SAUGUS — Dozens of 10-year-olds are channeling their inner Robin Hood while learning to use a bow and arrow in gym class.
“You feel more powerful when you hold it in your hand,” said Gael Garcia, as he motioned the proper way to hold a bow and arrow with his hands. “It’s heavy.”
The tradition dates back long before Katniss Everdeen sparked a craze that increased the popularity of the sport. Archery participation in the United States jumped nearly 26 percent from 2012 to 2015, due in large part to “The Hunger Games” trilogy and Pixar’s “Brave,” according to a report by The Associated Press.
For the past seven years, gym teacher Anthony Callahan has been teaching archery at Lynnhurst Elementary School at the start of the year as part of an effort to introduce children to a wide variety of physical activities.
“It gives them an opportunity to challenge themselves with something many of them otherwise would have never tried,” he said. “It lets them know that not all physical activity is running. We find ways for individuals to be themselves. When they’re standing on that line, they’re doing it themselves. You can see their confidence build up.”
At the start of the class, Callahan quizzes the students on safety and the proper way to hold and use the equipment. They step up to a black line five at a time, waiting their turn to fire an arrow with the help of their teacher. For many, it’s their favorite activity all year.
“I prefer to do stuff by myself,” said Samantha Oliveira, 11. “I feel shy around a lot of people, so I like to do things on my own.”
Oliveira said she didn’t enjoy the segment when it was introduced to her as a fourth grader, but she learned more about it and got more comfortable with the bow in the past year. She said it stands out as one of the best activities of gym class.
“This is different. It’s more fun,” she said.
