Great Outdoors: Learning Archery Indoors with Duluth Parks and Rec

Archery offered at Washington Center Gym for $5 a person.

DULUTH, Minn.- If you’ve ever wanted to play Robin Hood or Green Arrow, you can do so once a month, as Duluth Parks and Recreation now offers archery at $5 a person.

The sound of an arrow puncturing the target echoes throughout the Washington Center Gym.

“It’s just something different, it’s a new skill to learn and interesting,” said student Hannah Savage.

On a Tuesday night these folks are getting a hands-on lesson with an old weapon: a bow shooting arrows.

“We’ve found that archery is an area that opportunities are few and far between in Duluth right now,” Recreation Specialist Sam Werle said. “And we wanted to offer more archery programs for community members because it’s an activity that really anybody could do.”

These students are taken through everything: from how to hold the bow and draw an arrow, to aiming and shooting.

“I love it, it’s super satisfying when you release the arrow and it’s also cool learning about all the safety measures that go along with it and just the technique,” said Savage.

That technique isn’t easy for many, as it requires having your mind and arms work in perfect harmony.

“Having to do both the physical action and be focused mentally at the same time and it takes some practice to do both of those,” Werle said.

“Y’know it’s pretty physical and so you do have physical aspect but you also have to calm your mind down and focus on aiming at the same time.”

But the feeling of hitting the target, that feeling is a bullseye.

“When you see it go in the target and you get it. It’s satisfying,” said Savage.