The Archery Beginner's Course is the next step on your journey into archery. This course consists of two 3 hour sessions and is usually scheduled for the last two Saturdays of each month (subject to demand and availability of coaches). This course is your formal introduction to the sport of archery.

The course consists of the following:

• Welcome to Illawarra Archers and the ancient sport of archery.

• Personal safety, equipment safety and range etiquette.

• Styles of archery and basic equipment selection.

• Initial 1 on 1 learn to shoot following the 10 step method.

• Group based practice at 10, 15 and 20 m distances.

• Basic individual development coaching

• Sighting in the bow, scoring and competition.

This course is the gateway to your individual journey into archery. All equipment is provided and the session is led by accredited Archery Australia Coaches. In the final session of the course you will compete in a small competition shooting 30 arrows at 20m on a 122cm target face. But don't worry, you are only competing against yourself. You will be awarded a certificate at the end of the course and given a beginner classification:

• First Class for scores of 240+

• Second Class for scores of 180 - 239

• Third Class for scores of 100 - 179

• Novice for scores under 100

Irrespective of your beginner classification, on successful completion of the course, you will have learned the basics of sighted recurve archery and you will have demonstrated the skills and competencies to allow you to apply for provisional membership of the club. We will also have measured you up and will provide you with information to allow you to purchase your own equipment with confidence.

We have bows that are suitable for right and left-handed archers but they do require a moderate amount of strength to draw safely and in a controlled manner. Our lightest bows have around 16 lb (~7 kg) of weight force on the fingers when aiming at full draw while some of our slightly heavier bows are rated 22 lb (~10 kg). When you completed your Come and Try Course, the coaches will have worked with you to select a bow that is appropriate to you. Even so, you need to ensure that you are comfortably fit and strong enough to use the equipment for the extended 3 hour sessions.

All archers applying for the Archery Beginner's Course must be a minimum of 8 years old, must be physically fit enough to use the equipment, and must have successfully completed a Come and Try Course at Illawarra Archers. A three hour session is fairly long, so all archers must also be capable of maintaining focus and concentration for this length of time. In accordance with club rules, all archers under 14 years old need to be under the supervision of a responsible adult at all times while at the range.

To register for an Archery Beginner's Course, go to the homepage of this website and simply click on the session date you want to attend under Register for Events Online on the right hand side. The cost for an Archery Beginner's Course is $95 per adult or $70 per child. You will need an access pin, given out after completion of a Come and Try Course, in order to apply for this course. If you do not see any Archery Beginner's Courses listed in the event list, then please check back later. All coaches are volunteers and sessions can only be arranged around the availability of coaches. Spaces in these courses are very limited and fill quickly; Once a session is full no further entries can be made online for that session.

The sport of archery is fun and can be challenging. As well as being a competitive sport, both as an individual and as a member of a team, archery can be enjoyed as a social passtime. Our hope is that this experience could be the beginning of an adventure in a sport that can begin as a child and last a lifetime.