Sixteen young archers, ranging from Novices to Pre-Elites, and hailing from SOPA, Northern, Cobbitty, Penrith, Sydney University, and Warringah Archery Clubs, packed their bows and arrows for the first-ever live-in camp run by Archery NSW. The venue was Cataract Scout Park at Appin, South of Sydney. Spoiler alert: it was epic!
The setting? A bushland paradise with shady trees, good vibes, and plenty of sunshine (it was hot, very hot —but hey, that’s character-building, right?). The food? Delicious and endless, judging by the rave reviews. And let’s not forget the evenings spent around the campfire, toasting marshmallows, swapping stories, and debating the ultimate questions: Was the Challenge Valley Mud Run better than the Marshmallows and S’Mores? and getting Ricci’s agreement to “Can I join the Yabba Yabba tribe?”
The camp’s theme, “Squid Game,” was the perfect backdrop for a weekend of growth, grit, and a bit of friendly competition. Ricci Cheah, our lead coach, took the youth through their paces, focusing on shot cycles, release technique, grip, mindset, and fine-tuning their archery game. Meanwhile, 2024 Olympian Peter Boukouvalas dropped in on Saturday to share pearls of wisdom about setting goals, staying focused, and mapping out a plan to achieve the archer’s dreams. Unsurprisingly, both coaches were a big hit!
But don’t just take my word for it—here’s what some of the archers had to say:
- “I learned that Archery is much harder than I thought.” – John
- “I liked the roast potatoes.” – Jasmine
- “Not fun having to wake up so early in the morning.” – Teresa
- “I really enjoyed it and I would absolutely do it again. Food was great, sleeping was great, activities were fun, and I learnt many things.” – Daniel
- “Best thing was getting to eat food.” – Evan
- “I learnt a lot about why goals and planning are important and about my process while shooting. Best thing was the mud challenge.” – Sophia
- “My favourite thing was Peter’s talk (on goal setting) and Ricci’s talk (execution and performance under pressure).” – Iris
- “I loved it all.” – Finlay
As the organiser of this incredible camp, I want to give a massive round of applause to the real MVPs: the parents! Joe Lam, Ken Sun, Steve Bull, Michael Kuligowski, Leane Percival, Will Liao, Jenny Vuong and Michael Barnett worked tirelessly to set up the range and keep the kitchen running smoothly. You are absolute superstars, and we couldn’t have done it without your teamwork and dedication.
Shoutout to Ricci Cheah for making archery techniques fun and for welcoming everyone into the legendary Yabba Yabba tribe by the Bonfire. And a big thank-you to Peter Boukouvalas for inspiring our young athletes to dream big, plan strategically, and aim for greatness.
Whether it was the mud, the marshmallows, or mastering their release, one thing’s for sure: this camp was bang on target!
If you want to be part of the fun of archery and benefit from the coaching of some of Australia’s best coaches keep an eye out for our second ANSW Youth Development Camp on 15-16 March hosted by Bathurst Archery Club. This event will be open on Assemble early next week. Book soon so you don’t miss out! There will be lunch included for the participants and discounted motel accommodation available. Saturday night there will be a dinner booked at a local venue for archers and parents to socialise.
P.S. There will be Dinosaurs and that’s the only hint you get! I look forward to seeing all our young archers in Bathurst.
Don’t forget to register for Youth Spirit Field event this weekend in Armidale21.
Tracey Hansford
Camp Chief &
NSW Youth Coordinator