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Here is a paper I wrote about my favorite hobby for speech class. It involves a deadly weapon and an unstoppable desire to loose arrows.

Enjoy! 



Archery

Informative Speech 
Pauline Mulkerrins 
Speech 101 
Professor Frelix
July 10, 2014 



MANUSCRIPT 

I’ll never forget the first time I used a bow and arrow. I had dreamed of this day since I was little.  After a short safety instructional, I held the bow tightly in my right hand, and put the arrow on the bowstring with my left. The target looked huge and was only about 10 yards away, but it seemed so far. I was so scared I was going to miss and shoot my instructor or miss terribly. I instead took a deep breath, put the bow into position and pulled back the arrow. I knew at that second I had found something I loved. I let go of the string, and my arrow hit the target! I did something so simple and yet so scary. I looked at my archery instructor and gave him “the look.” You know the look, the “that was awesome” look. I was completely hooked. 
 As I stand in front of you today, 3 years later, I have my own Olympic style bow and I am a USA Archery Association Certified Level 1 Coach. In this speech, I’ll talk about the history of the sport of archery, it’s role in the Olympics, and the popularity it has reached in modern times.  Let us now talk about the history of archery to try to understand how imbedded it is for our species.
The history of archery is very long and plays a part in almost every civilization. Humans have practiced archery since prehistoric times.  Archery was used for hunting as the bow and arrow was the fastest moving projectile for most of humankind’s time on this planet. The bow and arrow in the past century has changed so much, even in the last 40 years from what a traditional bow is known for. 

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, The Egyptians and Greeks were the first civilizations to enjoy archery as a recreational activity.  It was used throughout all major civilizations, from Mongolia, to modern Europe and the Americas.  Archery is a naturally competitive sport, but surprisingly, it wasn’t introduced into the Olympics until the last century. 
The Olympics finally recognized Archery as a sport in 1900 and continues to be one of the most popular events in the games.  In the events, archers shoot at targets that are 48 inches in diameter at 70 yards. For reference, a football field is about 90 yards. For a few decades in the 20th century, Archery was not in the Olympics. It was brought back in the 1970’s. The Official Olympic website says the target appears about the size of a thumbtack held at arm's length. The matches are teams from competing nations going head to head until two finalists face off.  Women were allowed to compete in archery as early as 1904. Archery is a sport for everyone, and it is even included in the Paraolympics as well. 
Archery has become very popular thanks to the Olympics and pop culture.  The inclusion of women in the Olympics, the accessibility of the sport and also the popularity of movies like The Hunger Games, Brave and the TV show Arrow has made archery “cool.”  The USA Archery Association has received feedback from youth clubs that interest in archery programs in their areas is up significantly, according to The Associated Press. The best part of archery is that people don’t have to be “sporty.” 
Archery is very popular in modern times thanks to Pop Culture and the Olympics, however it has been competitively practiced by men and women alike since the turn of the 20th century and used since prehistoric times.  If you have ever been interested in archery, now is the time to get involved! 



References
Archery | Federation | Olympic Sport | London 2012 Summer Olympics. (n.d.).Archery | Federation | Olympic Sport | London 2012 Summer Olympics. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.olympic.org/fita 
The Associated Press (2012, April 12). Hunger Games and Olympics spawn new generation of archery fans. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2012/0424/Hunger-Games-and-Olympics-spawn-new-generation-of-archery-fans 
archery. (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32749/archery



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