CLERMONT, FL—-This week was highly exciting for me both personally and professionally. First, I pulled off an enormous endurance feat I have been eyeing since first grade…(and seriously training 8 1/2 years to finally be able to do…). I became the first person to complete 1,070 strict pull-ups in one hour, which brings my physical fitness world record count to 835 this week (btw 2 WR books). Four days after this feat, I was holding my own unique event for others in my Bullseye Scavenger Hunt Series # 2 held in conjunction with Farmer’s Market.
There is always some nervousness with the anticipation of these events. I was blown away by the confidence and power exuded in my newest archer, Addie (who is 6 with only one lesson under her belt), when she powerfully shot out a few high scoring arrows in just the “warm up”. I knew a record was on the way…
Watch Addie Shatter Record
The youths understand that they may get nervous the first time they compete and their score may be lower than in practice. However, they know that practice ultimately leads to performance. In the 10 arrow 10 yard shoot for 4 minutes, I saw my seasoned archers do what they have done in practice and my newest archer did set a new record!
Addie, 6, set the record for the “Highest scorer in a 10 yard 10 arrow competition for 4 minutes from a youth age 6 or under with just one archery lesson” with her score of 9 points.
Ramsey of the Rising Underdogs won the boys archery competition with his score of 55 points (10 points away from the boys youth record). This was his first archery victory.
Nicole of the NS Archers won her first archery competition as well with her score of 74 points (12 points away from the girls youth record). Aisha of the Purple Pandas was following close behind with 72 points and she is currently the female leader in the Series Championship.
Onward, the archers went to Clermont Farmer’s Market for photographic scavenger hunt. It’s a great, fun opportunity to get locals acquainted with farmer’s market and all the vendors. The families work together to hunt down items. However, they not only look for interesting things or people, but they have to try to take the best pictures and complete the scavenger hunt in 20 minutes or less. The Photo Contest Winners are below. I look for close up, sharp, well-taken shots with good lighting and interesting angles.
Contact me to join the next monthly Bullseye Scavenger Hunt held thru and including the month of August at Awinningway@gmail.com
The first competition (ages 7-9) took place at 8:30am and it was a scaled down version of the competition for ages 10-14, which took place immediately after the first one. In both competitions, competitors began with a complicated bean bag toss cross country relay. Then, they followed with a barebow category archery competition where competitors used the same bows without sighting devices. The winning teams were decided upon the highest combined score achieved in archery + fitness (the highest possible score in the first team competition was 400pts and in the second competition (ages 10-14) the highest possible team score was 800pts).
Review from Championship Team (for ages 7-9):
The first championship competition (ages 7-9) was won by a group of boys from Winter Garden on the team called “Shadow Arrows.” They won with a 12 point lead with a total of 178 points out of 400 possible points. Colin, the oldest and team captain, was their leading archer.
“I love both the fitness and archery components of the championship. I expected our team to do well. It was not too much to expect us to achieve so much in just 8 hours of training,” said Colin who plans to continue in the semester-based archery fitness developmental program, which provides the free competition.
“I took this developmental program just to learn archery and it was a nice surprise to be good enough to make the varsity team and compete in this championship. Only three students in each class will be invited to make the varsity team. Those that do not make it, get to compete in a junior varsity competition,” said the enthused Hudson, Colin’s teammate.
All three on the Shadow Arrows exclaimed,”This is fun and I love archery.”
Review from Championship Team (for ages 10-14):
The Rubies traveled more than one hour away to compete in the (age 10-14) Championship where they won by achieving two “Xs” in archery. The over-achiever, Matteo, (only 8 years old) wanted to compete in the older competition to be more challenged and he was given permission. He earned a “Rising Star Archer” award for his commitment to excellence and challenging himself to harder activities against older kids. His teammates, Sebastian and Morgan, never competed in archery before and they have only begun training once a week this semester. The Rubies beat a team with much more experience than them. The Rubies won the team Championship with 504xx, while the Secret Service took second with 504 points.
The Rubies Show Triumph in Their Big Win in the Ready Aim Go Championship. They broke the tie with the Secret Service by having two “Xs” in archery. Sebastian and Matteo each hit a 10x – the highest score in archery enroute to break the tie and win the championship.
“It’s fun and good to know that I am doing better than people who have been doing archery a lot longer than me,” said Morgan.
“Archery makes kids challenge themselves. It brings out the best in them and the results will surprise parents,” said Ana, Matteo’s mom.
“The archery fitness developmental program is a lot of fun. It does not require too much physical activity and running. I would encourage others to give it a try to experience a lot of excitement and fun challenges. It’s fun to do, but it can be quite challenging to do archery in the wind,” added Morgan who was the second overall female in the windy archery competition on the 15th.
Sebastian and Matteo Draw a “V” for VICTORY after winning the Inaugural Championship for the Development Program.
Parents enjoy coming to watch their kids train in the developmental program and compete in the free competition.
