How Archery Teaches Kids to Concentrate
A typical growing pain many parents see in their children as they get older is concentration, whether at home, in the classroom, or during playtime. It leaves kids distracted by the next shiny object or loud noise nearby rather than keeping their minds centered on the task or topic in front of them.
As a parent, you want to help your kids become the best they can be, which means working with them to improve their concentration skills. However, it doesn’t always have to be through reading exercises, brain “games”, or anything that might feel like a chore.
It can be honed through fun, outdoor archery practice.
Archery relies on mental concentration to hit the right targets, and it can be an exciting and challenging way to help your little one grow their brain power over time.
Want to learn more about how archery can teach your child to concentrate in school and at home? Below is everything you need to know about the concentration practice that is archery.
How to Know if Your Child is Struggling with Concentration
It can be hard to know if your child is far behind in terms of concentration and attention span. Sometimes, teachers will pull aside the parents of children they’re concerned about to let them know. Other times, it’s your responsibility to gauge how your child is progressing.
Here are some telltale signs that your son or daughter might be struggling with their concentration skills:
- Trouble sitting still for extended periods
- Difficulty remembering things short-term
- Distractibility
- Frequently losing items or trouble remembering where they are
- Impaired organizational skills
- Trouble completing complicated tasks
- Making small, careless mistakes
- Inability to make decisions quickly
While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it can help you identify the signs of attention difficulties earlier on. If you recognize any of these traits in your son or daughter, consider finding a fun way to sharpen their concentration.
Archery and Kids: How It Helps Them Concentrate
Archery is one of the best sports for concentration. Sure, soccer requires you to keep an eye on the ball, and biking relies on concentrated balance. But archery is based on a foundation of relaxation, meditation, and total focus on the target ahead. If your little one has expressed an interest in archery or other physical extracurriculars, it might be the perfect thing for them to try.
The most basic archery process entails focusing on a target, aiming the bow and arrow toward that target, visualizing hitting the target, and following through with the release of the bow to successfully nail it. When practiced repeatedly, the archery process will lead to distraction-free focus for your child.
In this way, it encourages the skill of concentration through discipline. The only way to become a skilled archer is to practice and practice some more. As long as your child enjoys their new hobby, they’ll return to the practice and improve their aim and concentration skills at the same time.
According to the experts at UberBows, it’s also important to note here that distraction is not an option in archery. Small disruptions like a ringing phone or someone talking can blow the shot, so full concentration is necessary to shoot successfully. Archery and kids especially go hand in hand, as it trains them to focus quickly. If they want to hit their mark, they’ll learn how to block out external distractions.
Evidence That Supports Boosted Concentration from Archery
In a fascinating 2015 research study by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, researchers found that archery experts worldwide believe the player’s mindset to be the most important contributing factor to the success of a match, more so than skill or fitness. For kids with a competitive desire to win, they’ll have to focus on what lies ahead of them and ignore the rest.
High-interest extracurriculars and outdoor activities, in general, have also been found to improve attention span in children and enhance their classroom concentration. For example, an Arkansas Tech University research presentation found that high-interest projects that require time focused on particular stimuli can improve attention span in ADHD kids. Additionally, a 2019 St. Catherine University study supports the notion that outdoor work can positively enhance classroom concentration.
Archery and kids work out great together because the practice combines both interest-led extracurricular activities and time outside.
Help Your Child Sharpen Their Focus with Archery
Reduce unfinished homework, classroom distractions, and improve your child’s concentration on the things that matter most with the help of archery. It’s a sport that’s fun for everyone, but there’s much more that goes into it than just fun. A successful shot requires discipline, focus, and dedicated practice.
If you’re looking to find a way to combine that spirit of fun with sharpened concentration skills for your child, how about giving archery and kids a try?
