Your Break from your Kid's March Break!
March break is coming up, and you don’t know what to do with your kids? Want to able to go to work worry free, knowing that they will be taken care of properly? Archers Arena has the perfect solution for you! We are going to hold a day camp filled with great activities to keep your kids busy all day, while spending all of their energy keeping healthy, active, and fit.
From the 13th to the 17th, for only 75$/day or 295$/week, the camp is open to kids aged from 8 to 13 years, with the possibility of signing up for one day, or to come in for the full week; hours going from 10am to 5pm. At this point, you may be wondering what exactly IS your child going to be doing throughout the day? Let’s have a quick look at what our daily schedule entails:
9:30am Drop-Off
10am-12pm: Combat Archery Tag
12pm-1pm: Lunch and Board/Card Games
1pm-2pm: Supervised Nerf Wars
2pm-3:45pm: Movie Screening
3:45pm-5pm: Ninja Academy (Training/Fitness)
Because we always put safety first, Archers Arena guarantees that every activity will be completely safe and secure, not only with all the equipment we provide, but also with the excellent staff and coaches we employ.
Everybody knows that kids have excess energy, and we’re very well suited to handle and guide how to use said energy. We are fitness enthusiasts who know that being active is part of a healthy lifestyle, and who also know that the best way to grow healthy is to start young to build and develop the habit. Archery is also a very disciplined and calm art, and we hope to instill in them some of that quietude.
Getting your kid into this camp is a great way to insure yourself peace of mind at work as well as some quiet time when you come home, knowing your child will be spent energy-wise while being taken care of properly. It also becomes a place where they can learn and try new things, in a positive environment. You can rest assured that your child will be having so much fun they won’t want to leave!
Play Nerf Wars at Archers Arena!
Since we have perfected the art of combat archery tag, we at Archers Arena have decided to take on a new challenge. Nerf Wars. You heard us right. Sometime in the near future, you will be able to use our facilities to come play games with Nerf guns!
Since we like to guarantee high quality experiences, we have obtained some of the best equipment on the market. We want to insure that the guns won’t jam because of faulty ammunition, while also leveling the playing field so players aren’t at a disadvantage because of the weapon they choose. All of our main guns are going to be Rival series, such as the Artemis for close quarters, and eventually the Nemesis for sniping up in our towers (when it comes out in Canada). In certain game modes, we might either include a Triad EX-3 Elite as a sidearm, or maybe have you play with it as a “Golden Gun” type of weapon. Last but not least, our Strongarm is a mix of both worlds; small, yet packs a punch and has more ammunition than the Elite.
We are coming up with a ton of different and innovative game modes we cannot wait to test out. As mentioned previously, our “Golden Gun” beta involves our little pistol. Every player starts with one bullet, the idea being one shot, one kill, and last man standing wins, in a Golden Eye Nintendo 64 themed game style. With our bigger guns, we are obviously planning some team matches, such as “Medicine Ball”, where there is a healing ball passed around that can be used to heal your teammates, where the goal is to capture the enemy’s ball before they get yours, or even “Team Deathmatch” where you group up into teams of 2-3 people and form temporary alliances with other groups until there’s only one team left standing.
We want to have a balanced session focused on game-play, and create the premium Nerf experience. We went out to other facilities to try it out, and gather the best feedback, with the purpose of combining them into one epic session containing none of the downsides we experienced in our outings. Our dedication to customer satisfaction is just that high. With a group of trigger-friendly enthusiasts like us, it’s bound to be a one of a kind experience filled with different kinds of challenges and fun times. Look for Nerf Wars at Archers Arena soon for a new thrill-inducing experience!
Popular Archery Icons and How They’ve Affected Today’s Archery
Archery has come and gone from the front interest line due to its growing and receding popularity on-screen with either movies or TV series, and even in video games. It becomes super trendy, and cool, and hip when viewers see their heroes handling a bow, and then when the movie or show dies down, or the game gets old, so does the archery trend before it comes right back strong as ever. So here is a tribute to the various inspirations and forms that archery has shown through to make its place in our culture throughout the times.
First off, I am going to start off with one of the classics of our culture; Robin Hood. There have been multiple takes on this very old tale, from the Disney animated movie featuring foxes as the main characters, to the very funny spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and even the more serious feel the 2010 movie featuring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett gave it. In all of them, Robin’s talents went uncontested and he managed some very impressive tricks with his bow and arrows, which no doubt have fueled the imagination of many a youth.
In the world of video games, I can go all the way back to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for inspiration. Playing as Link and shooting everything with the bow and winning challenges and competitions always gave me such a feeling of satisfaction that my own personal love for the art came from there. In more recent years, the reboot of Tomb Raider in 2013 had Lara survive with only a bow and arrows to start off her adventure, which obviously got me hooked, but so did a lot of other players from all the positive reviews the game received.
Probably one the most iconic bow-wielding characters in my opinion comes from the Lord of the Rings franchise. Being a personal favourite of mine, Legolas has all the moves down in the series and just flat-out makes archery look so damn good, and not just because of his looks. His elven efficiency and accuracy just change the name of the game, and he comes up with tactics that we can’t even begin to replicate (lack of having elephants handy being a main one), although when we play, some of us do come out with bruises from time to time, just as he will always sport one of his forehead after a battle.
