'Hunger Games' Fuels Archery Renaissance

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Katniss Everdeen, the 17-year-old girl who hunts with a bow and arrow in "The Hunger Games; Catching Fire," is just one of many movie characters inspiring American youth to take up archery.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131217/MN33653)

With the March release of the movie, combined with archery events televised during the Olympic Games in London last summer, more young people are taking up target shooting.

USA Archery, the national governing body for the Olympic sport, reports 357 youths competed last June in the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) National Championship. Only 171 in competed in 2001.  Many of the new participants are young females. 

"I'd say about 3 out of 4 of our lessons are now for young girls, ten to seventeen-year-old, are drawn to archery because of watching Katniss [Jennifer Lawrence] the Hunger Game movies." Says Rob Dunfey, founder of Archery Pro, a nationwide marketplace to connect students to archery instructors.  He says business has doubled.   

The Hunger Games is not the only movie to pique interest in archery. Younger girls idolize Princess Merida from Pixar'sBrave. Boys have a desire to emulate the arrow-shooting hero Hawkeye from the The Avengers. In addition, adult interest has been spurred by the T.V. show Revolution.

Jennifer Lawrence took lessons from Khatuna Lorig, winner of silver and bronze Olympic medals.  According to Lorig, the emphasis was on the basics to make the actress's portrayal realistic and safe. Although Lawrence had never even held a bow before, she appeared talented the movie after just fifteen lessons.

Archery Pro connects students with pre-screened, certified professionals providing lessons in 2600 towns all over the United States. Students can learn in their own backyard or in one of the many archery ranges springing up all over. Lessons concentrate on stance and posture, and how to aim and draw the arrow.

The process of finding a lesson provider is streamlined by using Archery Pro. Not only has the increased interest in archery made advertising unnecessary for many lesson providers, some archery schools have waiting lists. "Although some teachers have to turn away prospective students, Archery Pro has classes available for those of all ages interested in taking up the sport," Dunfey said.

Dunfey commented, "Archers of every age are participating in tournaments in larger numbers than ever before, and during NBC's first week of the Olympic Games archery was the most-watched sport."

The nationwide archery lesson-provider website Archery Pro has seen an explosion of interest since the release of the Hunger Game movies. With two more films in the future, it looks like interest is just beginning.  The future holds a great deal of promise for the sport of archery, and Archery Pro can help you master the fundamentals of the sport in only seven days of lessons. 

Media Contact: Robert Dunfey, Archery Pro, 877-447-4745, [email protected]

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SOURCE Archery Pro