Archers Arena 11/1/19 Archers Arena 11/1/19

5 Different Ways To Celebrate Your Birthday in Toronto

Hey shorty. It’s your birthday.

But you are sick of doing the same thing every year – going to the same restaurant with same people. Try something new.

So, you want to party but don’t want to do the regular-everyday-normal people stuff? Then read on to skip the boring lunch and/or dinner.

1. Hit some cold ones and Karaoke – We mean the soda pops or whatever you fancy. Some liquid courage always helps in getting up there and singing your heart out. Karaoke can be an exciting theme for an entertaining birthday party. Some people find karaoke embarrassing – but hey- if you don’t do it in your birthday – then who will?

2. Turn your house into a club – You could choose to wait in line that seems longer than the black-Friday’s, right outside a club for almost eternity and pay a $20 cover charge to enter OR you can just turn your house into a club. So, no need to stand outside in the cold in your pretty dress. Just throw a big party and get everyone over instead. Not only is this cost-effective but hey- if you want to pass out- there is no place like home.
Pro-tip: AirBnB instead if you don’t the cleaning next morning.

3. Kick some balls with Bubble Soccer – Do you like to get physical? Do you have friends that you want to smash? Then Bubble Soccer is just for you. Get ready to knock, bump, tumble over your friends in fun-sized soccer with over 20 game-modes. Play in teams of 3-4 and for up to 16 people in a fully air-conditioned facility at Archers Arena – go to place for Bubble Soccer in Toronto.

P.S. - Getting goals isn’t the only way to score. *wink wink*

4. Aim at the birthday person in a game of Archery Tag – Birthday bumps or “the dumps” are a thing of the past. If you are deep into Hunger Games, Hawkeye, Green Arrow, Robin Hood or Neytiri from Avatar, you know we are talking about Combat Archery. And if it’s your birthday – then you get to play absolutely FREE (2019 only). Psssssshhhh….That’s another reason to shoot some arrows straight at the birthday person. For the best experience in Combat Archery Tag in Toronto, get in touch with us. We have some real cool deals.

5. Shoot nerfs around in Nerf Wars - What can be more fun than nerfing around on your birthday. We have, “Nerf Guns, lots of nerf guns.” Just the way Keanu Reeves likes it. For kids, teens, adults, and all nerds alike – Nerf Wars is a lot of fun. Not only can you build your very own bunker base but you can also take to the sniper nests. And if you want to save dat money while you are at it, check out some birthday deals by Nerf Wars Toronto. How bow dat?

So, this birthday – don’t just do ordinary things like people do - but have the best birthday in Toronto. If you know someone whose birthday is coming up, do share these fun ideas across. Feel free to drop a comment below if you have any questions, email us at info@archersarena.com , reach out to us on social media or simply pick up your phone and give us a call at (647)-992-7362.

Archers Arena 9/17/19 Archers Arena 9/17/19

Beginner Archery Tips For All

Tips for Beginners in Archery

Hearing the word archery alone is enticing and exciting. As ancient art as it may seem, archery is one of the world’s most prominent sports and recreational activities until this very day.

When playing archery, there are things you need to consider. To aim at your target successfully, we have gathered several tips for you. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced archer/hunter, read on below!

1. Proper Body Positioning

Proper body positioning technique is important in playing archery. This will help you aim at your target successfully, so before drawing the arrows to aim at the target, you must employ the right body stance.

Tip: From the target point, make sure your body is positioned sideways. To get enough space, the distance of your legs and shoulders should be parallel to each other. Keeping your feet parallel to the target and maintaining a 90-degree angle is also helpful when shooting the target.

2. Physical Conditioning

The archery itself is a heavy sport and activity. Thus, it compels mandatory body conditioning. Warm-up exercises and even high-intensity ones are helpful most especially because your body needs ample preparation before participating in any archery game.

When conditioning your body, it is important to not forget exercising your arms and torso. The same goes with your legs, waist and back. Everything that improves your endurance will be a great help before playing archery. Most of the time, it takes an hour or more to finish a game, so endurance is duly needed to keep you going.

3. Mental and Emotional Conditioning

When you are a beginner, nervousness is always there along with frustrations every time you don’t hit the target. However, that is perfectly fine. When you are just beginning, everything is not as perfect as it is expected. That is why you need to have the right mindset and proper mental and emotional conditions.

Be relaxed and confident when drawing the arrows. It will help you in many ways you could never imagine. Find time to get comfortable with your body stance, and do not overthink. Have fun and de-stress before playing archery.

4. Master the Art of Concentration

In archery, right timing is everything. That is why practicing the art of concentration is a must in every game. You must determine the precision and speed of your arrow before you lose the string.

