Recent news
9 June 2009
Michael Ward was presented with the Yorkshire Sword at the county championships on Sunday 6th June 2009. This was in recognition of all his hard work for Yorkshire's archers over a number of years.
The citation nominating Michael reads:
The YAA Coaching Group and Barnsley Archery Club would like to nominate Michael Ward for the award of the Yorkshire Sword.
Michael is now a member of Selby Archery Club but is better known for his long association with the University of York. This year has seen him take on a wide range of responsibilities and achieve a number of goals in his support of Yorkshire archery and regional/national promotion of the sport through his role as University archery liaison for YAA and NCAS, following the role he has had with BUSA. He has played a strong role in developing University archery for some time, working with BUSA and the NEUAL shoots as organiser and supporting a number of Universities in organising shoots in the University calendar.
Michael has passed his County Coach exam this year, consolidating the work he has been doing in coaching. He is involved with both Yorkshire Youth/Junior squads as a coach, and the senior squad as a coach/archer. His commitment has been high. At Selby he has already introduced regular coaching days and is supporting archers of all disciplines in improving their performance.
Michael has now completed his Level 1 tutor and assessor training, and Level 2 tutor/course manager. Over the past year he has led and tutored a University-specific Level 1 coach training course involving Leeds, Sheffield and York Universities with another planned this year, increasing the number of Universities accessing this. Interest is now developing across the region, and some student candidates are progressing to level 2 and beyond.
In supporting the YAA Coaching Group, Michael has taken on the role of Treasurer, introducing a rigorous system of budget management and ensuring that we have a clear picture of our finances and costs. In doing this, he led the request (with Harry Drake) for support from YAA general funds for the squads, and we have been grateful for the support received. This year he has also attended development conferences for coaching for YAA and also the recent GNAS SDP conference for NCAS.
Michael works hard at whatever he takes on, is always supportive, and we feel he is a good role model for the sport and the county, and a worthy recipient of this award.
Kath Fitzpatrick, on behalf of YAA Coaching
Gwen Smith, on behalf of Barnsley AC
Steve Jones - 11 May 2009
Following their Awards For All Lottery Grant, Barnsley YMCA Archers held their first outdoor shooting session on Sunday 10th May.
They were fortunate to have a fine dry day with little wind. For most of the members, this was their first taste of outdoor shooting and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
Wonder if they will feel the same when it's windy and raining.
The outdoor facility is at Worsbrough Bridge Cricket Club and will cater for target shooting up to 100 yards.
Photo taken by Pete Stott.
Steve Jones
Barnsley YMCA Archers
Kath Fitzpatrick - 5 May 2009
It is with great sadness that Barnsley Archery Club announce the death on 4th May of one of its former members Nick Rogalski, who had suffered from lung cancer for three years.
People may remember Nick - nicknamed "fingers" as he had lost parts of several fingers at work, and was the only person to have done his beginners course with a compound. Despite this, Nick made an excellent compound archer and also managed to shoot longbow - quite a challenge. He was well liked and well thought of, fun to shoot with, and in his time with the club over several years worked hard to help build the foundation for the successes we have today. He was a familiar face at many YAA shoots, always keen to enjoy himself and have a laugh, but keenly competitive as well.
Nick met and married his wife Wendy while at the club, and she graced our tournaments as Lady Paramount, helping to man whatever needed doing.
We will miss Nick; it would have been great to have him back with us again and although he hasn't been at the club for a while, he will not be forgotten.
Our condolences to his wife Wendy and family.
Kath Fitzpatrick
Barnsley Archery Club
20 April 2009
Mick Fitzpatrick has been presented with the Award of Merit, the YAA's highest honour. The award was presented by YAA President Stan Snow at the YAA Clout Championships in Bradford on the 19th of April 2009.
The citation from Barnsley Archery Club reads:
The members of Barnsley Archery Club would like to nominate Mick Fitzpatrick for the Award of Merit.
Mick recently left the YAA committee after almost 20 years of service, which we feel should not go unrecognised.
From entering the sport in 1981, Mick soon became involved with the county committee, variously holding positions of Tournament Organiser (following Janet Wales and preceding Andrew Neal), then Chairman for several years, then Clout Organiser most recently. During that time he has also represented YAA on the NCAS committee for around 14 years.
He has taken part in all disciplines of archery over the years, achieving MB field, shooting at MB and GMB levels in target archery once he moved to compound. His passion for clout archery has always been evident, and he has contributed much to the growth in the sport. As a recurve archer Mick won titles at county and regional level; with compound he took titles and records at county, regional and national levels, for several years until recently holding all the national clout records. He was only the second person to receive the gold tassel when it was first introduced. He has been equally successful with longbow, winning the YAA championships, and taking it up in the year compounds were banned to finish second, pipped in the last dozen to the title by Malcolm Clint.
Mick’s other passion has been coaching, and he has played a large role in developing the coaching organisation we have today. Initially tutored by Tom Musgrove, Mick took his first coaching level in 1984, moving on to County level by 1990. He has been an active coach, working with individuals at all levels including international. He has also been an excellent coach educator, working on coach training courses for the past 16 years, and supporting the YAA Youth squads since their inception in the early 1990s.
Although no longer on the committee, wishing to return to his own shooting more, Mick is still an excellent role model and ambassador for the sport, and our members feel he should receive this recognition which is so richly deserved.
Mick sporting the Award of Merit.
