The Villages - July 2022 - 33

Mike wasn't enthused about it at first, but he
eventually gave in with Kathy's persistence. He now
heads to The Paradise Archery Range whenever he can
to perfect his shot.
" I probably shoot a few hundred arrows a day, " Mike
said; " except during softball season. "
The couple's practice has paid off with an already
impressive record behind them; Mike and Kathy won first
place in several tournaments so far in the 60-64 and 6569
age brackets and competed in the Senior Games held
in Gainesville in 2021. They competed again this past
May in the National Senior Games held for a week in Ft.
Lauderdale, where Mike received 4th place and Kathy
received a gold medal.
" It's icing on the cake to come out winning gold, "
Kathy said.
The couple is already
looking forward to December
when the next Senior Games
will be held. There's lots of
work to be done, however, as
Mike pointed out.
" I've got a tendency to sort
I probably shoot a few
hundred arrows a day,
except during softball
season.
- Mike Rocchio
of squeeze the bow, " Mike said; " If you're squeezing it, it's
going to go left or right. So, I'm trying to break out of that
bad habit. Your hand should be relaxed because when you
shoot the bow, it's going to move a little bit and you want
the bow to move forward. "
Mike and Kathy compete using compound bows;
a form of bow that consists of a levering system.
It requires less holding weight once it is pulled
back to its maximum length. This form of archery
has drawn criticism from archers who prefer the
traditional recurve bow that offers no relief while
drawing the arrow back.
" There's a skill to it, " Mike said. " They tell me,
'Don't you get tired of always putting your arrows
in the yellow?' So, I tell them if it's that easy and
everybody shot a compound bow, we'd all get them
in the yellow. "
The art of the traditional recurve bow may
become a thing of the past, Mike and Kathy said.
There are longer bows made specifically for them
and their scarcity only increases with time.
When they're not shooting arrows themselves,
Mike and Kathy take the opportunity to teach others
how to use the bow and arrow, while sharing their
passion for the sport in the process.
" We help out with Camp Villagers, " Mike said.
" When you get a kid that never picked a bow up
before to pull the bow back, and it shoots and hits
the target, the look on their face is very rewarding. "
MAGAZINE
33
The Villages - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - July 2022