Getting the right mindset and proper body condition will help you a lot in practicing the art of concentration. It will help you focus on a specific target and aim at it easily. If you are a beginner, practicing the art will help you to be a better hunter or archer soon, little by little.

5. Aiming at the Archery Target by Determining Your Anchor Point

The anchor point is the point where the bowstring is kept. Most commonly, it is positioned below your chin. Determining your anchor point is crucial as it will enable you to aim at the target consistently. When you know your anchor point/s, you can shoot your target easily. If you are serious about playing archery and you think you’ll do it professionally, practice at home. Purchase a great archery target, and aim at it in the comfort of your home.

6. Getting a Coach

If you are a beginner or even someone who is not that confident enough after playing several sets, getting a coach will help a lot. Hearing about archery tips and tricks from an expert is an advantage. A coach will not only help you learn the fundamental things about archery but will also help you realize the areas that you need to improve. Also, getting assistance from a master archer will let you know the right and most effective ways to improve your archery skills.

7. Monitoring Your Accomplishments and Progress

When you are really into archery, monitoring your accomplishments and progress, even the smallest ones, is a great help to be better every day. Grab some notebook and pen or download an app online to check on how your day will go.

How do you monitor and determine if you are improving or not? Below are suggested metrics for you:

· The date, weather and your location for the day

· List your accomplishments for the day (Overall score, techniques you have used and your perception of your overall performance)

· Total numbers of arrows drawn/used

· Changes you’ll do for the day (anchor points, stance, and technique)

· Areas you will do well and areas to improve

Monitoring your accomplishments every day, as old-fashioned as it may seem, is still an effective way to check on your progress and areas for improvement, but if you feel like it’s not helping you, you can still go back to it later on.

8. Find Time for Casual Breaks and Mandatory Rests

Archery is a heavy sport and is also addictive at some point, but remember that it requires a huge effort physically, emotionally and mentally. That is why when your mind and body scream for rest, listen to it. Take casual breaks and mandatory rests. Like a machine, your body also needs to recharge.

If you need any help with archery, we welcome you book an archery training with us today

Archers Arena 5/8/19 Archers Arena 5/8/19

Real life fortnite (NerfNite), Archery Revamped (Game of Foams), and Apex legends (Apex Arena)

Greetings and salutations fellow nerd-dorks! Grab your thickest pair of spectacles and jump in your coziest onesie because we’re getting our nerd on in this week’s blog!

With our pop-culture buzzing with gamers and TV-series enthusiasts alike, it’s no surprise that we get TONS of new customers flocking to our doors to live out their gamer fantasies like going rogue in PUBG, raining down arrows in a sniper tower from “the battle of Blackwater” (Game of Thrones) or playing a real-life game of duo’s (Fortnite) with their favorite buddy! And that’s great because we are gamer and TV series enthusiast as well! So we’ve crafted a real life experience that is second-to-none.

Gamers rejoice! Whether you’re bob the builder with a gun or hunting down other players with a frying pan, Fortnite and PUBG are some of the biggest names in first person shooters and our Nerf Wars (Arena and game modes) has done an excellent job in capturing the essence of both these titan games! Our fortnite game modes include “Duo’s” that have you and your favorite nerf buddy face off against a bunch of other Duo’s in this semi free for all game mode (yes, you can heal your teammate) with the added ability to build (acquire) bunkers. If building bunkers isn’t your thing (certainly isn’t mine) than maybe you just wanna hit someone with a frying pan like in PUBG! (Yes we have pans. No you cannot hit with them). With our ever evolving Nerf Wars, you can finally jump in your favorite game and show us those gamer skills!

If you know Game of Thrones, than you probably know you Ramsay Bolton is and you probably know he’s a fantastic archer. Well what if I told you that you can represent house Bolton in our Game of thrones game? (or you can fight against them). After dozens of hours of game testing, our Game of Thrones game mode has become and easy fan favorite, with dozens of houses to choose from, each gaining a unique power, you can represent your Favorite house and claim the throne of foam. The game of thrones game mode has been a personal favourite due to its immersion and flavour while keeping a tight, competitive feel. No house is considered “too powerful” and no house doesn’t have its own weaknesses.

So there we go. If I don’t see you in the Arena, I’ll see you in Fortnite.

Cheers!

Mr. Aimazing (Kyle)

Archers Arena 5/1/19 Archers Arena 5/1/19

Archers Arena summer camp for kids!!

Hello Archery dorks and nerf nerds to yet another blog. With Marvels endgame movie and Game of thrones final season being released, what a time to be alive. The anticipated arrival of both franchises delivered hard and now those who eagerly waited get their rewards. Winter is just about over and summer is coming… (GoT reference)

I’ve made several posts regarding kids summer camp programs so I wont be doing another one describing all its features. This blog post is serving more as a reminder to call in and book quick if you have any questions or if you’re ready to sign your child or children up because spots disappear SO FAST. We’ve constantly hit capacity every time we’ve facilitated our kids camp program and though most of our spots are taken by repeat campers, we want to keep slots open for those who haven’t tried it out before and want to give it a go.

