Hudson Valley Continuing Ed: Bow Required, Tights Optional

  |  January 13, 2015

The weather outside is still frightful, but we at Upstater have seen the light at the end of the tunnel…or at the very least, we’re seeing more light. The days are gradually getting longer, reminding us that spring will come again, even if warmer weather seems like a pipe dream at present.

Now that we can safely assume that winter will end at some point, we’re looking into our options for outdoor activities in the Hudson Valley, and we are especially excited to present one of the area’s oldest sporting traditions: archery!

Depending on when and where you grew up, you may have been exposed to a bow and arrow as early as grade school gym class. And for a good reason – regular archery practice will fine-tune both your mental and physical capacities, and unlike other sports that are tough on athletes, the career of a professional archer can go on for decades.

Nowadays, you would have to search high and low to find archery offered as a phys ed. program in schools, and for most of us, the idea of archery has been relegated to our collective memory of the idyllic summer camp experience, or our fondest moments with the Wii. At Flying Arrow Sports, however, archery is on the daily agenda, and these patient pros are offering their expertise to everyone and anyone who has the determination to give archery a go!

East Greenbush Youth Archery League

The indoor range at Flying Arrow’s Greenbush location is open to archers both tall and small!

Flying Arrow Sports has three locations in NY: East Greenbush, Wappingers Falls, and Carmel. Each location serves as both a pro shop and an archery range, with indoor facilities like the one in the photo above, as well as outdoor space for archery lessons in the spring and summer.

What we love about Flying Arrow Sports is that they have something for aspiring archers at every level of experience. For newbies, pro shop staffers are available right from the beginning to guide you through choosing the appropriate equipment. They have an impressive inventory of both recurve and compound bows, and once you find your perfect match, you can work one-on-one with the professionals in private lessons held on-site (by appointment only). Want to make it a family affair? Flying Arrow’s East Greenbush location has their own youth instruction league focusing on the basics of technique and form, and the Carmel location recently posted a youth league event set for January 17th on their facebook page.

So whether you’re interested in archery for the exercise or to help get your taxidermy business off the ground, we highly recommend rounding up the kids and meeting with the attentive and friendly staff at Flying Arrow Sports. Who knows? By the time the pool thaws, you may have found a new favorite sport.

Robin-Hood-Tights-bh05

Cary Elwes and his horse will see you at the range….

 

About Elizabeth Wilson

Elizabeth Wilson is an Upstater born and bred with a generalist’s education and a specialist’s passion for the Hudson Valley. Ask nicely and she’ll make you a bagel sandwich. Ask really nicely and she’ll accompany that bagel sandwich with a Bob Dylan impersonation.

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