher the level the more expertise the coach will have in developing performance of archers at higher levels.

Many clubs, but not all, will have qualified coaches. These are not paid coaches who do this full time, but archers who have chosen to also go into coaching. Because of this, coach availability might be limited, however it is unusual for coaches to charge a fee to individuals.

All qualified coaches have had Child protection training and an enhanced level CRB check. Below is a summary of what the different levels of coach may be able to support – however, many coaches are experienced archers and their skills may be well above the level of their qualification.

Level 1 – this is the entry grade, designed to teach beginners safely and effectively to enter the sport with a good foundation of technique.

Level 2 – this is a grade which begins to develop performance, taking the novice into competitive archery at intermediate levels. Level 2 coaches will be able to work with all bow styles.

County Coach – this is a higher grade of coach who will be technically proficient in all bowstyles and able to support higher levels of performance across different styles of archery. County coaches are deemed to be organisers, managers and public relations people as well as coaches, but the training provides a sound basis for developing into higher level performance coaching and coach training.

Senior Coach – these are trained at National level to work as coaching development managers, squad organisers, coach education managers and providers, and performance coaching at higher levels including elite. They will often work nationally rather than within a geographical area, and may become involved in national project development. They are coach education tutors, mentors, assessors and moderators.

Further information and links

Yorkshire Archery Association

Northern Counties Archery Society

The Grand National Archery Society