I was at the archery shop yesterday praticing with my recurve. I'm only shooting about 12 yards.I'm using a 64 pearson cougar with my alum. arrows. A group of 19 year olds come in with their compounds. The first thing I hear is "If dad bought me a bow like that I would throw it away". Dad buy??? Old enough to buy their own. The next thing I hear is "I would let him shoot a good bow , but I would have to show him how to shoot it". I finally got tired of it and left. I just dont understand what they are thinking. I was raised to hold the door for the next person, say thank you and so on..You just dont see it anymore... Sorry guys but I just needed to vent I suppose....Roy

I know how you feel.......believe it or not, Aristotle too complained of the lack of respect of young people in his day. So it has been around for a while-on the bright side at least these 19 year olds are in to shooting bows-even though they may not be our favorite kind of bow.

It like the old saying

" they tear down others, to lift lift themselves up"

I remember starting out when I was 10 years old with a traditional longbow, I really thought it was something but when I move to wheels some years later, I never really thought of myself better than those that shot the traditional bow, just one of the same, still feel the same now, the only difference is, not the equipment, it's the attitude, and mentality that makes the difference.  See it is easiest thing in the world to do, find wrong in a person, but it takes a better man to look for the right and focus on that.


Carl

blind one,  I commend your restraint...you have some personal toughness that left you walk away.
Kids will be kids, and it is more about being "in" with your other buddies, than anything else.  It also shows an immaturity level that is inherent in many teenagers.  They were the same fifty years ago, by the way.  You just didn't run into the more mature ones that day.  One instance...that's all.

I would have had to politely explain the word respect to them and give them a lesson in archery history.  I could have bored them into submission with my, "I remember the day" talk.
Then I would have watched them shoot an arrow or two, then asked, "how come those wheels don't turn over at the same time"....and "I see your arrows are kicking to the left off the bow."
         

I understand your frustration.  But, it's a rare 19-year old that has the maturity and character to appreciate the challenges of traditional archery.  Sure it would be nice if they kept their ignorance a little quieter, but then again it was already said that kids do most of what they do for the sake of their buddies.  Don't let some immature kids spoil your enjoyment.

We know we have "matured" sufficiently when we start sentences with "kids today.." and when the lessons of our Fathers/Gradfather's start making real sense... 20 years later! LOL.

Dont get me wrong, I would have helped any of them if they had asked. I have the best of the best in my compounds. I was happy they are shooting. It just seemed like that because I was in my comfortable jeans(the ones that I keep saving after the girlfiends cleaning spree)and shooting older equipment that I knew nothing. I started thinking that if I was just a kid starting out with an old bow that they would have made him or her not want to shoot because of their old stuff.It was just their attitude I guess..

We know we have "matured" sufficiently when we start sentences with "kids today.." and when the lessons of our Fathers/Gradfather's start making real sense... 20 years later! LOL.

Wow!!!!
Theres a true statement right there!!

They'll grow up to it one day when their wheel bows don't give the pleasure that they used to.

My wife (who shoots a recurve) had to deal with another women who was bragging about how great she is with her compound and claims she never misses. I told my wife to ask her next time where the "fun" or "challenge" is in that.

Dang I can barely remember 19 or 30 for that matter.  But I do remember how "stupid" my dad was when I was that age and how much more I knew.  I also remember that when I was about 25 or so that it seemed that the old man had really got smart in just a few years.  Amazing!!


I pleased that they are shooting instead of the 100 things they could be doing and I think maybe a little friendly banter could have defused the situation.

Maybe even a challenge for them to try and shoot the antique bow.

Mike

At least they are shooting and not out destroying something.   Normally I would say its just the arrogance of youth but more often I see adults showing the same levels of disrespect for each other. (And not just as it relates to trad archery)

QuoteOriginally posted by wingnut:
Dang I can barely remember 19 or 30 for that matter.  But I do remember how "stupid" my dad was when I was that age and how much more I knew.  I also remember that when I was about 25 or so that it seemed that the old man had really got smart in just a few years.  Amazing!!

