By Sean Traynor, Editor-in-Chief

 

AK: Can you describe the different types of archery? What do you feel the sport of archery offers to kids?
JL: There's target shooting and there's bowhunting. Also, there are different kinds of bows. The most common types of bows are traditional longbows (which are long and flat when unstrung), recurve bows (which curve away from the shooter at both ends), and compound bows (which have mechanical pulleys at both ends).


AK: How did you first get interested in archery?
JL: I starting shooting when I was 5 at a mountain lodge/camp in California called Montecito Sequoia. My family would go together every summer. When I was older, I decided I wanted to do it more than once a year, so I bought my own bow when I was 15 and started taking private lessons.


AK: How were you discovered or qualified for the Junior Olympics team?
JL: By chance, the man that my family found for me to take lessons from happened to be the coach of my region's Junior Olympic Archery Development program, so it was up to him. After a few lessons with him, he invited me to join "Team Nockbusters."


AK: What were your practice routines like when you were preparing for the Junior Olympics team?
JL: : I'd shoot in my backyard at a distance of about 5 meters as often as I could by myself, and every weekend, I'd go practice with the team at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. We'd practice at lots of distances together. The farthest I'd shoot at was 70 meters.


AK: What circumstances happened to prevent you from going forward with the Junior Olympics? Is there anything you wish you would have done differently?
JL: Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with some medical problems that required me to completely focus on treatment. I'm a lot better now than I was before treatment began, but I've still got a ways to go. It would've been great to try to go up from the regional program to the national competition and then maybe the international one, but you have to do what you have to do. And hopefully one day, I'll make it into the adult Olympics!


AK: What advice do you have for kids that would like to pursue a sport to a high level?
JL: It's not just about practicing a lot (but that's important too). You also need to find a good coach to work with, and try to surround yourself with other talented shooters.


AK: In archery, what are the key skills that you find are important to be successful?
JL: Archery isn't about who has the biggest, heaviest bow. It's about focus, consistency, technique, and precision.


AK: Are there things you should avoid to be successful in a sport?
JL: If you don't put good fuel in your body, how can you expect it to run well? Be mindful of what you put in your body. You only get one. Also, if you surround yourself with the type of people that you don't want to become, then you'll regret it one day. Don't put yourself in that sad situation.


AK: Did you have a mentor that helped you achieve your goals?
JL: The counselors at the camp I went to growing up were very influential. I'm very proud to say that now I'm the archery instructor there!


AK: You now teach kids and adults archery. Is it harder to teach kids or adults archery? What is a funny story you can share about a teaching experience.
JL: The youngest kids I teach are 5 and 6 years old, and they need help to even pull the string back. But I think that the 7- and 8-year-olds are the hardest to teach because they have a hard time paying attention to what they're doing. One time, I had a kid who listened a little too well though. When I told him that he should be able to look down the arrow toward the target, he drew the string back and then stuck his whole head inside the bow. I caught him before he let go, thankfully, or else that really would've hurt!

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