For a brief overview to those who don’t know about our summer camp program, it’s a program that allows parents to drop off their kids for a day at Archers Arena 1140 Sheppard Ave. west. Starting at 10pm and ending at 4pm. In that time we have a group of coaches that facilitate games and activities with the kids. Every camp day will feature our two activities which we’re built upon being Archery tag and Nerf Wars. The kids go on a lunch break at noon before we dive back into the action and we make sure there is very little downtime so they can experience as much of what we have to offer as they can.

The camp has been a great way for kids to meet new friends in a safe environment (no bully policy enforced) and forge lasting friendships. Its always amazing to see repeat guests come in and meet up with their camp friends and buddies.

Now that the overview is done, I would highly suggest that if you have any questions, give us a call (647-992-7362) fast so we can reserve you a spot. Generally there are discounts given to those who book a weeks worth of summer camp days rather than a single day as well so ask us about that as well. We’re looking forward to meeting our new kids campers.

Archers Arena 4/25/19 Archers Arena 4/25/19

Tips for running your own event!

Hello my friends!

Because we run SO MANY PUBLIC EVENTS here at Archers Arena Toronto, I figured I would pass on some knowledge that has proven so valuable to myself and our team while leading through groups of people. Here are the top five questions to ask yourself when planning your next team building event.

Incentive:

Napoleon Hill, The famous self help author once said that no one has the right, at any time, to ask something of an individual without adequate compensation and I am inclined to agree. Most people are in a “what’s in it for me” mindset which is fine and natural. Most leaders can say “well they’re being paid” which is fine for some if not most people, but consider offering a little more incentive. Its important to note that all incentives don’t need to have a monetary value attached to it. The promise of learning or just having fun is promise enough for some. Its also worth noting that the best of the best team members are rarely satisfied with trading their time for just money.

Competition:

Competition is one of the amazing elements of a human that gives us energy. At its best, it lifts people to unimaginable heights of achievement but at its worst, will drive us to miserable fits of anxiety and depression. Learning how to bring the best out of people using competition could be the key for some people to break the chains of mediocrity into a life full of purpose and fulfillment. Consider who in your group thrives from competition and those who shy away from it and find a way to safety compromise them in the middle.

Comfort zone:

To run a memorable team building event, we need something out of the ordinary, mundane lifestyle so it sticks out in your minds when we think about it. A unique experience to think back about as a reference when we need to call upon our experiences to overcome a new challenge. Bringing your team out of their comfort zone is a great first step. Though it may be a little painful for some, the discipline to push through yields priceless results.

Interesting puzzles:

Could also be worded as “unique puzzles” so we can use your minds to attack situations at a new angle.Problem solving the same old numbers or deadlines can not only be boring, but it

can cause serious, lasting damage to the powerful human mind. Consider an exciting and different challenge for your team to overcome. Stimulate their minds and they will find the correlation between this new problem and their old ones.

Enthusiasm:

The word that’s been thrown all over the 20th century to describe “good leaders”. Though we know much more is needed to be a great leader, enthusiasm has a special place in this list due to its power to entice audiences through words. The bottom line is if I don’t hear the organizer happy and excited to try this new challenge together, I wont be interested in solving this new problem either.

Archers Arena 4/18/19 Archers Arena 4/18/19

Come to our Meetup groups!

Hello Archers and Nerf Warriors!

On this weeks blog, I got to highlight one of the most fun things that stumbled upon Archers Arena by pure chance and get to share it with all of you and that is… Meetup groups

Meetup groups come in 3 out of the 4 Thursdays of the month. The 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month is a combat archery meetup while the 3rd Thursday of each month is a Nerf Wars meetup. Now the reason why Meetup gets its own blog post is because of all the perks and bonuses that come with joining one of our meetup groups (of course you can walk-in on one of these events).

Perk 1: it’s cheaper

Instantly qualify for our first tier of discounts! Ordinary price doesn’t apply to you because you’re not ordinary, you’re extraordinary. Remember that.

Part 2: Get more playtime

Get more for less! Value stacked on value. More time to prove your archery dodgeball superiority, 30 minutes extra to be exact. That’s 150% playtime or 3/2 if it was a fraction or 1.5x playtime in a decimal. Math is fun

Perk 3: You don’t need to come with friends. We’re all strangers meeting each other for the first time.

