— Bradford, VT
Mikey Steel compares the sport of archery tag to dodgeball, but with bows and arrows. It’s a convenient shorthand to explain this new sport, which the Windsor, VT resident discovered about three years ago through a Facebook post.
Now Steel is a top-ranked player who last month helped boost an all-star United States team over Canada in a televised match at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL.
“It was great to have a full team of really high-caliber players going against another full team of the same,” Steel said.
Archery tag is played on a court with two teams of four facing off against each other. Teams score a point for each time they hit an opponent, and they get three points if they catch an arrow coming at them.
There’s a neutral zone that separates the players, several blocks in each team’s territory to hide behind, and arrows flying at your face. Fortunately, faces are protected by heavy-duty masks, and the arrows are tipped with foam, so nobody gets hurt.
Mikey Steel of Windsor (right) and Roger Wholey of East Corinth (center), help the U.S. team take the lead over Canada in Orlando on Aug. 1. Action photos from ESPN broadcast.
Another nice thing about archery tag, according to Steel, is that nobody gets “tagged out” as in dodgeball. Even if you get hit, you keep playing.
“It's surprising how good of a workout it is,” Steel said of the sport. He’d practiced archery for about 10 years and appreciated how it worked his upper body and poise. Archery tag is much faster paced. “You’re basically stretching every muscle in your body, doing high-speed squats for 40 minutes.”
Mike Morrissette is the team’s coach and owner of Running Water Recreation Center (https://www.rwrcenter.com/) in Bradford, VT, where Steel and others practice their skills. He’s excited to spread the word about how fun archery tag can be, though that’s not the only thing that happens at the center; it also hosts birthday parties, games of indoor mini golf, and bouncy house sessions.
It’s all part of Morrissette’s mission to get people off their phones and away from the TV, bringing them together and building community. In archery tag, players have to cover each others’ backs out on the court, Morrissette said, “so you end up becoming a big family.”
Mike Morrissette, owner of Running Water Recreation Center in Bradford, coaches the U.S. team (he’s at bottom right).
Last year, archery tag players from Running Water went to Indiana, which is considered ground zero for the sport, and played against a mix of U.S. and Canadian teams. This year’s ESPN-broadcast game down in Orlando featured top players from those teams, including local players Steel and Roger Wholey from East Corinth, VT.
The teams faced off in an air-conditioned court with far more people watching than usual — about 11 bleachers-worth of fans. The game stayed tight, with the U.S. and Canada trading leads through the first three quarters.
“In the second quarter, when the U.S. was down, the whole arena started chanting,” Morrissette recalled. “I thought I was in a Rocky film. They all started chanting: U-S-A! U-S-A! I mean, the whole place erupted. It was crazy.”
The crowds didn’t affect Steel’s game (“I’m pretty good at ignoring stress,” he said), but the high-level competition took it out of him physically. Normally, Steel plays all four quarters, but with skilled teammates available to sub in, he only played for two quarters.
“And it was the most exhausted I've ever been,” Steel said.
The U.S. team poses for a group shot before the game begins. Photo courtesy of John Jackson of Ashley, IN, the inventor of archery tag.
Upper Valley residents who want to try archery tag can reach out to Morrissette at Running Water. Tuesday night leagues start back up at the end of September, but people can also come in for casual play.
Archery tag is open to all ages: Morrissette reports they have a 73-year-old who’s been playing with them for three years. Equipment is provided. And you don’t need archery experience to have fun.
“Generally, the people who usually end up doing the best are the people that haven't shot before because they don't have bad habits,” Morrissette said.
Matt Golec has been a longtime Upper Valley writer, teacher, and board game designer. He’s moving shortly to the Midwest. You can learn more at mattgolec.com.