A Therapeutic Action: Archery, a Success-Filled Escape

              In middle school, I relished my time spent competing in archery. The sport was somewhat of a therapeutic experience. For hours on end, I would enact the same action over and over, concentrating on achieving exact repetition. My mind would lock into a trance, the troubles in my life a forgotten figment of imagination. My life was full of activities, as I balanced my schoolwork, my personal life, and my sports, of which I was often in at least two of every season. As my life has only gotten more chaotic, as I am involved in so many more activities, I wish I could return to competing in archery. Archery provided an opportunity to destress, as if it was some form of meditation.

              Every day 15 minutes after the last bell rang, my team and I would walk a brief way to a neighboring building to where we kept our equipment. We would spend two hours a day here. We supported one another and sought the advice of others when needed, but it was generally a quiet atmosphere. While there, I found it to be a place of intent. From the moment I picked up my bow, my mind merged into a flow of concentrated thought. I came to love this sensation, as time seemed to slow down.

              It helped that I was good at archery. Like, really good. At every tournament we entered, I was competing for first place as an individual. It is an innate human desire to want success, and I am no victim. We are a society built on comparison, after all. In the sport of archery, if every action you take is correct, it is impossible to ever lose. The sport spoke to my perfectionist tendencies. Every tournament consisted of me locking in for an hour, taking care of business, then collecting some form of medal at the end. I didn’t win every tournament, but I would consistently finish in the top 5, while my team dominantly secured first time after time. Even on nights where I underperformed, I enjoyed celebrating with the rest of my team as we earned a collective victory.

              Time is so precious. I spend most of mine competing in team sports. Tennis, basketball, and cross country take up my shrinking availabilities. Everything is always in motion, as I am caught in the greedy whirlwind of improvement. Stepping back and growing content with my current self would surely be a positive. I already know so much, would refining my present skills be more beneficial? Archery is a sport of repetition, not advancement. There is a maximum score. It is within reach. Should I achieve it?

              Life is filled with so many uncertainties. Our society has grown busier and busier, consumed with the need to always be occupied. Archery is a perfect relief from this world. When competing, nothing is unpredictable. If something occurred, it happened because I caused it. I was in complete control, a feeling I so rarely experience but truly cherish. I selfishly adored the feeling of controlled success. It just meant more. Beyond that, archery was a significant boon to my mental health. It was an activity that provided me an opportunity to let up from my typical hustle and relax. I wish I could return to competing again. There was something remedial in pulling back the string of your bow and hearing the thwack of your arrow as it pounded into the target.

Collins Rosch

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i have a good bit of words to work with, enough to add another paragraph if needed. any suggestions are appreciated. thank you