Let’s cut right into it, organizing an event for ANYTHING is difficult. People are flaky and perk number three eliminates all of that. Wanna try archery dodge-ball without the hassle of bringing your own group or suffering through the awkwardness of barging in on another persons group? Not a problem, suffer through the awkwardness of everyone being strangers instead. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Boom. Three amazing reasons to join us during one of our meetup nights. Strangers become friends very quickly through competition here and we’ve developed some lasting friendships. If you have any questions at all, feel free to call us at 647-992-7362 and one of our amazing coaches would be more than happy to help you out.

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March break is coming.....

Hello and happy belated family day!

With Valentines day coming to an end, its time to look forward to our next holiday and the next one is a doozie. Yea thats right, im talking about march break. March break is a big one because its a week long and everyones looking to squeeze in some fresh new experiences with friends and family and what better reason to try Archery dodgeball or Nerf Wars. Now with everyone so busy with march break, its an awesome opportunity to get the young kids to try something new as well. One of the big time opportunities we provide for kidsto try is o ur kids camp. Our kids camp is a golden opportunity for kids to engage in fun, new activities while meeting some new friends while they do it. Some of our games are Archery Tag, Nerf Wars, Dodgeball, Hide and Seek (unbelievably popular), VR games, boardgames, and a pizza lunch (or bring your own lunch). By the end of the day, the kids will have fun stories to tell and sleep like babies that night from all the physical activity. For the busy parents on march break, this is an awesome opportunity to drop the kids off for the day while they go about their errands for the day or week. To give an example of how popular our kids camp days are, this past family day had 30+excited kids ready to go and tackle the day guided by our coaches who are the real backbone of our kids camps. So far, our schedule dates for march break kids camp are the 11th (monday), the 13th (wednesday), and the 15th (friday). If ive learned anything, its fast if you have any questions and reserve a spot because of how quick these spots fill up. If you book consecutive days for your child, some nice discounts begin to apply and I can guarantee they will be wanting to comeback! for those of you who want a rough outline of the day, it usually goes a little something like this. 10am start 10-1030: icebreaker games (introduce each other and lay ground rules) 1030 - 12: Archery tag or Nerf Wars 12 - 1245: Lunch time 1245 - 2: Miscellaneous, Low energy activity to let food settle (Hide&seek, Board games ect.) 2-330: Archery tag or nerf wars (whatever wasn’t done in the morning) 330-4: Cool down games (dodgeball, bubble soccer, LARPing ect) 4pm end thats a rough itinerary of a kids camp day but our excellent coaching have wiggle room how they would like to plan their days according to how much of the kids like certain activities. I have found that LARPing (Live Action Role Play) is a love or hate relationship for most. Thats it for this week fellow archers and nerf soldiers. March break is coming (insert Ed Stark photo)

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Tournament time

What’s up fellow archers! It’s time to start the New Year off with a bang. Everyone likes tests of skill, discipline and strength but few enjoy at more than I do and once in a while, we get to put our skills to the test with archery tournaments!

There’s nothing like the feeling of suiting up with your squad and competing. Whether its hockey or mystery rooms, adversity and challenge brings people together (just as easily as it tears people apart) but when the right people get together, it creates a unique bond. Tournaments help with that. Plus, who doesn’t want trophies?

In the last week of February, Ottawas archery games is hosting an archery battle tournament. Montreal and Toronto will be joining the event to attempt to bury each other in a flurry of arrows to reign supreme. Teams consist of 8 players (or 10 with 2 subs) and face off against each other in various different games to see

Which team consistently comes out victorious. Some of the game modes include adding or removing bunkers, adding “fireballs” (dodgeballs that are thrown and eliminate on contact) or players manually placing the teams bunkers themselves.

Tournaments are some of the most enjoyable things among the archery tag community. Showing up to support the sport is plenty enough but showing up with a competitive team is loads of joy. If you enjoy the sport and come out to community night than this will be the next level to take your game and an excellent way to judge your current skill and the skills of others. It will also give current members the chance to play against some fresh opponents.

It’s not often that we can run specific training regimens and play together under the same banner so it’s an exciting time for those who enjoy the sport. If you haven’t yet, than come out to our community nights every Tuesday and Friday night starting at 730 – 10 and check out some of the archery training we do to prep ourselves for tournaments!

We will see you in the arena.

Archers Arena 1/9/19 Archers Arena 1/9/19

March Break Kids Camp! (and hiring)

Hello and happy New Year friends!

Well time seems to be flying by and I have no idea where it’s gone but soon it will be March and we have our kid’s camp opening back up for business! The famous kid’s camp has kids ranging from 7-15 playing games like soccer, board games, dodgeball, bubble soccer, LARPing, VR station, Nerf wars and Archery tag.

The Archers Arena kid’s camp has been an awesome experience for kids time and time again seeing as how we have a lot of repeat guests. It has also been an awesome opportunity for kids to meet new friends. Although we are known for Archery dodgeball and Nerf parties, we have a multitude of other games that the kids love to play.

