ON TARGET: Local Archers Take Aim

LOS LUNAS — As a sport, archery is a bit of a contradiction. It’s stressful but calming. Ancient yet modern. Difficult and easy.

“The first time I ever picked up a bow, I fell in love with it because it’s the ultimate challenge,” says Jason Gonzales, owner of S & J Sporting Goods on Main Street in Los Lunas. “It’s nice to see where you start and where you end with this type of sport. You get what you put into it.”

Gonzales and his family have been operating S & J for about 30 years, holding archery classes, sponsoring outdoor tournaments and hosting weekly adult and youth indoor leagues at the facility.

Over those decades, the essence of archery hasn’t changed, but the equipment has.

“We can turn someone who has never shot before into someone who looks like they’ve been shooting all their life,” Gonzales said, thanks to improvement in technology.

It’s far different than when he first started setting up targets.

“Old timers were lucky to hit the darn target after two or three weeks of practice,” he said.

Among those enamored with archery is Dallie Saiz, a 14-year-old freshman at Belen High School.

“I never had a sport that I was really good at and then I found archery,” Saiz recalled. “It just clicked.”

For Saiz, the correct “mental” approach is paramount.

“Overcoming your own mental battles to be able to shoot to beat the other competitors,” she said.

Saiz will enter different age groups, against females and males, depending on the event. That includes tournaments with traditional paper targets or the more contemporary 3-D variety.

“It doesn’t matter your size, strength, how tall you are, how fast you are,” Gonzales said.

Hand-eye coordination is the key, Gonzales notes, with females often holding an edge over their male counterparts.

“The girls beat up on the boys all day long,” he said. “They can compete on an equal plane. It’s cool to watch.”

Most adults who take up archery, Gonzales said, are interested in hunting. However, much of the focus for him is encouraging young people to give it a shot.

“Our biggest thing is we try to make it affordable for kids,” Gonzales said. “We want to encourage kids to come out for archery.”

While not a physically-demanding activity, it did take some getting used to for Saiz. “When you first start, your shoulder gets sore sometimes from pulling back that bow repeatedly. It just takes a lot of practice.”

Many classmates of Saiz were unaware of archery, despite the estimated development of the bow and arrow during prehistoric times.

“There are a lot of people who have no idea about archery — the culture behind it,” Saiz relates. “When I talk to people about archery, they say ‘what? That’s crazy. I didn’t even know it existed.’”

There are several archery tournaments this spring. “Don’t Miss the Mark” is scheduled for May 3 and on May 30-June 1 is the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Both are at Los Lunas River Park and free for youth.

For information call, 505-350-9632 or email bigjhuntin@yahoo.com.