Sometimes we forget to have fun. The seriousness of the sport we’re involved in can take over, turning it into a chore, a necessary evil filled with performance demands that no one can sustain. It’s at these moments that we need to step back and reconnect with the child within us. We need to rediscover the joy and excitement that led us to pick up a bow and arrow in the first place.

The key is finding balance. We need to blend seriousness, a competitive spirit, a love for the sport, and most importantly, fun. If we want to improve, we can’t neglect any of these aspects. The mix may differ from person to person, but one thing is constant: all these elements must be present.

To help bring back some joy during these challenging times, I’ve selected three YouTube clips to share. These videos showcase three completely different scenarios: an international World Archery (WA) competition, some lighthearted fun at an archery club in the Netherlands, and a clip with tips for some playful mischief.

The first video is from 2017 and features an exhibition match at the Hyundai World Archery Championships. In this clip, we see Mike Schloesser (Compound) from the Netherlands and Alejandra Valencia (Recurve) from Mexico team up to face Linda Ochoa-Anderson (Compound) from Mexico and Sjef Van Den Berg (Recurve) from the Netherlands.

In the second clip, we once again see Sjef Van Den Berg from the Netherlands, this time teaming up with his national teammates Gijs and Mick as they come up with a new way to shoot recurve bows.