There have been a lot of popular icons in the recent years popping up on screen, such as Katniss from The Hunger Games, Hawkeye in The Avengers, Merida in Disney and Pixar’s Brave and even Oliver Queen in the Green Arrow TV series, which have all fueled a different wave of archery love. People want to try it out and see how they fare at it, and generally, when archery is picked up, it’s rather hard to put back down. That being said, here at Archers Arena, we want people to find their true potential not only at archery, but at the new sport that has been created from it: combat archery tag. It brings out a whole new dimension reminiscent of video games and medieval combat. This new trend is definitely here to stay.
First Eastern Canadian Tournament. The Results are IN!
For those of you that might have missed all our original posts on the subject, on the 5th of February 2017, Archers Arena has hosted the first eastern Canadian combat archery tag tournament! From far in wide, Toronto has received a team from Ottawa, one from Windsor, two from Montreal, and we had five teams representing us. With intense gameplays fought, ridiculous turnabouts, quick moves and quick thinking, there is only one word we can use to describe this event: epic.
On the eve of the battle, both Ottawa and Montreal teams came to practice at the Arena, leading to the first contact between the various people who were going to play each other the next day. The comradery was frank and forthcoming, although you could tell that no one would go easy on the others the following day. It was great to see so many passionate people that just love the game of archery dodgeball, and who work at bettering themselves all the time.
When the morning came, coffee and breakfast were awaiting all the players, but the hype was already alive and going. The atmosphere was unreal, the anticipation crackled in the air as all awaited to take each other on. The game was on. Bows at the ready, getting the stretches in, focus was all on strategy and gameplay. Friendly banter in the air, with the underlying current of rivalry made it even more intense, yet still fun.
Throughout the morning, the plays were non-stop. Teams were learning how to face each other and strategies had to be changed and adapted to who was playing who. Evaluating the other players and understand how they play combat archery tag, and how to counter them was not an easy task, but it had to be done in order to win the tournament! After the first few rounds that comprised Round Robin style of play, Toronto came out on top with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, while Montreal took 4th and 5th.
However, in a complete change of pace during the finals, Montreal worked together for an epic comeback to win the tournament, and won against the newly reformed team Kyron’s Angels, known previously as Wetshots, which did end up winning our 7th local tournament. As prizes, Montreal Originals ended up going home with six of our beautiful, hand-painted 26 pound bows.
All there is left to say is that it was truly our pleasure to host such great teams from all over. All we can hope for is to have an even broader turnout from more Canadian cities in the next major tournament, which will be hosted sometime during the summer. We will be working out, and standardizing, Canadian rules so we can all train and play in the same frame of mind. Looking forward to the next epic combat archery tag Canadian tournament!
Teams at the 1st Ever Eastern Canadian Combat Archery Tournament
As we have been posting about for the last few weeks, our first ever Eastern Canadian combat archery tournament is coming up in just a few days! Teams from all over are coming to our Archers Arena facility to play each other in what promises to be the most exciting tournament we have hosted thus far. From far and wide, here is a quick look at the different establishments and where they hail from.
For Toronto, represented by yours truly, come our two champion teams: Wetshots, and Bloodbath and Beyond. Both these teams are used to playing each other in our local tournament, and perhaps that will offer them an advantage during play, already knowing previous applied tactics. Although Bloodbath is the older team, having more experience playing together by coming to multiple tourneys we have held over time, Wetshots is comprised of younger talent that keeps growing and surprising everyone. Both teams always end up meeting each other in the final rounds and always offer quite the spectacle when confronting each other.
Coming in from Ottawa, we are happy to present to you Archery Games. This establishment has been open since the 21st of August 2015, meaning it opened its doors pretty much at the beginning of the new trend wave that would bring combat archery tag (also referred to as archery dodgeball) at the top of the new and fun things to do around the city. They also have managed to branch out all the way to Calgary, in a real testament to both the increased love for combat archery tag and the potential for growth this new sport really has. The capital of Canada will be represented by two teams.
Representing Montreal, Combat d’archers are sending two (or three) teams, which will add a little bit of French spice in this mix. Perhaps they will even be using their language to communicate without any other team necessarily understanding them, which would evidently provide an advantage, and perhaps push other players to come up with a strategy to counter this. Having been there myself, I can attest that they offer completely bilingual services, and are very pleasant people to deal with.
Next up, from London (Ontario obviously, for now), we are receiving two teams from Hood Archery Games. Looking up their website, reading “You’re not going to have quite this much fun anywhere else in London, Ontario, that much we can guarantee” made me definitely want to go check out their location. Their whole website gives off a very friendly yet professional vibe that induces a sentiment of trust that a good time will be had.
Last, but not least, Clever Archery in Waterloo is still in decision about sending in a team. What is really cool about them is that they can move around and bring their setup to you if you want to host an event say at your school, or at your workplace. They can accommodate any kind of venue, but details will have to be worked out through them.
