Twang . . . Thud! From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday mornings, the sound of a different kind of sport can be heard at the Weber State University practice field. No, this isn’t the Hunger Games or Middle Earth, but one of WSU’s club sports, the archery club.

Since its creation in 2010, the club’s membership has been steadily increasing as young Katnisses and Legolases of the student body have come out to explore their inner yeoman. From the competitive side to the good leisure of the sport, the club offers activities for all skill levels.

Kenny Haeffele has been a member of the club since 2010 and participates not only in a leisure position, but is one of the members of the competitive group. He loves the many opportunities that have come from being a member of the club.

“It’s a great stress reliever for me,” Haeffele said. “It has really helped me take my mind off of my homework .”

The club has continued through the summer, despite attendance being really low.

“Summer has been our slow time, which hasn’t been fun,” Haeffele said. “But when the semester starts up, the real preparation for our competition will begin.”

Like several of the Wildcat sport teams, the archery club holds many of their main competitions in the springtime. This

past season the team participated in the U.S. Intercollegiate Archery Championship, where two student athletes placed in the region. Kenny placed third in the region while his sister, Jessie Haeffele, placed eighth in the region.

Jessie Haeffele worked through injury issues in preparation for the national competition, and felt good despite competing  with her injuries.

“The competition was interesting, ” she said. “My injury led to a few shots missing the target, but even with a bum elbow and a bow that wasn’t as tricked out as the others I was really impressed with how I performed.”

Both siblings are very excited for the upcoming season and have high hopes for what will happen with the club.

“I am hoping we have more members this upcoming year,” Jessie said. “We had a few drop out last year due to scheduling conflict, but we are hoping for more this year. Add to that we are looking for more and more competitions for our members to compete in, it looks to be a great year!”

The team regularly meets on Saturdays from 10 a.m.  to 1 p.m., with their last summer practice scheduled for Aug. 9.

“We are actively inviting people to come and participate,” Kenny said. “From the veteran archer to the simplest beginner, there is room for everyone on our team.”

There is a limited amount of equipment available for rental if you don’t have your own to use. No matter the skill level, many people have been able to improve their skill level after only a few practices.

“Coach Sage is great in helping you get better, ” Jessie said. “He will help you not only have a great time, but will help you to develop and perfect a really cool skill. We hope everyone can come out and have a great time with us this upcoming season.”