The Archery club meets every Monday and Thursday from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on the gym three stage at SC. With a roster of 74 students, it draws a wide variety of interest in the school community. 

“Our sport is fairly unique,” co-sponsor Erica Flounders said. “We form a tight-knit family over time.”

During practices, students shoot rounds of three arrows at a target and then get advice on how to have better form and technique, Flounders said. 

“Archery for me is really peaceful,” club officer Clare Thomason ‘23 said. “It’s kind of like meditation for me to get in the zone.”

Student officers help monitor the archery field to ensure maximum safety, head sponsor Greg Semaan said. Officers are members who are dedicated to archery and have been in the club for a while. They assist the sponsors to make sure no accidents happen.

“Archery is always thought of as unsafe, but it is actually one of the safer clubs at LT,” Semaan said. “As long as you are following the rules and using good form, you don’t get hurt.”

New applicants are welcome to join any time during the year; there is no prerequisite for joining, as all training and equipment is provided, Semaan said. However, if students do have their own equipment, parents have to drop off the bows in a locked case, which Semaan or Flounders transfer to the stage.

Archery is not an official IHSA sport, but LT is allowed to have a competitive team according to S3DA, a scholastic archery program, Semaan said. There was supposed to be a competitive team for the past two years, but COVID-19 restricted it.

“Unfortunately, as of yet, we haven’t had a competitive team, but we are looking forward to having one,” Semaan said.

In order to qualify for a competitive team, there has to be at least six club members with their own equipment.

“I would love to shoot competitively,” Thomason said. “I’m a competitive person and I’m good at archery. I like to show it off, but I can’t do that if I can’t compete.”

Even though there aren’t competitive meets, the club will still compete against one another.

“We will sometimes have tournaments internally in the club,” Semaan said. “We had one with Halloween, where they shot zombie targets and points were awarded based on teams.”