In total, we are looking at eight to ten teams to represent eastern Canada in our tournament, all of which have really good setups in their respective town. This promises to be a very intense, competitive field laid out for the tournament. It is a huge step forward in the history of combat archery tag. Perhaps in a near future, we will be able to expand even further out and reach the higher goal of eventually getting a national championship, with teams hailing all the way from Vancouver. Until then, we will keep you posted on the results of this event, which takes place on the 5th of February.
Larping at Archers Arena – Champions Arena
Larping, as some of you may already know, stands for live action role-playing. You may wonder, what does that have to do with Archers Arena? Well, here we are introducing a whole new concept of roleplaying named the Champions Arena; which does not focus on the storyline, but on the peoples own abilities. This is where you can come test out how well you can actually do with our legitimate, high quality larping weapons, by trying out different classes that have different perks during play. Champions Arena allows for full-out, yet completely safe, medieval combat the likes of which has never been seen in an archery facility.
The concept of Champions Arena was created by larpers, for larpers, old and new, with a twist. Here, you get your pick from 5 different classes that have all been calibrated to have at least one other class that can compensate against the given advantage each individual class brings to your team as a whole. However, it will ultimately rest on teamwork, cooperation and skill to determine the winner. That being said, some players may show prowess as one class, and be terrible at another, so mixing things up is always an interesting option.
Our five current classes offer a variety of opportunities to act out varied yet interesting characters that all have a lot to offer both strategically and physically, so you can play to your strong suit, or choose you want to get good at something new. Wither you wish to claim as your own the nobility of the knight with sword and shield, or go crazy as the berserker with two swords, or perhaps even defend your teams’ honor as the katana-wielding samurai, each class has perks that allow for either strong offensive or solid defensive. If you prefer not to be part of the front line and play the game from a distance, then you could give the sneaky rogue with throwing axes a go, or even shoot from afar with precision as the archer.
With such distinct classes, we had to come up with some pretty awesome games to play which all give a different, yet always satisfying, goal to accomplish. From hack and slash, to Tower Defense, different game types allow for different strategies, and teamwork is a must if you want to come out victorious! Jedi Master also guarantees a unique, killer workout, just as fun as defeating hordes of foes with a lightsaber sounds like it would be.
In conclusion, Champions Arena is a new, fun, and unique way to live intense combat in an environment that can only be experienced at Archers Arena. As different an experience as it is from combat archery tag, it is its own challenge and demands completely different sets of skills to master. If you’re looking for an even better workout than archery dodgeball, or even just an excuse to wack your buddies, you should really give these games a try.
Archers Arena for Kids Birthdays: Safe and Fun for Everyone
Being a kid, everybody always went off and played their own little stories where they were always the hero, regardless of if it was a romantic princess story, fighting off robots, riding dinosaurs, or even surviving in the wilderness with animal companions. At some point in time, every child has heard the tales of archery icons such as Robin Hood, Legolas, or even Katniss Everdeen. Archery has effectively grown into an activity numerous kids crave to try their hand at. What better way to give them an awesome birthday present than by allowing them to let loose their inner archer? Here at Archers Arena, we are always more than happy to oblige, and here are a few of the reasons why you should bring your child here to come try out his skills at archery dodgeball.
Safety First
We are completely aware of the fact that bows and arrows are still, in fact, weapons. In regards to that, we ensure that our training along with the equipment we provide allow for safety for and from players. Our staff is knowledgeable and patient, and have quite the knack to deal with hordes of kids who cannot wait to start shooting arrows. Although we do have a set program on how to teach newcomers, we always adapt to every situation, and kids are no exception. We know the attention span is small, so we focus on the important parts of the teachings and guarantee that they can effectively shoot arrows at each other, all the while being safe about it. We also have smaller bows to accommodate our small friends.
Private Group/Fun for Everyone
Because we want to make sure that everyone is getting the most out of their session as possible, we tend to ensure that kid bookings are private, even if it isn’t necessarily asked for. Let’s be honest here, we don’t want adults to overpower the children, and on the other hand, it’s simply not as fun playing with kids that can barely shoot straight. That being said, if there is a situation where we have no other choice but to combine bookings, we limit the draw strength of bows for the adults that will play along with the kids, therefore ensuring that no one gets hurt. This also applies to adults who are part of the booking who want to play with their kids.
Party Room
Another strong reason why you should bring your kids’ group of friends here is because we do have a party room where all the festivities can take place after the combat archery tag session. Depending on the booking you make, there will be warm pizza delivered just as the kids are done playing, and we have a large fridge that can accommodate a birthday cake. There is also the option of bringing in your own food, and arrive early to decorate the room as you like; it’s yours for a whole 45 minutes after your hour and a half session, to relax in and enjoy as you please.
In the end, wither you are still a kid at heart or not, there is always a nice sentiment of joy that comes along when you see a child truly having fun. The innocence, the wonder, and the brightness in their faces when they are handed bows and arrows always adds a little something extra to the experience. Furthermore, I can attest that every single session I’ve held with a group of kids, wither it was for a birthday party or just for fun, everyone always left with a huge smile on their face, and that includes the parents that were there to accompany and supervise, regardless of if they played combat archery tag with them or not.