Mike

My dad and I laugh about the same thing. He sure got a lot smarter when I hit my early 20's.   :rolleyes:

Right or wrong I would have seen that as a challenge and invited them to shoot some rolling targets then maybe ask if they would like to try shooting some of the same disks out of the air. This happened to me once, my Nephew and I were using a guys field for practice and he being a teenager took one look at my little vinemaple "Indian" bow and you could see a sardonic expression come over his face as if to say "yeah right". He came out of his garage to watch us put arrow after arrow in both rolled and thrown disks and even know he was a tech bow guy who like to kill deer or try to kill then at 100 plus yards he would at least have some respect for my lowly primitive bow

I think the question should be is Why didnt the parents teach these kids to respect?...

i would have to agree with you jacobsladder, being of the younger generation myself, I think alot of the disrespect comes from younger people not being taught to respect others by their parents, whether they be your elder or not.  being brought up to respect people the ones that arent stand out like sore thumbs, and unfortunately cause others to label all "young" people and disrespectful

Yep, jacobsladder has hit it right on the head. I guarantee that the teenagers parents lack respect also. I am around kids all the time. Little League Manager and Cubmaster. I personally feel an obligation to tell the kids to show some respect. I have stood up for parents when their kids showed them disrespect and the parents let them get away with it. That's why I'm Cubmaster.

been there before myself. as i walked by them leaving i chose to invite the "boys" (more or less men to me) to come and shoot with me someday when they had finally graduated from their "bow with training wheels" and we could have some real fun. a good laugh always seems to lighten things up and get the old, fun stories rolling.

The respectful ones never really get noticed...I think this is one reason people are always suprised by the lack of respect in a younger generation.  The impression that 20% leave ruins it for the other 80%.

If it makes you feel better I was in "the shop" last year at 22 years of age.  There was a guy shooting a longbow.  He was hitting 2" dots at 20 yards.  I, not so subtly, asked for him to help me out with my compound shooting.  He was more than happy.

Turns out he was really just trying to "learn" this new bow.   :eek:

I work with High School age students quite a bit. FFA, Junior Conservation Council, etc. I know these young people well.

When I am around town, the students that I see being rude or disrespectful, are never the ones involved in these organizations. I rarely see the involved students being a nuisance.

I think young people need something important to do to help them become adults. When I was at that age we didn't have much time to hang out and get in trouble. We had ground to plow or cows to work. The few friends I had that were not farming had joined the military.

Now... I'm not saying you have to be a farmer or soldier to grow-up. Just something important to do where you have to grow into responsibility is good thing. My $.02.

OkKeith

Let me shed a little laughter on this matter. I seen an elderly man take his longbow into a shop at an archery shoot and the employee behind the counter laughed when the guy asked for some help with string wax. The employee said you need a new bow and laughed (not in a hurtful matter though) as did the customer. After talking, the longbow owner made a bet with the employee saying that his bow can shoot better than the employees Mathews ever thought about. Of coarse the employee took the guy up on the bet and the longbow owner said you have to what I do and shoot from where I shoot at 15 yards and the employee laughed. The elderly gentleman re-strung his longbow and threw it into the air about 10 feet and then picked it up and shot a near dead-center 12. The employee wouldn't through his Mathews into the air. So I guess you know who won the bet.
Just a little story I thought you might like.

Since I teach high school biology, coached football, basketball, baseball, and track, and have four kids of my own (ages 8mon - 18yrs), I'll say a few words.

First, ALL kids and adults are different - even if they are raised in the same environment.  Sure there are some with bad attitudes and lack respect for others but please don't let those overshadow the ones that that do.  Those kids are the ones we should be reaching out to and teaching and setting positive examples for - not getting irritated or upset - their brain damaged at that age anyhow.  Generally, those kids want and need it from someone and who better than those of us that post on this site.