UK Student Archery Association

Hall you need is love [27/Oct/08]

Or more accurately all you need is a hall. For all university archery clubs the number of hours per week practice time they have can make a significant impact on the performance of both novice and senior sides. Warwick, one of the most successful sides in the last couple of seasons have 9.5 scheduled hours per week, albeit two of those on a Tuesday morning. Seeing Warwick's 9.5 hours and raising them virtually unfettered access to a range during Sport Centre opening hours is Edinburgh. The effect on their trophy cabinet is easy to see.

Ideally of course, your hall is of a sufficient size for practice or matches but here are plenty of atypical set ups. Cambridge's collegiate system meant that under the old BUTTS 6 team all-plays-all set up, they were not able to host an indoor leg. York hosted part of BUSA Indoors in a hall which was really a giant tent and was correspondingly chilly. Heriot-Watt have one of their weekly sessions in a hall the size of a badminton court, whilst Liverpool used to shoot in a crypt!

Reading joined London/ULU in not having enough space to host SEAL matches having been originally slated to host two matches against Essex and Kent (on 8th November) and Brunel and ULU (on 8th February) - Essex and Brunel will now host these matches. As Reading gear up for their third SEAL campaign Essex and Kent will be starting their first against one another.

Sport centre repairs had reduced Dundee to 1.5 hours per week with predictable consequences for their novices a few years ago. Bradford's hall is out of commission this year but they have been able to use a local Community Centre and will host NEUAL fixtures there. In contrast, Napier University's bureaucratic wheels have turned so slowly the archery club, which was homeless in February because of campus redevelopment, is still homeless as we near November. The replacement venue, co-habiting with their city neighbours Edinburgh University, is however on the brink of being confirmed.