Combat Archery: 4 Reasons You Should Make Archers Arena Your New Gym Membership Option
If you’re like me, then you need motivation to work out. I find that going to a gym doesn’t cut it simply because it’s no fun. Running on a treadmill blankly staring at a TV (if you’re lucky), pedaling your life away without moving an inch, lifting weights over and over, I get bored rather quickly of the mind-numbing, same old, same old routine a gym offers. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to play sports, where you have a clear and fun motivation to get active. Here is why getting a membership at Archers Arena for combat archery tag will save you the boredom of an average workout session.
Cardio
If you’re playing the game properly, you will be constantly on the move. The more you’re moving, the harder it is to get a good shot at you. There’s also an initial sprint for the arrows in the safe zone at the beginning of every round. If you get to play full court, which means both of our courts combined, then you have two courts you need to cover and access at different points in the game to either press on the offensive, or support the defensive. It does require fast reflexes and quick moves because enemies can (and will) shoot at you cross-court. Dodging is a must if you want to survive long.
Upper Body
As mentioned previously, if you’ve never used a bow before, you will be surprised at all the muscles involved in the form. To have all of your power in a shot, you need to fully draw your bow. The only way you can properly do that is actually thanks mostly to your back, but also your shoulders, arms, and chest. We have bows that are 22, 26, and 29 pounds. Most competitive/athletic players end up using the 29 pound bows, which means every time they shot someone, they’re doing an upper body rep of 29 pounds. It might not seem like a lot, but in a session of an hour, you will easily have fired off close to 100 arrows. That’s close to 100 reps of 29 pounds in an hour.
Lower Body
As much as shooting is fun, you do need to pick up the arrows that you want to shoot. This implies that every time you reach for an arrow, you will either be lunging or squatting to reach. So if you take our earlier 100arrows per hour shooting statistic, it would mean you are performing around 100 squat and/or lunge throughout your hour session. In addition, when you are dodging, you are simply dropping out of the way, and demanding your muscles move quickly, so there’s constant use there too. And then there is hiding behind bunkers. None of them are tall enough for people to comfortably stand behind them to be hidden, which again would involve you to get down however you choose. However, when you go down, you must come up and muscles do come into play. It might not seem like much, but you do feel the burn the day after.
Benefits
Other than the physical benefits of playing combat archery tag, there are also a lot more reasons to choose to get the membership here at Archers Arena. There are constantly more players getting high on the game, which ensures that the quality of gameplay on Coach Nights always exceeds expectations. We encourage playful competitiveness by still playing our hardest, but also taking it easy when the time or the situation calls for it. You will also get to meet and get close to our already existing and expanding pool of members and coaches. Best way to learn and get better is to interact with stronger players on and off the court. We’ve created an atmosphere of kinship here where everyone is friendly and warm toward one another. On a more technical note, you also get the chance to drop in once a day on existing sessions at no extra cost.
When it comes to combat archery tag, I find it to be a very effective workout because not only is it fast-paced stop and go, but you get to work some muscles you didn’t even know you had, especially if you’ve never handled a bow with arrows before. It helps build a strong core as well as develop quick reflexes, flexibility, and agility. Archers Arena also provides a great atmosphere to play and grow in. Just be prepared to work up a sweat when you come and try it out.
Archery Lessons at Archers Arena!
Wither you’re already an active combat archery tag (sometimes referred to as archery dodgeball) player, or you are still completely new to the whole archery thing, taking lessons is always an excellent way to get better faster. Our lessons are given by coaches that are both skilled and knowledgeable, so we do have a guarantee that we know what we’re talking about, simply because we use those techniques all the time when we play. Here are a few of the reasons why you should come to us to learn, either as a beginner, or as a fellow player.
Our Facility
Our facility is spacious and composed of two very separate archery parts. First off, we have our actual training range where there are various different targets placed around that offer different challenges. We also have the actual full-sized arena that can be used for further lessons depending on availability. Both courts offer their own share of varied challenges that will help better a player.
Our Coaches
As mentioned earlier, our archery coaches are professionals that actually know what they are talking about. This comes not only from being trained properly for coaching, but mostly because we play all the time, and therefore we ourselves learn and grow all the time. When you get to apply the principles you are teaching, that is when you get to understand them in a better, fuller way; and it inherently makes you better at your craft.
Personalized Training
Obviously every coach is at a different level, and some are better teachers than others, so we always make sure that clients coming in for lessons get the best possible coach for them, which will vary depending on the needs. We always assess our students’ strengths and weaknesses individually, then have them work on different things to assure constant improvement. You will always leave a session being better than you were walking in.
Consistency is Key
If you really want to get good, then the saying “practice makes perfect” definitely applies for archery. It is a very technical ability, and only through repetition will you really catch the flow of how it should go. If you start out at Archers Arena where we teach you the proper forms, stances, and techniques, then you can rest assured that your basis is going to be strong, and from there, you can choose to keep coming in for improvement, or you can keep improving on your own. As long as you keep practicing, then you won’t lose your touch. Alternatively, if you do need a refresher, we will still be here to gladly accommodate.