“The kids can increase focus and awareness, which carries over into everything they do. They are taught safety first and foremost and they have to follow strict rules. The kids rise to the occasion and follow the rules. They are very good at taking responsibility and they enjoy the leadership roles the sport of archery gives them,” added the very observant Ana.
The developmental program provides all students an equal opportunity to build skills and then depending on how quickly they develop, they will get to compete for free in either the varsity or junior varsity competition (or they do not have to compete at all).
Review from Junior Varsity Champions (for ages 5-9):
Ten students throughout Central Florida competed in the 10 Arrow 10yd Junior Varsity contest. The top male and overall winner was Manny from Winter Garden with 54 points out of a possible 100 points. The top female and second overall was Sofia from Clermont with 46 points.
“I am happy that everyone gets an opportunity to compete in this developmental program. It is a good motivator. It makes me feel proud to win this junior varsity competition,” said Manny, the Junior Varsity Fall 2015 Champion.
“I was nervous to train under Alicia at first and do archery. I did not think I would be able to hit the target. To my surprise, Alicia was very nice and fun and I hit the target right away on my first day of practice,” said Sofia, a well-rounded athlete who now calls archery her number one favorite sport.
“I look forward to archery each week. Everything is exciting about Alicia’s developmental program. We do a lot of physical challenges mixed in with archery and each day is different,” said Sofia, the Fall 2015 Female Junior Varsity Champion.
After Manny and Sofia won their competition, their self-esteem sky rocketed. They became more eager to to do archery, they became more responsible, they became more motivated, and they became even better in practice.
“Self esteem comes from doing something and accomplishing something.” – Shari Lewis
Sofia wanted to work on the longer distances. She began hitting the target at 20 meters a week after she won at 10 yards.
Manny and Sofia take Victory in Fall 2015 Junior Varsity Competition
Sofia trains in Clermont at the largest archery range available to the Central Florida students in the developmental program. “I really like working at this very large archery range with my instructor, Alicia, as I know many students in other areas don’t get this opportunity,” reflected Sofia.
Keep your eye on Manny and Sofia as they are on pace to make a future varsity team!
Contact Awinningway@gmail.com to join a Youth or Adult Archery Developmental Program.
The final Bullseye Scavenger Hunt of the summer proved to be the most exciting and challenging for youth and adult archers. They agreed it was everything they had hoped and they felt great with their results on August 23.
“The archery scavenger hunt gives something more to look forward to as kids use a combination of their focus and parent involvement in a family friendly activity,†said Ingrid Byer.
“The scavenger hunt is a great way to end the day because competitors are done with archery and now building teamwork with families and new friends,†added Ana Vaccaro.
Ninety-nine percent of the competition consisted of the archery, which took place on the Sundance Archery Range where it is sponsored. Youths and adults began the day by shooting 10 arrows at 10yds within four minutes for best score using bows without any sighting devices. All participants received prizes, but the top two males and females received additional prizes. The remaining one percent of the competition consisted of a photographic scavenger hunt, which gave points for fast walking and finding items in quick fashion at Downtown Clermont Famer’s Market. The participants worked as a team. All participants found 12 items in less than 15 minutes. Carey Miller, Sundance Manager and Archery Sponsor, wins competition and gives high five to runner-up Indaya Byer who enjoyed competing with Miller.
The top male archer was Matteo Vaccaro, 8, with his score of 64 points. Runner-Up was Cody Warner who is 6. Warner improved by 18 points from his previous competition of this same distance.The only adult in the competition was Carey Miller who won first for females with her score of 87xx and this was her first archery competition. The former Champ, Indaya Byer, took second with her score of 84x. This was the first time Byer got an “x†in competition, which is the center of the bullseye and the tiebreaker in archery. Back on August 4, Byer won an “archery fitness” challenge, which took place at National Night Out where she won a head band (which turns into an archery arm guard and finger guard). Five competitors won various head bands during the 2015 “Archery Fitness” Challenge at National Night Out
“I felt amazing. The competition was more interesting with Carey Miller. I am glad she competed,†said Byer.
Some of the kids were longing for this competition. The competitive Matteo Vaccarro is one archer who has been waiting for this day. When he first began training seriously for archery in the spring, he would achieve 64 points after shooting nearly 100 arrows in one hour. Now, he shoots 64 points in less than 4 minutes with just 10 arrows.
“There was no pressure to win because I knew that if I lost, then my friends would win instead and I would be happy for them,†said Vaccaro who showed great sportsmanship.
“This is one sport my son enjoys the most. It’s challenging and helps him focus. The layout of this event is great because participants learn about safety and proper form in archery prior to competing, which helps them to do their best,†said Vaccaro’s mom, Ana.
