Archery is usually thought of as a solitary activity; even the most famous bow-slinging icons—Cupid, Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen—all act alone. Yet the founder and head coach of the Woodbury-based Minnesota NorthStar Archery Club, Doug Jones, would tell you the most important thing about the club is the very opposite: community.
Jones’ archery story begins when he was 11 years old, and hunting recreationally. What started as a childhood amusement turned into a 50-year relationship with the sport. He raised a family and worked for 28 years as an engineer for Lockheed Martin, all while maintaining his love for archery in his leisure time. Now that Jones has retired and his children have grown up, archery has moved to the forefront, and the Minnesota NorthStar Archery Club is the product of this lifelong passion.
The club, which officially opened in November 2014, was modeled after the former Wolf Track Archery Club in Blaine, the club he and his family would shoot at throughout the late 80s and 90s. Jones credits some of his greatest family memories and best friends to the club, as well as his children’s success in life through the lessons learned there. “It was such a great space for my family to spend time together and for my kids to grow in,” Jones says. “When I set out to start Minnesota NorthStar Archery Club, those were the things I wanted to be able to give to other families.”
Even though Jones admits that a recent rise in the popularity of archery may very well be attributed to the popular book and movie series The Hunger Games, he believes the sport offers truly unique learning experiences for those who pick up a bow. “Team sports have their value,” Jones says, “but archery builds a self-identity in such a strong way. Not to mention how skilled archers become in focusing their minds.”
The club is home to east metro archers of a range of skill levels; everyone from the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) team to beginners. Eleven-year-old Ryan Burrows of Woodbury was looking for a challenging sport when he recently joined the club. “It’s a fun sport to learn, but my favorite is definitely the satisfaction of getting a bull’s-eye,” Burrows says.
Jones says that the club format allows members to have these individual sport experiences, like Ryan describes, where there’s the space to create a strong self-relationship, while also allowing the chance to share in the camaraderie and supportive community aspects of team sports.
That attention to both the development of the individual and the community is evident even in the facilities. Moving beyond the 10 shooting lanes, there’s a non-training area of the facility where other archery clubs may think to sell merchandise. In the Minnesota NorthStar Archery Club, it’s a space for gathering: couches, a stereo, a TV and windows overlooking the range, all parts of making members feel comfortable and welcome. “Parents are able to do work while their children are in lessons, and it’s a good place for kids to get homework done as well,” Jones says. “It’s a social place, too. Gathering just to grill and getting everyone together is something we love doing.”
Fifty years after Jones picked up a bow the very first time, he’s grateful for being able to create a space that opens others up to archery. “I see the smiles and I feel the energy, and I know that this is something much bigger than myself,” he says.