Unlike other facilities, all of our staff are avid players and love the game of combat archery tag for all the different challenges that it brings, but in the end, you always have to go back to basics (standard archery) to improve and evolve. There are always new ways to shoot that are brought into light, and it’s always fun to explore those different options with a teacher that can, and will, help better yourself. For a unique, personalized lesson in archery, Archers Arena is the place for you.
Regional Tournament!
Ladies and gentlemen, these are great times indeed! Not only do we get to witness the birth of an entirely new sport, but we also get to see it evolve and grow faster than we could have ever hoped for. You have read correctly: Archers Arena has the honor of hosting the first ever Regional Tournament! What does that entail? It means teams from cities such as Ottawa, Montreal, London and Waterloo are coming down to Toronto for a high-caliber combat archery tag tournament on February 5th 2017.
At first, the idea of combat archery tag was to be just a fun little game that combines elements and tactics from numerous other enjoyable pastimes, but it has quickly transformed into a more competitive gameplay than that. It has effectively morphed itself into a team sport, where communication, teamwork and chemistry are a must to bring your team to victory.
It’s a great feeling to see that we are going somewhere, moving forward, and that there are awesome people all over the country who share a passion for this new sport. Personally, I find that there isn’t anything quite as satisfying as hitting a moving target. It triggers something in me that’s almost like basic animal instinct, and intensifies the experience I get out of it as a whole. I’ve always been very competitive, and firing my bow brings that side out even more when I am met with other people who are on the same wavelength as me. Catching someone’s arrow, as well as dodging shots flying for your head, both give you such a satisfying feeling and keeps the intensity high up there.
Part of the pleasure is to continuously face new people that can surprise you with new tactics, new shots, or even with a faster quick-draw than yours. This tournament is going to allow for such surprises to take place and for a new flame of competition to set us all on fire. After all, this becomes a competition between cities as to who is the best. Obviously, we aim to win. All that being said, if you still haven’t had the chance to try it out, make sure you give yourself the pleasure of doing so! It’s a lot of fun, and you can bring in a group of people who will take it as seriously as you, depending on what kind of experience you want to have.
If you’ve already played before and do want a more competitive feel, come on over on Tuesday nights at 7:30 for Coach Night, 20$ for the whole evening, where you get to play with/against regular members and coaches. Definitely a step up from what you may be used to, so come prepared!
3 Great Reasons to Make Coach Night, Your Night!
As mentioned in previous blogs, Archers Arena has a special evening reserved for higher quality gameplay, where you can come and play with our coaches and members. Nights like these include a number of factors to enhance the original combat archery tag experience you might have previously had. The following are just a few reasons that give Coach Nights a step up from the regular archery experience.
Coaches
One of our best features here at Archers Arena is indeed the staff. Our coaches simply love the game, have a lot of experience, and are a wealth of information and knowledge, not only about the game itself, but also about archery in general. Having one or two coaches on your team for the evening will definitely change the way you will view playing combat archery tag, because we bring leadership, techniques, and strategies. Our aim is to win! (Bonus: we are also very friendly.)
Community Spirit
You will also get to meet our members, who are also very good at playing combat archery tag! We believe that like attracts like, and we are currently building a community of people who genuinely love the sport. I mean what better than being able to shoot arrows at people you value without actually hurting them? There is no downside. Creating bonds and friendships is something that happens naturally within the walls of Archers Arena, and we attract truly great, caring people who have very interesting stories to tell. And what better way to consolidate bonds than through blood, sweat, and tears? Well, minus the blood and the tears, but it’s the thought that counts.
Competitive
This outing is generally by invite, so you know that there won’t be players who can’t take a hit, or don’t know how to play. This isn’t the time to learn, it’s the time to bring to the table what you have. Teams play to win, and the intensity is very high while remaining fun and amicable. It’s really a great atmosphere everyone can strive in and improve. Different, elaborate game modes are put into practice, and incite quality from the plays put forward. There needs to be a good understanding of tactics and teamwork to be considered a good player. It is, after all, a team sport. And there is no “i” in “team”. We might also throw in some beta games to test, and that is a great time to get creative and share the passion we have here for the game.
In summation, we are giving out the opportunity for players to have the same intense game play as a tournament, but on a more regular basis, which allows for constant improvement. You will get to play with people you might be more used to facing, and learn from them to improve your own tactics. Eventually, you might be able to step up to a coach’s level. So come play!
Hear ye! Hear ye! 'Tis Tournament time! Again.
Due to the great success that was the last combat archery tag tournament at Archers Arena, we are now officially introducing our next event! This one is happening on the 22nd of January, and we are expecting a fierce competition once again. Players coming in have stepped up their game, and it gives the event an intense, competitive level of gameplay. Definitely not for the faint of heart!
Our latest tournament has been held on the 27th of November, in which we had a full roster of 9 teams competing. All of the teams were of high caliber and the competition itself was incredibly close. Every win had a huge impact on the score board, and yet, the spirit of comradery was incredible to witness. As intense as games could unfold to be, every team was a good sport, win or lose.
