MESSINA – “Concentration and control are the basis of archery. The bow is not a weapon but an Olympic discipline,” he says Daniela Potoschi, technique of the Messina Archery Team. The association, chaired by Giuseppe Tamà, born less than a year ago, in January 2022, wants to focus on the youth sector, making the discipline known to the little ones. Additionally, some of the facility’s technicians plan to attend a course to train disabled people. The objective, in the future, is to involve people with disabilities in training and competitions. But a priority is to solve the headquarters problem.
The Messina Archery Team he trains at the Salesian church of San Matteo in Giostra and despite the difficulties the reality is growing in numbers and also obtaining significant results on a competitive level. We recently remember Antonella Comunale’s participation at the national level in the Coni Trophy where, with the Sicilian representative, she placed sixth. Satisfaction also comes from athletes who do not achieve results but who experience the pleasure of trying their hand at the discipline, as happened a few weeks ago with two retired seventy-year-olds.
From left Pietro Orifici, Daniela Potoschi, Emanuela Candela, Antonella Comunale, Carlo Francesco Sauta, Martina Sauta and Chiara Fucile
The Archery Team is not the only archery reality in Messina and the province. There are, again in the city, the Toxon Club and, in the province, the Pama Polisportiva and Sikelia in Milazzo, the Baupark Archery Team of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, the Arco Club Serro of Villafranca Tirrena, the Asd Arcieri dei Nebrodi in Torrenova .
Objectives and difficulties of the Messina Archery Team
Daniela Potoschi has been practicing archery since she was 9 years old and now that she is over 50 and has entered the Master category, she has decided to coach. “I had a lot of satisfaction, from the age of 15 to 21 I was in the national team, with which I did several competitions. Growing up – explains Potoschi – archery has always remained in my life and for some time now I have decided to teach it and spread the practice especially to kids. Because in Sicily, especially in the eastern area, there is not much attention to the youth sector”.
The Messina Archery Team trains in the courtyard of San Matteo. The religious have opened their doors to the association’s training sessions, which are very comfortable, but the space is limiting. The maximum target can be positioned at 50 meters, less than the distance set for some categories. “To train, sometimes we travel to other clubs in the province. All that remains is to buy land.”
Coach Daniela Potoschi gives the right instructions to one of her athletes
Technical manager Potoschi reaches this conclusion after making several requests to the Municipality of Messina and the University to have a training field available. But at present no solution has been found. “Our discipline is suitable for disabled athletes, even amputees and blind people, and despite this we never received any answers.” The Archery Team participates in the project promoted by Sport and Health, in agreement with the Department for Sport, and the Ministry of Education, to promote physical and sporting activity. The project will allow federal technicians from CONI-affiliated disciplines to work alongside physical education teachers in schools.
The discipline of archery
Archery is a discipline that is practiced all year round. In the winter period, from October to February, we shoot indoors with a fixed target at 18 meters for everyone. Afterwards the outdoor outdoor season begins, which includes targets at different distances for categories based on age: Very young people (from 9 years old) 25 metres, Boys (from 12 years old) 40 metres, Students (from 15 years old) 60 metres, Juniors (from 18 years old) and Seniors (from 21 years old) 70 meters and finally Masters (from 50 years old) ) 60 meters.
The latest arrival, at the end of August, at the Messina Archery Team: Simona Quartarone
“Concentration does a lot of it – says Daniela Potoschi – learning the technical gestures (drawing the bow, preparing the muscles, aiming), after several training sessions and automating them. Concentration and control become fundamental to repeat the same gesture over and over again, seeking perfection and making as few mistakes as possible.” Usually it doesn’t start before the age of nine, because drawing the bow and movements can create problems in the development of children. Bows vary in weight, which is measured in pounds, and size, which is measured in inches.
We compete in the specialties ofOlympic Arch, which has stabilizers and vibration dampers on the stroke and sight. There is also the specialty ofBow Knot, where nothing is mounted, there are no stabilizers and no viewfinder. Finally there is shootingArco Compound, a mechanical bow with pulleys and lever systems that allows, based on the tension of the string, to generate more or less power. The viewfinder has a magnifying glass and a level bubble. “This bow is for precision maniacs” explains technician Potoschi.
2022-10-16 07:00:00
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