November 11, 2025

Shooting for Greatness – The Return of the RA Archery Club

​Over the summer, the RA Archery Club faced a daunting challenge. While the demand for Archery was strong, the number of available coaches to deliver sustainable programming was lacking. As a result, the RA made the difficult decision to put Archery memberships and programming on hiatus as of September 1, 2025, and reevaluate how to move forward.

“When we pressed pause on Archery, it wasn’t because the passion was gone,” reflected Chris Fritzsche, Manager of Recreation, Sport & Club Programming. “It was because our coaching bench was too thin.”

The response was immediate. Members and participants made it very clear that Archery at the RA mattered and asked how they could help keep it alive. That feedback changed the conversation from “Can we keep Archery?” to “What would it take to build it back properly?”

From there, the path forward became evident: the only realistic way to protect Archery long term was to grow the coaching base. To proceed, a minimum of four certified coaches needed to be added to the Archery roster.

Working with Archery Ontario, the RA invited Bruce Savage, an NCCP Instructor from Caledon, to deliver the Instructor of Beginner Archers course onsite in September. Thirteen people stepped up from within the RA community and spent a full weekend in the classroom and on the range, investing in their training so that Archery could have a future. 

“The attendees were an absolutely dedicated group determined to retain Archery at the RA,” commented Savage. “They worked collaboratively in an amazing way.”

That weekend became the turning point. It provided the RA with a new pipeline of trained instructors – supporting new and returning programs, clinics, leagues and more.

"My introduction to Archery was through classes offered by the RA Centre," recounted Finley, one of the newly-hired instructors at the Archery Club. "Thanks to my supportive and skilled coaches, I developed a passion for Archery that I look forward to sharing with others as a coach myself."

“I’ve received so much support from the RA Archery Club,” said Congwei Chen, another new hire who recently graduated the course. “I joined the coaching team to help others discover their own potential and passion for Archery.”

The RA is thrilled to open Archery registration for Winter 2026 with a full slate of instructional programs for adults and youth, clinics, and member opportunities. Before programming begins in January, new Warthog buttresses will be installed to refresh the range and improve the shooting experience!

Fritzsche reflects: “Seeing more than a dozen archers give up a full weekend to invest in their training showed us that Archery here isn’t just a program, it’s a community. That group now sits at the heart of our new coaching team and is the reason we can offer a stronger, more sustainable slate of programs going forward.”

Learn more about the Archery Range and our lineup of Winter 2026 programs!