There's a little bit more to archery than turning up and grabbing a bow and some arrows! To participate in of our sessions you will need to have completed a beginners’ course to ensure you are familiar with range safety and the basics of shooting a bow.
We divide our incoming members into two groups: those who are existing Archery GB (or World Archery) members, and those who are not. Although we are aware that many people will have had some experience of archery at Summer camps and outdoor activity centres, this does not usually count as sufficient experience to be able to participate at one of our sessions.
If you have specific concerns about accessibility, take a look at our dedicated accessibility page.
Read on to find out how you can get involved with the club!
Please note, membership of the club is only available to Warwick staff, students, and alumni.
New to Archery?
Great! People who are new to the sport make up the majority of our intake. We run taster sessions during the first week or two of Term 1 to give everyone the chance to have a go at shooting a bow. If you are interested in Archery please come along to one of these sessions!
Beginners Courses 2023/2023
The course consists of four two-hour sessions. The courses are led by our Club Coach, Nick Mitchell, and the course is delivered by our club members, most of whom are Archery GB Level 1 coaches. We provide all equipment for the sessions. The course covers the basics of range safety and good technique, and aims to give you a well-rounded introduction to the sport as a whole. This is a great way to meet new people and get to know other club members and we usually go to get a drink and some food after the session has finished!
You will need to attend ALL of these to be signed off as safe to shoot.
After the initial beginners’ course is completed, we also offer extra training to help you settle into the club, although the exact format for this training varies from year to year. We'll explain how to get involved with regular club sessions towards the end of your beginners' course.
2021/23 beginners' courses are on the following days and times.
TERM 1
Course 1:
Weeks 1 and 2 - Wednesdays 2-4pm, Sundays 5:30-7:30pm
Course 2:
Weeks 3, 4, and 6 - Sundays 5:30-7:30pm
Week 5 - Wednesday 2 - 4pm
TERM 2
Course 1:
Weeks 1 and 2 - Wednesdays 2-4pm, Sundays 5:30-7:30pm
How to Book:
To book onto the beginners course you need to be a member of the club. To join the club you need to purchase the Sports Federation Student Membership, the Club Pass Membership Fee (on-campus), and Archery Standard Membership through the Warwick SU website. After you have joined the club you will then be able to sign up for the beginners course! More information on how join, and booking pages for the beginners course can be found here on the Archery page.
I am an existing Archery GB (or World Archery) member:
Awesome! Every year we have a small number of people who join who are already archers. To be on the safe side, we ask that you contact us and arrange to come to one of our sessions where we can check that you are safe to shoot and show you how to use our facilities and equipment. Almost all of our experienced archers have their own equipment, but we do have a limited number of club bows which are available to borrow at our sessions.
What's Next?
Club Sessions
Once you have completed our beginners' course, you are able to attend all club sessions, with a couple of exceptions. If sessions get particularly busy, we may restrict one each week to be 'experienced members' only. This means these sessions are for people who have been shooting for more than a year and/or those who were Archery GB members before they came to Warwick. We also reserve some sessions each term as 'competition sessions' when everyone at the club shoots a particular round for score in a more controlled environment. These are advertised in advance. We also offer coaching at club sessions, both from our members and club coaches. Sessions during which coaching is available vary from year to year.
Equipment
The club has a limited range of equipment available free to all its members. Typically this equipment is given out on a first-come, first-served basis at sessions. It is fairly common to share a club bow between two people at a busy session. If you are using a club bow at a competition, we will usually reserve one for you to use exclusively for a week or so before that competition.
Most experienced club members own their own equipment. We usually run trips to reputable archery shops or have shops visit us to sell equipment to members each year, usually at the end of Term 1 or the start of Term 2. It is very easy to be mis-sold archery equipment online, so we always recommend going on one of these trips where you can be correctly measured and kitted out. A typical setup for someone starting out costs somewhere in the region of £250-500.
Competitions
As a member of the club, if you shoot well, it is possible to go to competitions with us and represent your university! We compete in our regional league and at BUCS events. At all student archery events, there is a novice category for people in their first year of shooting. We typically provide transport and cover entry costs for these events.
Anyone wanting more information about the club can come and visit us at the annual Sports Fair run by the SU. Our stand always has members on hand to chat to you and answer any questions you might have.