Awards

USA Archery NTS Level 2 Instructor

2017-2019 UCSD Archery Competitive Team Member

2018 SoCal Indoor Archery Collegiate Championship Male Recurve Bronze

Spotlight

Michael found his way to the Sun God Archery through UCSD Recreation’s archery classes. He and his roommate were looking for something new to try, and had signed up for a beginner class in fall of their second year. From there, they continued fostering their interest in archery by joining the club, and eventually the competitive team.

Michael’s favorite competition was the 2019 NOCC in Ohio. This was due in part to a pre-existing desire to visit the state, but also because the tournament was his first time attending an outdoor competition. Being able to shoot with his friends and meet people from around the country made the event an altogether interesting, fun, and enjoyable experience for him.

However, Michael was also highly involved in the club outside the team itself--namely, teaching the JOAD classes. For him, teaching archery to kids of different ages and skill levels proved challenging, yet exciting due to the dynamic it created among the students. Acting as the personal coach for some of his more ambitious students, Michael recalls attending the 2019 JOAD Indoor Nationals as his fondest memory from his time in the club. It was the first time he’d attended a competition to support a student, and during the midday break between lines he and his student were able to eat and play board games together for a while.

Michael’s time as the JOAD instructor, both during the classes and while supporting students at competition, allowed him to better appreciate the work it takes to coach both new and continuing archers. At competitions, it allowed him to see tournaments from a different perspective and emphasized the importance of mindset and mental game in that setting. His biggest takeaway from working with young archers is that ultimately, archery is meant to be enjoyable for the process itself. It can be easy to get caught up in winning and focusing on success in score, but seeing the JOAD archers focus on having a good time reminded him why he enjoyed archery in the first place.

When he graduates, Michael will be going through a teacher credential program, then pursuing a Master’s in education. He hopes to eventually teach elementary school students. Congratulations Michael, and we wish you luck in your teaching career!