Kids love to emulate the things that fascinate them in media. When a new Star Wars comes out, they’re pretending to fight with lightsabers. When a new Avengers come out they’re taking turns being Iron Man or the Hulk. The difference with archery is that they can go to a range and actually shoot a bow instead of just pretending. And the act of actually doing instead of pretending has the potential to impact them to a further extent. Pop culture has planted that seed but it’s up to us to nurture it. Programs like JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) are powerful tools for enriching young minds with a passion for this sport.

The bottom line is this: Pop culture got the ball rolling, but it’s still up to the individuals in this industry to ensure that interest continues to thrive. Archery is fun, and it can be addictive. Although archery’s legacy dates back to the dawn of man, and we will always have a connection to it, we just need a little spark to ignite a new generation of passionate archers. So marathon The Hunger Games, put up posters of Hawkeye, reach out to local schools with deals for kids and let’s see how much more we can grow.

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It’s the time of the year again when everyone’s talking about Super Bowl commercials! Today, we’re excited to share Jeep’s latest commercial, which includes archery at 0:21. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

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Country super star Luke Bryan performed Thanksgiving Day, during the half time show of the Dallas Cowboys & Carolina Panthers game, and he opened with archery.

Here is a rough video in case you missed it.

Luke Bryan took stage at the 2014 ATA Trade Show during the Outtech Innovations event where he rocked the house.

For more on Luke Bryan, follow him on Twitter @LukeBryanOnline

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Mockingjay Part 2 has received a 7.4 out of 10 on IMDb, a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 75% on Metacritic. Check out a movie theater near you for show times! Though Katniss’s story has ended, we won’t forget the great service she has done not only for Panem, but also for archery as a sport.

“May the odds be ever in your favor.”

The post The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 – Released 11/20 appeared first on Inside Archery Archery Newsfeed.

Although this may seem rather insignificant to some, it can be viewed as a small piece of the larger picture. Archery is on the rise thanks to major pop culture influences like Katniss Everdeen and Hawkeye, and this emoji reflects the growing, widespread interest in the sport of archery. Emojis are in many ways a product and tool of expression for the younger generation, and now archery has been added to that language.

So let those digital arrows fly!

The post Apple Releases Bow and Arrow Archery Emoji with iOS 9.1 Update appeared first on Inside Archery Archery Newsfeed.

The long-anticipated conclusion of The Hunger Games movie saga, Mockingjay Part 2, comes out on November 20.

The bow-wielding heroine Katniss Everdeen is certainly responsible for a large part of the recent spike in popularity of archery, especially among the youth. Whether they shoot one of the specially designed youth or small-frame bows from popular manufacturers such as Mathews and Bear, or one of the popular toy bows like the NERF Rebelle “Heartbreaker”, Everdeen has inspired kids everywhere to take up the sport of archery.

In the final movie, the rebellion against the Capitol will come to a head, and the fate of Panem will be decided. Fans will remember that the start of this war comes down to Katniss’s voluntary entrance into the Hunger Games in order to protect her younger sister Prim, and in the official Mockingjay Part 2 trailer that was published on September 16, the bond between the sisters is the primary focus:

A silhouette of Katniss as the icon “The Mockingjay” appears in various places of the trailer, the outline of a quiver behind her head and a bow in her hand. There are few images so powerful as this in the movies, and it is sure to inspire yet another wave of youth archers.

We are also excited to see which bow Katniss will wield in the final installment; in Catching Fire, she uses a custom-made Hoyt Buffalo, while in Mockingjay Part 1, she switches to a Savannah bow from Martin Archery. Both were chosen for their traditional look, as well as their light draw weight, since actress Jennifer Lawrence is one of the few pop culture archers who does not shoot computer-generated arrows. Her coach for the movies was archer Khatuna Lorig, competitor in five Olympic games and winner of six medals in various tournaments (including a bronze Olympic medal).

However The Hunger Games series ends, Katniss Everdeen will remain one of the most well-known archers in pop culture, alongside characters such as Hawkeye from Marvel and Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead.

We hope that even after the conclusion of The Hunger Games, archery will continue to rise in popularity, as it is both rewarding and challenging for athletes of all ages and skill levels.

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Recently ATA published a fascinating article that expands on one of our own previous online posts, Hungry for Archery, about pop culture and its influence on archery over the past few years. ATA’s article notes that it’s not just Katniss Everdeen who inspires youth around the country to take up a bow. Rather, a whole slew of bow-and-arrow wielding characters such as Hawkeye, Legolas and Green Arrow have given the archery industry a massive amount of free exposure.

For a visual of this trend, check out this graph from ATA that displays the steady increase of enrollment in USA Archery and how it relates to the Hunger Games franchise.

To read the full article from ATA, click here.

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Sophie Turner–widely known for her role as Sansa Stark in “Game of Thrones”–is cast to play Jean Grey. Jean is a mutant (a human subspecies born with special powers) with telepathic and telekinetic powers. Her character has been featured in several X-Men movies, but never with a bow.

Turner is seen here watching director Bryan Singer wield the bow and arrow during production of the film.

Other production photos posted on social media by Singer have showed groups of men with bows, suggesting archery may be making its way to the big screen in greater quantities, and in superhero movies, no less!

Photo Credit: Cinemablend.com

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For the third year in a row, the American Country Music (ACM) & Cabela’s Great Outdoor Archery Event pitted teams captained by country music stars Luke Bryan and Justin Moore against each other for bragging rights as the best archers—until next year!

Team Luke consisted of Lucas Hoge, Austin Webb, Kristy Titus, Tyler Farr, Dustin Lynch, Rhett Atkins, and Willie and Jep Robertson.

Team Justin had Wade Middleton, Eric Paslay, Jamie Lynn Spears, Josh Abott, Zach Martin, Brantley Gilbert, Chase Rice, and Casey Donahew.

The event was held at the Texas Rangers Youth Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, on April 18, 2015. In addition to ACM and Cabela’s, the North Texas Make a Wish Foundation made an appearance at the ballpark that afternoon, with two young archers—Emily and Bryson—to join Luke and Justin’s teams and get in on the competition.

Luke Bryan’s team took home the trophy, but Rhett Atkins took home the Top Archer award.

For more information, tons of pictures to come, and a video of the event, visit Cabelas’ website.

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