Kids U11 Archery (Ages 8–10)

This page outlines the archery options available for children aged 8 up to (but not yet) 11 years old at Tauranga Archers. Our goal is to provide a safe, fun, and family‑friendly introduction to archery while maintaining the strong safety culture our club is known for.

Why We Offer a U11 Option

There are not many sports where the whole family can participate together but Archery is one of them, and as a club we want to make it as accessible and practical as possible for families.

That said, archery is a weapons sport. If equipment is used without focus or without following safety rules, it can pose a risk to both the archer and those around them. For this reason, our standard policy is to accept archers aged 11 and over into general courses and membership.

To support younger archers, we offer a U11 pathway designed specifically for children aged 8–10.

U11 "Have a Go" Days

Our U11 Have a Go Days are a private, coached introduction to archery for younger children.

These sessions:

• Are designed specifically for 8–10 year olds
• Are run one‑on‑one or in a very small group
• Allow the coach to work at the child’s pace
• Focus strongly on safety, basic technique, and confidence

At the end of the session, the coach will assess whether the child is ready to progress toward Membership. Additional sessions may first be required.

Important Note for Parents

We strongly recommend that parents or guardians attend a standard Have a Go Day. This ensures adults understand:

• Our safety expectations
• Range commands and behaviour
• What will be required when supervising a U11 archer

Cost: $75 per child.
These are private sessions — please contact us via email to arrange a booking.

At times, we may be able to run this session at the same time as the standard Have a Go to accomodate family participation, however it will still be run as outlined above as a seperate session.

U11 Membership

Once approved by a coach, a U11 archer may join the club under the following conditions:

• Archers must shoot barebow at 15 metres until they achieve the Black Incentive Badge
• A parent or guardian aged 16+ must directly supervise the archer on the shooting line at all times
• The supervising adult may also shoot, provided they can still actively supervise and are a club member
• Coaches/Duty crew may temporarily remove a young archer from the line if safety becomes a concern
• If an archer takes too long to complete six arrows, they may be limited to fewer arrows to avoid delaying other archers

These rules are in place to ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone on the range.

U11 Beginners Course

The Beginners Course introduces a new archer to the ILF bow and shooting with sights. Full details of this course are outlined on this page.

To take part in the U11 Beginners Course, young archers must demonstrate readiness and consistency.

They must be able to:

• Shoot barebow confidently
• Shoot 36 arrows at 15 metres
• Achieve their Black Badge using our incentive badge system

Meeting these requirements shows that the archer has the focus, safety awareness, and basic skill needed to move forward.

There may be an additional cost for this course should an extra coach be required to support your child.

Our Commitment

Our U11 programme is about building confidence, skill, and a love for archery — while always putting safety first. We aim to support young archers as they grow, helping them transition smoothly into full club participation when they are ready.

If you have any questions or would like to book a U11 Have a Go session, please get in touch with us via email.

This information may be updated at any time and without notice as we navigate the U11 pathway.