Our March break camp always fills up fast so make sure to call ahead and reserve a spot for March 14th and 15th (Thursday and Friday). If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us at 289-992-7362.

On a complete different note, we are also hiring! Want to learn Archery, lead groups and have a dynamic job that’s flexible with your schedule? Well this could be for you. Archers Arena is always looking for talent, specifically someone who knows how to talk. Communication skills are always a huge benefit as you’ll be talking with guests for most of your working day.

Our selection process is unique as we ask that you send us a short video through Instagram explaining why you think you would be a good fit for Archers Arena. This will give us a little insight on who you are! If we feel the fit is right, we will contact you from there.

Archers Arena has been such a positive work experience for myself and I couldn’t recommend it enough for those who want to flex or develop communication and group teaching skills

Mr. Aimazing (Kyle)

Archers Arena 12/6/18 Archers Arena 12/6/18

Boxing Day Kids Camp!

Archers Arena is doing a one-day kid’s camp December 26th from 10am – 4pm to give parents a golden opportunity to get out and take advantage of those Boxing Day sales!

For those of you who don’t know about our kid’s camp, we generally facilitate kid’s camps for most of the summer for kids between 8 and 14 years old and during that time we run a bunch of fun activities. The most famous games we play are the archery games and nerf wars (what we’re known for) but some of the other great activities we play are bubble soccer, LARPing, Board games, Hide and seek (with a special twist) and lobby games! It turns into quite the experience and we have a lot of repeat campers.

Archery dodgeball is the game that archers arena was built on, however, over the years we successfully evolved Nerf Wars was born. The Nerf wars is similar to battle archery in the sense that both activities use our massive courts to facilitate the game but the big difference between Battle Archery and Nerf wars is the weaponry. Archery games use the standard bow and arrow while Nerf wars uses our arsenal of nerf guns ranging from pistols to full-automatics. After Archer’s arena incorporated Nerf wars, kid’s camp was even more exciting to join because of how engaging and pop-cultured the game is.

Our qualified coaches are the heart and soul of what makes the camp so enjoyable. Generally we will always have at least 2 coaches that help direct, teach and coach the kids through the various games but maybe more if there is a big turnout. The Itinerary of a typical kid’s camp goes something like this.

10am-1030am: meet & greet/camp adequate/icebreaker games

1030am – 12pm: Archery tag or Nerf wars

12pm – 1pm: Hide&seek/board games/miscellaneous games (low energy to let food settle)

1pm – 230pm: Archery tag or Nerf wars

230pm – 330pm: LARPing or Bubble soccer

330pm-4pm: cool-down games (board games/lobby games)

As you can see, there’s a lot of activities to put in a 6 hour window but that’s what makes it so great. There’s very little downtime so if the kids aren’t running around using their muscles, their using their minds trying to complete puzzles and strategize. Our kid’s camps book up fast so we always suggest booking early to secure a spot. If you have any questions about our program or want more information than feel free to give us a call!

Archers Arena 11/7/18 Archers Arena 11/7/18

Robin Hood is back baby!

Robin Hood fans rejoice! The new Robin Hood movie comes out Nov. 21st and wow does it look good. Today, I have the pleasure of doing an in-depth review of this movie, Lars Anderson and of course, Saracen Archery.

First off stealing from the rich and giving to the poor is a temporary solution to a much bigger problem and is a classic example of “give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime”. Too bad robin hoods philosophy wasn’t as sharp as his aim (that’s just my thoughts) but that’s not stopping Robin from kicking down doors and fist feeding the scumbag government a fistful of arrows! The king himself Lars Anderson joined the set of Robin Hood and aided Taron Egerton through his intense archery training and even taught the actor “Saracen Archery”. Saracen archery for those who don’t know is an archery style devoted to speed shooting. The English translation of the “Mameluke” states that for a Saracen Archer to be “fast enough” they must be able to shoot 3 arrows in 1.5 seconds (as determined by various calculations). Needless to say, THAT IS FAST! Even someone new to archery would know that that’s abnormally fast so now Saracen archery has made a comeback (year 1368) through Lars Anderson. In the arena, we’ve adapted many similar techniques for speed and mobility for archery tag. It’s Important to note that there are many different archery styles and Saracen archery catered to close-quarters combat urban warfare. Because the dry, arid climate the Arabs and Saracens were accustomed to, their combat tactics fitted such conditions. Their targets were either lightly armored or had no armour so their bows and arrows were light to emphasize great speed. Because our archery games are simply “tagging” your opponent, many of these techniques are extremely valuable in an archery tag setting.

