Back home in Phoenix after a long weekend in San Diego for Junior Olympic Indoor Championships and US Indoor Nationals. As I write this with 11 of the 14 sites complete, our daughter is sitting in 3rd place nationally for Junior Olympic Championships and 5th place nationally for US Indoor Nationals. It's going to be a long week waiting for the weekend and the last 3 sites to complete and scores to be final.

Our daughter shot extremely consistent all weekend long. She shot two 300 point rounds on Friday for Junior Olympic Nationals and then two 300 point rounds on both Saturday and Sunday for US Nationals. The difference between her highest and lowest round was only 9 points.

Not even a chance to rest after this. I've got total her bow into the shop this morning and get it adjusted and tuned for her outdoor arrows. She's got a private lesson with her coach tomorrow to debrief and get sighted in for outdoor season. And then next month it's the Arizona Cup and Arizona Junior Olympic State Outdoor Championships.

I was trying all weekend long to catch an arrow in flight with my daughter. I finally did it on the last day.


Our home for the weekend, the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista (San Diego), California. Tis is outside of the indoor range looking over one of the practice fields and back up the hill towards the visitor's center. The machine on the right is an archery skeet thrower. The local archery club rented it and had it as a fundraiser for their program. Yes, we spent money on quite a few rounds and for once I actually beat my daughter.


Why I love it when our daughter shoots in Chula Vista. The seating is limited and because of that they have bleachers up the side of the range. Sitting on the side, I can actually be in front of the shooting line and get photographs looking back at the archers. Fun for me, since Im usually looking at the backs of heads.


Looking at the back of her head. This is my daughter's form that makes coaches drool. Alignment is a critical part of form in archery. One of the alignments we stress is for the wrist and elbow of the release arm to be in alignment with the arrow. Look at where her elbow is in relation to the bowstring.


One of her groups from Sunday. One of the scoring matrixes we look at as coaches is per arrow average. It gives us an idea of how well an archer is doing during competition. Our daughter's average for US Nationals and 5th place was 9.1. The average for 4th place was 9.103, that's how close the competition gets at this level.


The other arrow in flight from my daughter I was able to catch with my camera yesterday.

Thank you for sharing. It's nice to see the support you give and how well your daughter is doing.

I have no idea about competitive archery, but it's great to learn a little and see some nice photo's from the events.

Best of luck in the next round.

Great pics! I always enjoy reading about your daughter's progress in these threads. Keep up the good work.

Congrats Maya, that is mighty fine shooting. The target is outstanding, any closer grouping and you'd be shooting the feathers off the arrows.

Congrats Dad, you're doing a heck of fine job supporting your daughter's avocation.

Are you going to have any fingernails left after a week of waiting?

Great performance! Congratulations Maya!!

Congratulations! What a beautiful group in that photo.

Man, I remember when you first started posting about her and she was a tiny little thing. Growing up fast! Congrats to both of you!

Again congrats to Maya and her proud family!

quote:

Originally posted by Webley Green:
Congrats Maya, that is mighty fine shooting. The target is outstanding, any closer grouping and you'd be shooting the feathers off the arrows.

Congrats Dad, you're doing a heck of fine job supporting your daughter's avocation.

Shooting a single spot target rather than a 3 spot was a source of contention between Maya and her coach. A 3 spot target has 3 separate "bullseyes" on it and the archer shoots one arrow at each. Maya wanted to shoot a 3 spot, her coach wanted her to shoot a single spot. Her coach's thinking is that the 3 spot requires a minor change in alignment for each of the 3 target faces. His philosophy is to give his archers every legal advantage in a tournament, that's why he wanted her shooting a single spot.

The deal was made that she could shoot a 3 spot for the Junior Olympic tournament on Friday. If she scored higher than 280 for both rounds she could shoot a spot on Saturday and Sunday for US Nationals, if not she'd have to shoot a single spot. On Friday she shot 276 and a 270. On Saturday and Sunday she shot a 271, 267, 266 and 271.

Our daughter's contention was that she lost a few points over the weekend shooting the single spot. Her claim is that at times she'd shoot the first arrow and the second or third arrow would hit the nock of the first and deflect from their original trajectory. Our daughter shoots pin nocks which are a solid steel insert in the tail of her arrow shafts that prevents a Robin Hood from happening. It will be an interesting conversation between her and her coach during their coaching session tomorrow.

On a side note, I'm very grateful for our strong Arizona archery family. At one point yesterday our daughter's arrows slapped hard on the target face. Hard enough that it was heard thought the range. Three separate Arizona coaches all from different clubs went over to her after the end and inspected her arrows to make sure she didn't have a damaged arrow shaft.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:

quote:

Originally posted by Webley Green:
Congrats Maya, that is mighty fine shooting. The target is outstanding, any closer grouping and you'd be shooting the feathers off the arrows.

Congrats Dad, you're doing a heck of fine job supporting your daughter's avocation.

Shooting a single spot target rather than a 3 spot was a source of contention between Maya and her coach. A 3 spot target has 3 separate "bullseyes" on it and the archer shoots one arrow at each. Maya wanted to shoot a 3 spot, her coach wanted her to shoot a single spot. Her coach's thinking is that the 3 spot requires a minor change in alignment for each of the 3 target faces. His philosophy is to give his archers every legal advantage in a tournament, that's why he wanted her shooting a single spot.

The deal was made that she could shoot a 3 spot for the Junior Olympic tournament on Friday. If she scored higher than 280 for both rounds she could shoot a spot on Saturday and Sunday for US Nationals, if not she'd have to shoot a single spot. On Friday she shot 276 and a 270. On Saturday and Sunday she shot a 271, 267, 266 and 271.

Our daughter's contention was that she lost a few points over the weekend shooting the single spot. Her claim is that at times she'd shoot the first arrow and the second or third arrow would hit the nock of the first and deflect from their original trajectory. Our daughter shoots pin nocks which are a solid steel insert in the tail of her arrow shafts that prevents a Robin Hood from happening. It will be an interesting conversation between her and her coach during their coaching session tomorrow.

On a side note, I'm very grateful for our strong Arizona archery family. At one point yesterday our daughter's arrows slapped hard on the target face. Hard enough that it was heard thought the range. Three separate Arizona coaches all from different clubs went over to her after the end and inspected her arrows to make sure she didn't have a damaged arrow shaft.

Definitely growing up and getting that independent thinking! Her coach is going to have be on the top of his psychological game! That independence is what is going to propel her onward into the upper echelons, and keep the lows from overwhelming her at those times you know will happen! You never hear about a top contender that doesn't know what is best!

Congratulations to both of you, her on her accomplishment and you for supporting her on the journey!

Best of luck to her in her upcoming competition!

That is a beautiful thing! Congrats to all and best wishes!

Love to see Maya doing so well!