Chris Milne - 18 April 2009
Abbeydale Archers are holding a special shoot to mark the 70th anniversary of the club's founding in 1939.
The shoot consists of 70 arrows. Seniors will shoot at 70 yards, juniors and novices (if preferred) will shoot at 35 yards.
The shoot will take place at De La Salle Grounds, Beauchief, Sheffield. We hope to see you there.
Entry form (PDF)
Chris Milne
Dave Phillips - 12 April 2009
Graham Stark from Burton Constable has advised that their Clout Shoot on the 9th of May 2009 and their Albion on the 4th of July 2009 have been cancelled.
The East Riding Championships on the 2nd of August 2009 will still be held.
Dave Phillips
Steve Jones - 11 March 2009
Barnsley YMCA Archers are delighted to have been awarded £8765 from Awards For All, part of the National Lottery.
Barnsley YMCA Archers were formed just over a year ago and have grown from 3 members to over 20 members in the year.
The grant will be used to provide outdoor shooting facilities and purchase the necessary equipment to allow the club to expand and allow greater participation in the sport.
The club has members from 8 years old to over 50 years old, with many family groups taking part.
Steve Jones
www.awardsforall.org.uk
Iain Smith - 3 March 2009
The Barnsley charity shoot, which was held on Sunday the 1st of March, was a great success and proved a very enjoyable day for the club and hopefully all the archers who participated. The spirit of the shoot was fantastic and very upbeat in spite of a very chilly wind.
The number of archers who took part far exceeded our expectations and I would like to extend our thanks to all the archers who supported the shoot and were most generous in their donations throughout the day.
As a result of the generosity of the club members, archers who attended, sponsorship from archery suppliers and from collections at the Shaw Lane facility, the day has raised £820 so far which will be donated jointly to Cancer Research and Macmillan Trust.
These two charities are very deserving and I feel that this shoot has allowed me to give a little back to enable their good work, from which I have benefitted over the last year, to continue.
I would like to extend particular thanks to the following people:
- Aardvark Archery for sponsoring the target faces.
- Merlin Archery for sponsoring a number of very interesting and fun raffle prizes.
- Barnsley Archery Club members for their hard work leading up to and on the day.
- Finally many thanks to everyone who braved the weather and came along, without you the day could not have been such a success.
Thank you once again.
Yours Faithfully,
Iain Smith
Chairman of Barnsley Archery Club
www.barnsleyarchers.co.uk
Ray Chaplin - 25 February 2009
It is with regret that Ebor Archers will, for the time being, be retiring the Les Kent Clout from the shooting calendar. The loss of a ground and various other factors make it impossible to run the tournament for the time being. We would like to thank all archers who have supported the event over the decades and we are sorry not to be able to continue with the event which we know was enjoyed by so many of you.
Ray Chaplin
Chairman
Ebor Archers
Colin Fairburn - 1 February 2009
Below is a pic of Joe presenting his cheque to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance - I thought it would be good to place it on the YAA website so that everyone who contributed has a chance to see that their generosity came to fruition! An article should be appearing in the Yorkshire Evening Post sometime next week.
Total raised £589.84 (£737.30 with Gift Aid).
Many thanks to everyone who contributed.
Newspaper item about Joe's achievement:
Yorkshire Evening Post: Leeds archery boy boosts air ambulance
Colin Fairburn
6 January 2009
The YAA Indoor Championships shoot, to be held in Wakefield on the 8th of March 2009, is now more than half full. If you intend to enter, do not leave it any longer or you may be disappointed.
Andrew Neal, YAA Target Tournament Organiser
5 January 2009
Cedric Abbot of the Bowmen of Adel has become the latest recipient of the new Yorkshire Award. The Yorkshire Award is intended as recognition of individuals and couples who have performed outstanding service to their clubs over many years - and there can be few better exemplars than Cedric.
The award was presented by Jim Routledge, Vice President of the YAA, at the Bowmen of Adel Indoor Open Tournament on Sunday the 4th of January 2009. The citation from club secretary Nick Beeson reads:
The Bowmen of Adel would like to nominate Cedric Abbott, of our club, for the Yorkshire award.
Cedric has been an active member of our club since the mid-seventies. At low times, it has seemed as if he was the only active member. During that time he has filled just about every committee post in the constitution, and several more besides. He is currently the Equipment Officer, and it is hard to imagine a suitable replacement; certainly no one could equal his dedication and energy, burrowing away behind the scenes.
Many will have come across Cedric as the immaculately dressed Field Captain at the club's open tournaments; at every tournament he will also have almost single-handedly set out the field the evening before. For our indoors, it is Cedric who transports all the bosses to Quarry House. When we have beginners' courses, who is ever-present, advising archers and mending equipment as it gets used - Cedric. When we had to erect a fence to protect our indigenous hockey players, who was first to start designing, purchasing and building - Cedric. Who provides all the Danish pastries at club events - Cedric. Who is the only diplomat who can manage our tricky relations with our host association - Cedric. And sometimes he actually shoots.
This may give the impression that our club members are lazy and leave everything up to him. This is only partly true, and it would take a braver man than I to tell Cedric that he is not needed and should take a rest. But a more caring, honest and upright ambassador for archery could never be found. We recommend him to the County.
Cedric Abbot (right) receives the Yorkshire Award from Jim Routledge (left). Club President Bob Key (centre) looks on.
Do you have someone (or a couple) like Cedric in your club? If so, please consider nominating them for this award. Details can be found on the Administration page:
Details of the Yorkshire Award