Now as deadly as Saracen archery is, it also happens to be very flashy and who loves flash? Hollywood. Now what do we get when year 1386 Saracen archery meets 2018 Hollywood? Robin Hood. Now unfortunately we can’t use the exact same technique Lars uses for archery games due to our heavy foam tipped arrows and lack of wide, custom nocks BUT we can simulate it with great success. Archers Arena recently added a hard-tipped arrows where guests can feel the satisfaction of sinking an arrow in a 3D target. This gives an awesome opportunity to learn and teach Saracen archery! (For those who are up to the challenge)

Hope to see you in the theatres November 21st

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Everything's better in the dark

What’s better than a glow in the dark rave? glow in the dark Archery games! it has all the elements of a rave plus bows and minus the substance abuse! Music, laser lights and glow in the dark shirts that will have your opponents stick out like a sore thumb. But it gets better…

Archer’s arena is always under construction to serve you better and glow-in-the-dark has made a huge comeback. First, music hypes people up, that’s something we established very early on. Second, laser lights do something funny to the human mind, It turns the once sophisticated, mature human into a nerf-crazed lunatic hungry for two things, ammo, and targets. Mixing the two have been a great success so far and has been a great way to get people out of their comfort zones and leave everyone laughing talking about their “favorite shot”. Glow-in-the-dark has been an idea we’ve been flirting with for some time but finally put it into action and what an impact it has made! It’s quite an experience when you look at the opposing team and suddenly, the lights go out and they’re turned into obstructs of dim, neon-colored light. It’s exciting!

One of the natural gains to adding glow-in-the-dark is how it effects its existing archery game modes making them easier or more difficult. Second benefit is the ability to add new game modes to the archery games repertoire that would be nearly impossible to play without the dim-light effects. An example of this is a game mode called “Assassin” where two teams plot and attempt to steal a hidden artifact the opposing team carries. There is very dim light and no music in this game mode making stealth and strategy key elements to this game mode. Either silently eliminate the opposing team you retrieve the opponents artifact.

Another huge benefit to adding glow-in-the-dark archery games is how differently every archery game is played. Limited vision seems to entice players to use their ammunition supply more sparingly. Games become a little slow with people being struck with an arrow due to being surprised and unaware rather than being slow to dodge out of the way. If you’re a fan of slower, more intricate games of archery where cunning and surprise are more valued than speed and agility, than the glow-in-the-dark games are for you!

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Challenges and tricks of the coach

Hello fellow archers and Nerf warriors! It’s time for this week’s Blog post and this week is all about *drum roll* the challenges of being a coach! Being a coach of any kind or leading groups of people through an “experience” has its own special skill sets and challenges whether its leading archery games or Nerf wars so allow me to share some of the valuable skills and techniques we use every day to make our guests archery games experience top-notch.

Kids = energy. Whether they’re segregated alone or a part of a group, their energy levels are legendary and coveted by every one over 30 years old. Using some of these techniques will have you gripping these little lightning bolts and have you feeling like Zeus in no time. We are also starting a video series on Instagram to show you some of the practical uses for these techniques which will no doubt serve you in one way or another.

Gathering groups of kids. This technique is invaluable when it comes to starting off a big group session. Talking to children that are scattered about is whistling in the wind and it’s simply not effective! The technique that we like to deploy is the “meetup timer”. We announce the trainer is about to talk in 12 seconds and you need your hands empty and on the pool table to show us you’re ready. Counting out loud is an amazing tool because it reminds the kids why they are doing what they are doing so make sure that countdown is loud. With this simple tool, I have personally gotten 20+ kids battling each other with foam swords and armour to put away their toys and huddle around one spot in silence in 12 seconds ready to learn about archery games. No, that is not a typo. 12 seconds.

Learning to direct the flow of a child’s energy has proven itself to be infinitely more effective than trying to stop the flow itself. The river of energy may seem impossible for a child to stop and that’s okay, all we need to do is point the energy where we want it and where we want it is directed towards learning archery games.

Empty hands, Open mind. This is an easy technique that has helped immeasurably with our archery games and all you need is the child’s hands to be empty while you’re communicating with them. In my personal experience, children are creative, energetic and fascinated by all things and having a new toy in their hands ignites their little minds into a whirlwind of excitement so to help keep their energy on track, we like to make sure to hand them their Nerf guns or bows last. As a last resort, if they already have their equipment, we will ask them to put their gear on the floor in front of them (hands off) so we can communicate more effectively.

This is the first of our crowd control tricks that we’ll be sharing through the next few weeks! I hope it proves useful for yourselves in the future.

As always, thank you for reading and may the wind be forever at your back.

Mr. Aimazing (Kyle)

Archers Arena 9/17/18 Archers Arena 9/17/18

Games of the Arena

Here at the Arena, you don’t NEED to “pay tribute” to be armed with a bow & arrow and shown how to eliminate your competition. What a time to be alive!

Welcome back fellow arrows-slingers! Today I have the privilege to talk to you about some (and I mean only SOME) of the archery games we have here at Archers Arena. We have an archery game for everything! Teamwork, strategy, precision, cardio and fun themed games.