One beginner, Zeke Archer, really improved after taking the free archery prep session. He really grasped the skills and brought his A game and performed very well when it really counted. Izzy Shea was the only archer shooting with a left bow, while being right-handed and left eye dominant, which is challenging for coordination. She did very well for her first-ever archery competition. Weber reviewing Carey Miller’s top score of 87xx. Miller is active in the Sundance Apt. Community as the manager where archery is sponsored. She believes everyone should take advantage of opportunities and she certainly has taken a Top Shot at this one!
Participants enjoyed the farmer’s market scavenger hunt and met new vendors including but not limited to Rent-A-Hen, Encore, Let’s Tie One On, Donna’s Doodads, and Hip Klip Cell Pocket Accessory.
“The scavenger hunt stretches your mind to look for more things. It is similar to archery. I liked going into the Encore shop where I found oversized scramble,†said Byer. Let’s Tie One On provided the prizes to the Top 2 Male and Female Archers. Left to right: Indaya Byer, Coach Alicia Weber, Matteo Vaccaro, Carey Miller (and not shown Cody Warner). Copyright @ AliciaWeber.com
“Leave your comfort zone and challenge yourself to try something new and fun. It feels awkward at first. Once you get the hang of it, then it’s a lot of fun,†said Miller who encourages adults to compete in future events, especially at the Sundance Archery Range where archery is sponsored.
Alicia Weber has year-round innovative archery and fitness programming and can be reached at Awinningway@gmail.com
By Alicia Weber Kincaid and Indaya are the male and female winners in the Inaugural Bullseye Scavenger Hunt Competition held on July 26, 2015.Dedicated archers and well-rounded athletes, Indaya Byer and Kincaid Kobel, were longing for the Inaugural Bullseye Scavenger Hunt competition. They both won with overall most points in Clermont’s first event of its kind on July 26, 2015. It began with a 10 yard archery contest at the Sundance Archery Range. Then, participants and their families drove to Historic Downtown Clermont to meet and conclude the competition with a scavenger hunt during Downtown Clermont Farmer’s Market.
The archers were not allowed to use bows with sighting devices and the highest possible score was 100 points. Byer, 12, was the winning female with her score of 86 points. Kobel, 6, was the winning male with his score of 63 points. They have been training for several months and this was their first archery competition.
“It’s exciting,” said the uber competitive Kobel who has competed in soccer, football, and karate.
“Archery helps Kincaid focus. It is a good sport for him,” said Beth, Kobel’s mom.
“It feels amazing to compete in archery for the first time,” said Byer who has competed in swimming.
“Alicia has been a great teacher. Indaya keeps improving. She has become more focused in school due to the archery and I enjoy that,” said Ingrid, Byer’s mom.
The photographic scavenger hunt was a great opportunity to bring new people to the farmer’s market since all participants have never been there before. The eager participants searched for 11 items along Montrose Street and took pictures of their finds. Byer and Kobel finished at the same time to win.
“The scavenger hunt was athletic because you are in a rush to take pictures and look for the items,” said Byer who averaged finding an item every minute and 47 seconds.
The winners received prizes from Sweets for You and Let’s Tie 1 On. The items in the scavenger hunt peaked interest in the participants to continue shopping at the farmer’s market after the competition ended.
Sweets For You is an outdoor vendor located on the intersection of Montrose and 8th Street. They have lemonade, iced tea, cinnamon roasted nuts, boiled peanuts, and other goodies. Let’s Tie 1 On has a variety of bracelets, necklaces, pendants, straps, and wraps.
“It’s a lot of different choices especially the fresh fruit and vegetables. All the vendors are so nice and some have free tastings. It’s a wonderful summer morning outing to get to know Clermont,” said Ingrid Byer who experienced the farmer’s market for the first time and looks forward to returning.
I was very happy to introduce new people to farmer’s market and see them enjoy the vendors. I want to thank Ron Smart the Executive Director of Downtown Clermont Partnerships, members of CDP, Let’s Tie 1 On, Sweets For You, and all the other vendors for their participation in this creative event.
My next Bullseye Scavenger Hunt will take place Sunday, August 23. Space is limited, but some space is still available. Children and adults are scheduled to compete. I will be offering a special prize to all participants. In addition, vendors will be giving prizes to the top male and female winners. Contact Alicia for info or to sign up for the August 23 Bullseye Scavenger Hunt at Awinningway@gmail.com.
Back on May 20, 2015, my team of archers trained five months to set the world’s first ever 7-archer Ultimate 3-D Relay for fastest time. The 7 athletes completed 6 stations of strict form exercises followed by barebow 3-D archery shooting at a 3-D deer target 10-30 yds away. Their combined archery score took time off their relay race to give a final score of completion in 4:38 for a new Recordsetter World Record.
Watch 7-Archer Ultimate 3-D Relay World Record
Join Alicia Weber’s Archery-Fitness Program or sign up for an upcoming event by contacting Awinningway@gmail.com
Addie, 6, set the record for the “Highest scorer in a 10 yard 10 arrow competition for 4 minutes from a youth age 6 or under with just one archery lesson” with her score of 9 points.