In our previous tournament, Wetshots had claimed the title of champions, but it was expected that Bloodbath and Beyond, our dethroned champions, were going to come back, bows blazing. Indeed, in a breathtaking finale, both teams ended up with a one point differential, which effectively returned the crown to the hands of its original owners: BB&B.
In a spectacular array of arrows fired, dodges made, headshots, bow shots, rolling catches, and overall archery excellence as well as incredible agility, speed, and skill, this tournament brought a whole new dimension to the sport of combat archery tag.
If you are new(ish) to the sport and still want to get a feel of what a more competitive gameplay entails, but with lesser stakes, we do have our Coach nights every Tuesday where you can come play for 20$ from 7 until close alongside both coaches and members. This is the perfect time to train and improve your archery skills, where we can show you the ropes of real combat archery tag, and develop tactics for you to get better. Come become a pro at quick-drawing and catching arrows while creating bonds with people who are just as passionate about the sport!
As is tradition, Archers Arena top coaches always face the champions at the end of the tournament. Needless to say, we are still undefeated after 8 tries! Here’s to us hoping to get an actual challenge next time around. So tell your friends, and come show us what you’re made of!
Top 6 Reasons Archers Arena is a Perfect Corporate (and Other) Holiday Event
With the holidays showing up around the corner, businesses generally have an outing with their staff to consolidate workplace relationships. There are always multiple options as to where to go, and what offers the best kind of experience. Here is a comprehensive list of reasons why you should consider Archers Arena as a top contender in your choices.
1. Great Team Building
Combat archery is a great option for team building simply because you have to work as a team to win a game. Very straightforward, but some of our game modes demand a high level of cooperation that necessitates communication and teamwork. On the flip side, it also allows coworkers to hash out their inside grudges, or to get even with someone by shooting them while still allowing them to walk away uninjured. It really becomes a win-win scenario!
2. Good Exercise
Believe it or not, combat archery remains a very good workout for those who actually give it a try. There’s something about shedding sweat together that just consolidates relationships between people. Perhaps it’s the rush of adrenaline and dopamine which always accompanies a session, or the constant smiles that show up on every face after a great play, but something tangible is created when people play, and it tends to stick around.
3. Affordable and Accommodating
We offer package deals to make sure you can get the best of your experience here with us, which can include the use of our private party room after your session to relax, unwind and restore yourselves. We also have an ongoing deal with Dominoes pizza, which can be delivered warm and delicious right at the end of your time in the arena to satisfy any craving intensive gameplay can create.
4. Awesome Staff
Our staff have always been the center-point of reasons why customers keep coming back to us. We are professional, friendly, and (most importantly) fun. We know how to customize the experience to the different groups’ wants and needs, all to make sure that everyone walks away feeling like they have been part of something special. We love what we do, and we genuinely enjoy sharing our passion for the sport.
5. Fun for Everyone
From athletes to not-so-athletic people, we have received all kinds of personalities here, and have found that the most important factors is to be willing to give it what you have, whatever that might be. Everybody goes through the same training; sure some will get it quickly, others get to have a more personalized training to make sure that everybody is on the same level when they walk onto the courts, and those accommodate different types of players as well, from more aggressive to more casual, there is a place for everyone here.
6. New Sport to Discover
Combat archery is a relatively new sport on the Toronto market, our location having just celebrated its first birthday during the summer. A lot of people have not yet had the chance to experience the awesomeness that is shooting each other with non-lethal arrows. It is indeed a hybrid mix of different sports, including but not limited to paintball and dodgeball. Most people who enjoy intense sports end up loving combat archery and keep coming back for more.
For these reasons and many more, Archers Arena is the place to come to for a successful corporate outing. However, as intense as we can be, safety always comes first. We always provide clean and effective equipment to ensure safety and comfort, and teach you to be the best archer you can be for a first try in an atmosphere that will make you want to come back for more.
4 More Great Reasons to Choose Archers Arena!
One article just wasn’t enough to cover all of the reasons why Archers Arena is the archery facility to come visit, so here are just a few more of our assets that guarantees fun, quality time for all.
Game modes
We have over 35 different game types that we can run; obviously not all of them in one session. Most are on display in our lounge, allowing for bookings to choose what specific games they would like to play. Our coaches are also great at combining different game types to get even more fun out of each session, ensuring a different experience every time you come play at Archers Arena. Have favourites? You can tell your coach about it and they will definitely incorporate that mode in the session, perhaps spicing it up with upgrades to get a whole new level to the game.
Field Tips
One of our newest exciting features, field tip arrows can be shot in a controlled, secure environment. These arrows have little metal tips instead of our big, marshmallow-style foam tips, and offer a much more accurate feeling of what standard archery is all about. It is a completely different shot, and we also offer the chance to print out a picture for you to aim at on our field-tip specific bags. We even have some of those arrows hollowed so they whistle when you shoot them. Yes, it’s really cool, and very satisfying when you nail your target.