Towers: Build a tower with foam bricks and keep it self-standing for X-seconds to score points for your team! Defend it after you build it because your opponents want to strike it down.

Servants Court: Get struck by an arrow and be turned into a servant for your team! Head to the back wall and collect arrows for your team. Catch an arrow or wait until a team member strikes a dodge-ball revive to get servants back into the game!

Suicide: Knock out all the enemy dodgeballs from their target board to win! Catch is you must stand on the frontline completely exposed to shoot out dodgeballs. An archery game that rewards fitness

President: Secretly elect a president for your team and defend your president with your life! If your president dies, your team loses.

Paladin: Armed with a sword & shield, you are your team’s healer! Each Paladin has X-lives. Call your Paladin to come heal you after your shot but protect your Paladin because if they are eliminated, your team stays eliminated.

Kings Court: Arrow kills send opponents to your prison! Eliminate all the opponents to win but be weary because your opponents can rescue their teammates by prisoners catching a teammate’s arrow.

Pandemonium: Use a steady hand and sharp eye to strike your opponents sniper target! Be warned, the target is harder to hit than it looks

Team Deathmatch: Each kill you score minuses a point from the enemy team! Score more kills as a team than your opponent’s team.

Elimination: This Competitive game mode has teams simply eliminate each other one by one. Revive eliminated teammates by knocking out target board dodgeballs.

The archery games in the Arena are ever-evolving and ever-expanding to make the sport that much more enjoyable! If you want to play a game you’ve seen, read or heard about, don’t hesitate to ask our coaches to facilitate it for you!

Until next time, may the wind always back your arrows

Mr. Aimazing (Kyle)

Archers Arena 9/11/18 Archers Arena 9/11/18

P.A. Day camps at Arena!

Archers Arena does camps! Who knew? Well quite a few people actually. We’ve had Kids from Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Brantford, Scarborough, Markham come all that way to join are camps which is a fantastic compliment! On top of all that, our repeat customer ratio is outstanding so what is it that has these kids coming back for more and more? Let me dive into it.

Well to start off, we have very passionate and enthusiastic coaches. The games and activities that are hosted through our awesome team would only be sub-par if it wasn’t for their infectious energy (even early in the morning). On top of that, the first thing our coaches talk about with the kids is our zero tolerance to bullying. Everyone is here to have a good time!

Our kids program starts at 10am (9am for an early drop-off) and ends at 5pm. Our coaches bring the kids through what we like to call “the icebreakers” which is simply peeling off the shyness anyone might have! We all introduce ourselves and play a few games to remember everyone’s name, then we’re off to the races.

Generally, after our icebreakers and warm-up games, we get the kids through one “Big activity” before we break for lunch at 12. Every camp day,

During lunch time, we get everyone to wash their hands and grab their lunch (if they have one) and meet up in the party room. After everyone is all set up, we generally like to play a movie for everyone to watch while we eat and after about 30 minutes, we’re back at it. To let all the food settle before we start running around again, we like to start up slow with our famous “hide and seek” where almost the entire facility is at the kids disposal. Lights are dimmed, our spotlights are turned on and 1-2 seekers try to find the hiders (our coaches know some really good spots) and seekers rally up points on who they find!

After our after-lunch game, the day is decided by our coaches with input from the activities the kids prefer. A day at camp is never the same with so many possibilities so each day is customized to make sure everyone gets time doing what they want! A list of our activities include (but aren’t limited to)

· Archery tag

· Nerf Wars

· Hide and seek (unbelievably popular)

· Bubble soccer

· VR (Virtual Reality)

· Ultimate Frisbee

· LARPing (live action role-play)

· Dodgeball

· Assorted Board games

· New release movies

· A bunch more!

The camps have been so popular that we’re opening them up to P.A. days when they come around so if you’d like to sign up your child, give us a call in advance to join a “wait list” and once the minimum of 10 kids have been reached, we’ll launch the camp day!

I personally love facilitating the kid’s camps and I can’t wait to make a bunch more unforgettable days.

Archers Arena 8/13/18 Archers Arena 8/13/18

The League of extraordinary archers

Battle Archery, the greatest sport you’ve never heard of. Perhaps you have heard of it or better yet, experienced it but what makes the sport of Archery dodge-ball so enticing and captivating to its audience? Well to be honest, there are many things but the common denominator that everyone seems to enjoy most is League.

Now let’s dive into what exactly is league? League is the heart of battle archery. League is the community that pumps its enthusiasm through the sport and energizes all that we do. Through weekly meetups with a team of 6-8 people (only 6 will be representing your team at any given time) you play other teams of 6 archers with the same skill level and achieve a ranking and finally play in a “play-off” at the end of the quarter (season). Meeting new people and potential friends as an adult is tough for most of us, really tough, but how easy is it to go out, exercise and do something fun while meeting new people that have the same interest as you? It’s in that essence what fuels the league at archer’s arena.

