COLORADO SPRINGS — In our exclusive new series Adventures with Alan, we'll travel across Southern Colorado week-by-week to show you thrills and chills, hidden gems and well-known spots.
With the Summer Olympics less than 100 days away, we find Alan Rose trying out the sport of archery this week at the Archery School of the Rockies.
The training center offers three different ranges, and works with a wide variety of archery enthusiasts.
On any given day, you might encounter Olympic hopefuls, Junior Olympic archers, or hunters looking to sharpen their skills.
On the day we visit, the Wounded Warriors are here as part of the training center's Threshold Program.
"It connects those individuals with the retired to the active duty to all the guys in the area," said Will Bowman.
Bowman is a business partner and operations manager with the archery range. He's also an Army veteran.
He tells us that having a sense of community is important, and can help motivate our military vets.
"It gives them a kick start. It's like here, wake up, life is still ahead of you. Go live," said Bowman.
On our visit, Bowman treats us to a private lesson to teach me the fundamentals of the sport.
Before we even pick up a bow, we start with the proper stance.
Next, I learn how to hold the bow.
I quickly learn that this sport is much more technical than I thought.
"Archery is not a very surface sport. There is a whole lot and it gets deeper and deeper as you go," said Bowman.
After spending some time learning the stance and grip, Bowman now shows me how to set my nock point and explains the "hook".
Before I shoot my first arrow, Bowman demonstrates the proper shooting position.
My first shot isn't bad, but I know I can do better.
During the next couple of rounds, I try hard to focus on my stance, grip and the hook.
Watching Bowman also helps.
Age is no barrier when it comes to this sport, and Bowman tells me that all ages and all types of people come here to practice.
As our lesson comes to an end, I'm starting to get the hang of it, and I think that I'm ready for round two.
The Archery School of the Rockies offers a wide range of lessons for all ages and abilities. For more information, you can visit their website at www.archeryschooloftherockies.com.
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