Hello Everyone!
We're just about a month out from the start of the semester, which means that it's time to start getting ready for our fall archery season. It's great to see a mix of both new and returning members this year, and we are all excited for a new semester of archery. Before we get to the range on day 1, there is prep work to be done to ensure a smooth tryout period.
Please take the time to read each of these items, as failure to complete them will prevent you from participating with the team.
IMLeagues: Whether you are new or returning, before participating in any club activity you will need to join our IMLeagues team. Everyone receiving this has already been sent an invitation to join via your GMU email. You may have to create an account if you haven't used IMLeagues before. There are a series of waivers and quizzes that you will have to complete, and if they are required before you can come to any practices. The club sports quiz is linked with a youtube video that is set to private, so on your first attempt just answer as best you can. At the conclusion of the quiz, it will show you the correct answers so you can re-take it and get 100%. The rest of the forms are pretty straight forward, and you can opt out of your concussion baseline since we are a non-contact sport.
Sports Physicals: Every club sports participant is required to submit a sports physical within three weeks of the season start. This physical must be filled out by a licensed physician, and gets turned in at the club sports drop box in the RAC. If you need help finding it, ask the RAC front desk and they can point you in the right direction. The sports physical form can be found
here. Even if you are a returning member, you have to do another sports physical since they only last for one year. If you joined midway through the year, you might be good for a few more months but it's best to do another one anyways.
Range safety quiz: As a weapons-based sport, each member must complete a range safety quiz before you can practice with us. This quiz is founf through our Mason360 page
here. Returning members do not need to complete this again.
Club Equipment Survey: If you haven't already done so, please fill out our interest form and equipment survey for the fall semester. This is especially important if you do not have your own equipment. We will only have 10 club bows to give out, and we are more likely to have a bow for you if you fill out the form. This form is found
here.
Practice structure: We are currently aiming to hold our practices from 9-11am on Mondays and Tuesdays. Our practices will take place off campus at the Bull Run Shooting Center. Before each practice we will meet on campus by the Merten Lawn parking area and depart by 8:30am. Transportation is provided to anyone who doesn't have a car, and members who drive fellow team members may be eligible for a gas reimbursement at the end of the semester. We will come back to Merten lawn after practice and disperse from there.
On campus bow storage: If you have your own bow and will be living on campus, you will be required to store your bow at the GMU police station. Send me an email if this applies to you.
Club membership fees: Our club is a dues based organization. While we have grants and fundraisers that help keep costs down, each member still has to pay $60/semester in dues with no exceptions. These dues go directly towards your range time and equipment use throughout the year. A new addition for this year is that members will also be required to obtain a USA Archery membership after tryouts. There is a competitive and recreational option for these, with recreational being $20 and competitive being $50. These memberships last a full calendar year. Recreational memberships can be turned into competitive memberships later on, so if you are unsure which to get, start with recreational. Both dues and USA Archery memberships are not required until after tryouts are over, so it is okay to wait until tryout decisions have been made before purchasing.
Tryouts: We are structuring tryouts this year to be different from last year, particularly with how many members we can take on who need club equipment. Since we will only have 10 spots available for club equipment users (even if this is just arrows), there will be a more selective roster and cuts will likely be made. The criteria for making the roster is not solely based on your ability with a bow. Whether or not you are looking to compete, your practice availability, and your overall coachability and attitude will also be taken into account. Members who have their own equipment face more relaxed requirements, but if we have more than 15 members with their own bows we may have to make cuts there as well. Ultimately, we will prioritize serious archers who have or are looking to compete with the team.
Once again, welcome to another semester of archery! Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions about the fall at nfergus2@gmu.edu.
-Nicholas Ferguson
President, GMCA