Badass Photo Opportunities
Our coaches are trained to take great quality pictures of you when you come in, whether it is while playing combat archery, or during private lessons. We can assure that you will have profile picture worthy shots before you walk out of here. We are also very proud of our Throne of Foam, our homage to the Game of Thrones popularity, which is ideal for group pictures and just looking like you’re a boss. Therefore you know you will be walking out with solid new options for your Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Tinder shots!
5 Star Rating
More than anything else, we cannot thank our customers enough for leaving reviews after their visits. They really do speak for themselves. Many of our bookings choose to reserve a time with us because they’ve heard of our quality from one of their friends or relatives who’ve enjoyed their experience here. An even greater sign of quality on our part, is the sheer number of returning costumers that we get. It’s always awesome to have someone come in that you can put a name to, and effectively discuss more than just archery with. We create a whole ambiance of kinship here, and attract like-minded people.
In the end, it is fair to say that we are more than just another archery facility. We encourage and help build-up people who need to see friendly faces every once in a while. This is a place where anyone can belong, a home away from home, in addition to being a great way to stay in shape and meet great people with incredible stories. We enjoy investing time in the people that invest time in us, so much so that working here doesn’t even feel like a job, but more like being part of an awesome community.
Couples shooting each other in the face at the Sex Show
Archers Arena at The Everything to do with Sex Show (Sexpo)
Last weekend was the Everything to Do With Sex Show, and Archers Arena managed to snag a booth in there. You may be asking yourselves: what does archery tag have to do with sex? Turns out combat archery is a great form of couple therapy, for an even lower price than an actual therapist. What better way to vent out your frustrations than by shooting at each other! And what makes the experience even better? The foam tips at the end of our arrows guarantee that a direct hit will bring huge amounts of satisfaction, all while being completely safe so you can keep your S.O. for a little while longer. Even allows to keep shooting them over and over again if you have to!
On the other hand, if everything is perfect between the two of you and you’re looking for a way to prove your love even more, this would be the perfect time to be able to show that you are willing to take a bullet for them, metaphorically speaking. When you’re playing the game, and you see someone is lining up a shot toward them, there is nothing more romantic than throwing yourself in front of the shot, saving their lives for a moment longer, just to prove that you love them that much. Who wouldn’t go awww at such a display of affection?
Furthermore, after just a taste of how releasing combat archery is, it can also become a great way to work out together without having to involve a gym or lifting heavy weights. It also becomes a fun activity to do together, something that isn’t your typical date night, which definitely adds some spice to the whole relationship. So if you don’t want to be one of those boring couples that do what every other boring couple does, then definitely find time to include Archers Arena into your schedule.
Halloween!
As is tradition, once a year, every year, it is socially acceptable to get out our inner child and dress up as anyone we like for a day. We asked ourselves, why should we limit this freedom to one day only? Short answer: we really shouldn’t!
For a whole week, we at Archers Arena encourage you to dress up and come play! From the 24th till the day of Halloween itself, if you come shoot arrows with us all dressed up, we will let you play for free! If your crew comes in dressed up, we will have a small prize for best costume; points awarded for creativity, aesthetics, and archery friendly capabilities.
In the spirit of the festivities, all of our coaches are going to be dressed up for the week, so if your friends feel they are “too cool” for costumes, you can rest assured the rest of us know the importance of letting loose and having fun once and a while. Life is just too short to afford being able to say no to having fun; we’re all in this together. All for one and one for all!
Triumphant Tournament!
October the 16th was the day our combat archery tournaments were reintroduced to our fans; and what a day it was! The atmosphere was packed with exhilaration, comradery, and outright thrill. It was an intense energy to walk into, and it did exactly what it was supposed to: pump people up at the prospect of getting to shoot arrows at each other. Competitively.
Top news from the results of this tournament would be that our former champions, Bloodbath and Beyond, have effectively been dethroned! Our new top dogs to beat are the newly assembled team Wetshots, who had the chance to go up against our team of coaches. Suffice it to say that the coaches keep their streak alive of being undefeated! Perhaps one day there will be a team with the skill to uproot us, but that day is most likely still a ways away.
In other news, starting forth at Archers Arena there will be coach nights every Tuesday, which means that anyone can come in at 7 o’clock and stay after hours to play with/against coaches and members in a string of games that include a bunch of favourites as well as sometimes beta testing for new, up and coming game modes; all of that for only 20$.
Anyone who wishes to better themselves and have fun with some of our top members can come, and bring along their friends if they feel like challenging specific people, or teams! After all, there is no better way to grow than in the face of adversity, and this not only applies itself to combat archery, but in every aspect of life. We’re just here to help you along the way!
Why Archers Arena?
Why Choose Archers Arena?
With more and more archery facilities opening up their doors in the GTA, people will start to wonder where they will have the best experience. Although we do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, here are a list of reasons why we think Archers Arena should be at the top of your list.
Coaches
There is no better way to make sure that you will be getting an awesome archery experience than by having coaches there that not only love what they do, but also enjoy teaching and sharing their knowledge of the art that is the efficient handling of a bow and arrow. From private lessons to team learning, our coaches are more than experienced enough to handle large groups and make sure each individual is capable of hitting targets by the end of the session. We pride ourselves in our know-how, and nothing makes us happier than knowing that we have successfully taught people, and helped them become better archers along the way.
