A Week With the Resident Athletes

Miranda Leek

I recently had the opportunity to train alongside the Resident Athletes apart from the Junior Dream Team in order to make up for a JDT camp that I could not attend.  I was able to shoot hundreds of arrows each day and spend hours focused on improving my technique, which is something that I take for granted while there and genuinely miss when I get home.  Coach Lee, Coach Guy, and all of the RA’s were there to help me further understand certain aspects of the BEST Method, and they were all willing to assist me in making improvements.  I learned a lot during my week-long training session and enjoyed it very much.

One of the first things that I realized while I was there was basic fact that now is the time for training and form improvement, not so much a time for accuracy on the target.  It’s the off season; that means that, generally speaking, the target is going to get worse before it can get better.  It is important to accept this fact and move on with training.

With that in mind, the RA’s and I shot around three hundred arrows each day, at blank bale as well as at a distance.  We all had something specific to work on each arrow we shot, and the coaches were there to remind us when we started “slacking.”  We concentrated on our archery when we shot, but we enjoyed the camaraderie and time spent together as a group when we retrieved our arrows.  Life at the Olympic Training Center isn’t all work; there is also time for friends and free time afterwards, which provided for a welcomed balance.

When we weren’t shooting during our training regimen, we did form master exercises, bow release drills, and SPT’s each day.  Although doing these types of training activities isn’t as entertaining as actually shooting is, they are a necessity in the long run.  Being at the OTC helped me to remember the importance of the “boring training” and helped me to complete the exercises and benefit from them.  Training is so much more fun and easier when you’re surrounded by others with the same interests and goals that you have.  The fact that the OTC provides just that, the many RA’s training for the Olympic Games, is one of the main reasons why I love to go out there to train.

Of course, when considering what I like about the OTC, I cannot leave out the coaches.  Coach Lee and Coach Guy know everything there is to know about the technique and if I needed any help, all I had to do was ask.  Once I voiced a concern, they both did everything they could to help me understand a concept and get me to do what I needed to.  I go out to the OTC to train under the schedule they provide and the help they have to offer, and I do not leave for home empty-handed.

Overall, I found my time spent at the OTC with the RA’s very productive.  If given the opportunity to do this again, I would accept it without any hesitation.  My form definitely improved from my stay there; undeniably because of the time I was able to invest in my training and the many helpful people there.  The OTC provides for a perfect trifecta of training, physical exercise, and camaraderie; an atmosphere difficult to achieve anywhere else.

(Editor’s Note:  The following notes were made by Miranda during camp.  Top athletes often keep a journal of each days training to refer back to during later sessions.  Thanks goes to Miranda for sharing this information with us.)

Miranda Leek

Notes

10-19-09 Extended JDT

• Hook: From the beginning, roll the string in from the fingertips inward. Keep this positioning all the way through the shot! Keeping the wrist bent goes with this somewhat – keep the fingers curled around the string the same way and keep the wrist bent. Do not break the wrist and roll out fingers while picking up the bow; maintain the position all the way through the shot!
• Set-up: Get the elbow behind the arrow line. Keeping the wrist bent and the fingers at the same position helps in this effort.
• Breathing: When drawing, breathe in deeply. Then, at anchor or transfer, breathe out a little, to a 70-80% lung capacity. This will help to naturally expand using blood pressure so expansion is not so difficult and muscularly involved. It is important to breathe in and then out, not just breathing in to 70-80% capacity. The outward breath allows holding to be true to its meaning; a decrease in intensity.
• Posture: Keep the hips tucked under and bring the bow to you; don’t go out with the chest to the string while drawing. Keep the vertebrae stacked evenly on each other. Stay compacted.
• Target line: The line to the target needs to be more in front of the feet, not under. The line should be around two inches in front of the lead foot. This keeps the center of gravity in a place where you don’t want to fall backwards once you’ve achieved good posture. This allows for a good ear to toe line also.
• Keep compact. This relates to posture, but concentrates on keeping the body, the foundation of the shot, connected with itself. Don’t stand up. Keep the head positioning the same from set to follow-through.
• Bow arm: Keep the tricep tight. This allows for the pump jack motion, which pushes the bow arm outwards. The pump jack motion is important to achieve a stronger and faster expansion.
• Hook (again): Hold the thumb and pinky in a way that looks like they’re holding a chick. Don’t touch the thumb to the pinky nail; just pull them both back to break the wrist. Keep both fingers pulled back in order to keep the bent wrist position.
• Sit: Sit! Straight down! Not so you’re pointing to the right.

We would like to thank our sponsors, including Easton Foundation and TaxMasters for lending financial support helping to cover travel and registration costs, Nike for the apparel, and Easton and Hoyt for their support in providing the Junior Dream Team Program with equipment