Facility
From our awesome, chill-out zone lobby to our comfy party room, we at Archers Arena know how to greet guests and keep them entertained while they’re waiting for the late comers of their group. Our range offers a variety of targets, from hanging ducks, to our human cut-out form (affectionately named Will). We also have two courts which offer two completely different challenges in their arrangements, along with sniper towers in-between and an array of bunkers varying in shapes and sizes.
Champions Arena
Our new baby, Champions Arena allows for full-out, yet completely safe, medieval combat the likes of which has never been seen in an archery facility. You get to choose from 6 completely different classes to fight each other, each with exclusive perks that can give your team an edge. From hack and slash to Tower Defense, different game types allow for different strategies, and teamwork is a must if you want to come out victorious! Jedi Master also guarantees a unique, killer workout, just as fun as defeating hordes of foes with a lightsaber sounds like it would be.
Tournaments
For our more competitive athletes, we hold regular tournaments where the best come toe-to-toe and compete for the chance to face our undefeated coach team! Every tournament has seen its fair share of excitement, with underdogs overcoming previous champs, and the emergence of new talent to come learn from the established forerunners. A great opportunity to come witness the sport of combat archery at a higher level, and learn from some of the best.
What really sets us apart if the feeling of belonging that we bestow over all that wish for it. We are a welcoming, friendly facility who tends to attract warm, cheerful individuals, and our fast-growing group of regulars (or members) easily link up and build friendships from a common interest. We are always growing, and love to have people come in who can help keep us growing and better ourselves, because at the end of the day, we really are here for the love of the sport, and that is all we want to share with everyone that comes through our doors.
Archers Arena Grand Tournament Season 7
It’s Tournament Time!
Once again, the Time of Tournaments is upon us! Following huge success in the past winter season, Archers Arena is once again presenting its riveting Tournament Days. On the 16th of October, we can expect intense clashes between old and new, featuring the team of seasoned players Bloodbath and Beyond as the top team to beat, we already have multiple new teams signing up, promising a fresh new competitive environment.
All who think they have the skills to come out victorious are more than welcome to come prove their worth on the field. Combat archery has always been (and continues to be) a great team building event; so if you want to give a group of close friends the chance to shine together and push each other’s limits in a new, fun way, through teamwork, cooperation and leadership, be sure to get your crew together and strategize your way to victory. For an even greater challenge, come by yourself and get assigned a group of unknowns, where you are going to have to figure out your strengths and weaknesses, and come together as a team to make your way to the top.
In the midst of the battles, there will be challenges issued on the range, from duck hunting to target calling and other accuracy tricks, where you can learn new things from the best and even take on the masters and rank your skill level.
Therefore, whether you wish to come by yourself and get grouped with other people, or come up with your own partial or full team of six players, all options offer exciting outcomes, from connecting with new people to making new memories with close friends to pushing your own limits and boosting your leadership skills.
We are at the dawn of a new season of tournaments, where old and new will collide in an enticing battle of wits and talent. Will you be part of the underdog team to uproot our current champs? Only one way to know: sign up and come play with us!
Any questions, feel free to call us; space is limited so make sure to book in advance.
Archery at The Great Camp Adventure Walk
We all know that kids have the BEST imaginations ever, and we have all been victims of the guilty pleasure of picturing ourselves with the skills of icons such as Legolas, Katniss Everdeen, or even Hawkeye. Kids are carefree, truthful and genuine, whereas growing up, we become much too serious about everything and lose that spark of simple happiness. However, some kids get dealt a harder hand in life, and are subject to different illnesses that can make the simple act of living that much harder. In those cases, it can become a struggle to find a reason to be as happy or carefree. But there are ways to facilitate that. What better way to make a kid smile than to make them feel like a super hero?
Every kid needs a hero. Especially kids that are fighting their own war with sickness. On Saturday September 24th, Archers Arena had a station set up at the walk for Sick Kids, where kids and adults of all ages could come and learn how to shoot a bow. We were able to give some of them the opportunity to be their own hero, to feel like they too are as badass as the people in the movies. Even kids as young as 4 years old got to experience what it was like to let an arrow fly and hit a target, albeit with a little assistance from our coaching staff. But there was no feeling more satisfying than seeing the huge teeth-baring grins of the youths, except maybe when one of them would let out a little giggle of unfiltered exhilaration. To know that we were able to bring so many people all that happiness with the simple act of shooting arrows at targets is indeed very humbling.
With that being said, archery is also found to be a very therapeutic practice. The key for best results when firing your arrows is to be relaxed. You want to make the bow a simple extension of your arm, and when you draw, it should be a familiar, easy motion. There’s a whole flow to the art that is archery, and the better you get, the less you actually think about what you’re doing, allowing for peace of mind to settle in. Of course, this all comes with practice and know how. Luckily for you, we have an array of coaches that are experienced and can guide you through the process, happy to teach and share the knowledge we have for the craft. You will not find at Archers Arena an employee who does not love what they do, and it really gives the whole experience a step above that of our competitors, as our online reviews state for themselves.
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