How does the league work? Well every single Wednesday we have all our league teams come to the arena and face off against a specific team in a specific game mode for that week. The game mode will be released the week prior so teams have a chance to strategize and practice for their upcoming match. Depending on the teams we have, we play a best of 3 or 5 and record the victories of the teams who played that day and at the end of the season, we have a climactic play-off where everyone brings their A-game.

The beauty of our archery dodge-ball league is that it’s accessible to everyone and caters to beginners. I personally like to think of battle archery League as “beer league” baseball where the only thing you need to bring is a good attitude and the willingness to play (running shoes, shorts and t-shirt will help).

For those of you wanting to take your battle archery game a little more seriously, “community night” (Tuesdays and Fridays) are made available to those in League at a discounted rate! Community night is the perfect place to hone skills and learn new tricks as it is where the regular archers and coaches come to play.

We’ll see you in League!

Archers Arena 7/9/18 Archers Arena 7/9/18

The most wonderful time of the year! (no, not christmas)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas but it’s just as magical. The best archers from all over Canada get together to square off against each other in a 6v6 tournament bonanza and that’s what this week’s article is all about! Best part is, it’s happening this year at Archers Arena August 26th!

Bows and arrows aren’t that common anymore and the only time we ever see them used are generally with target shooting (Olympic style) or hunting but during this special time of the year, you get to see and surround yourself with the best arrow-slinging warriors Canada has to offer. Yes, they exist.

This archery is different. This archery requires speed and mobility, strategy and cunning. This kind of archery rewards quick minds and quicker feet. This kind of archery is the same archery that built or destroyed empires and won wars. I know it’s hard to imagine but these are the men and women that turn the beautiful art of archery into its deadliest form.

What kind of competitive level do this men and women bring? Well it’s hard to describe since we don’t get to see bows used like this too often but it’s high. Very high. These competitors are shooting 10 arrows in less than 15 seconds, holding 5+ arrows without a quiver and picking up an arrow mid-run and firing it before their back foot lands to change direction. These fighters are also snatching arrows mid-flight shot from 29lb bows and dodging (more like dancing) around volleys of enemy arrows. It’s an exciting time as a player and spectator alike because it’s so easy to recognize the level of skill and if you’re a fan of the sport, surround yourself around those like-minded.

This year is going to be either 6 or 8 teams that face off against each other and even if you’re new to the sport, we encourage people to come watch or play. It’s an opportunity to see or play against some of our coaches and most regular customers to put your skill to the test and if you’ve ever played a game of archery tag, will have a much deeper appreciation for the speed and skill of the players.

The tournament games are simple elimination matches with players having ONE life each and having 1.5x the number of arrows for each player (18 arrows total). Teams play in BOTH courts (1 bigger, 1 smaller) and some games have players start with arrows while others have players sprint to the middle. Don’t miss your chance and come play or watch the best archers in Canada.

Archers Arena 6/18/18 Archers Arena 6/18/18

Real life Fortnite (Nerfnite) and Game of Thrones (Game of foam)

Greetings and salutations fellow nerd-dorks! Grab your thickest pair of spectacles and jump in your coziest onesie because we’re getting our nerd on in this week’s blog!

So there we go. If I don’t see you in the Arena, I’ll see you in Fortnite.

Cheers!

Mr. Aimazing (Kyle)

Archers Arena 6/11/18 Archers Arena 6/11/18

It's all fun and games until someone gets competitive...

Every Tuesday and Friday night starting at 8pm, Archers Arena hosts a “community night” where those who want to become effective combat archers can learn the skills!

Archers Arena is home to Archery tag and Nerf Wars and while both are incredibly fun and rewarding, it also happens to be particularly challenging when looking to compete within the sport. Yes, you can compete in the sport and that’s what todays blog is about. COMPETITION!!

Now for today’s topic, I’m going to be talking primarily about Archery tag over Nerf Wars because as fun as Nerf Wars is, it’s incredibly difficult to monitor and ref a competitive game of nerf wars vs archery tag, also, archery tag has a very high skill curve (and a very rewarding one as well) that develops quickly when playing and has apparently no end.

The art of archery has been around since seemingly the dawn of time where mankind learned the pointy end of the stick hurts, bows and arrows were made shortly thereafter. The concept of the bow and arrows is simple, the limbs of the bow create tension on a string that is used to launch a pointy stick at your enemy so with such a simple concept, how difficult can the sport be? Well since I’ve worked for archers arena, the answer is staggering. The difference between a pro archer and an amateur is just as big a gap as a pro and amateur boxer or swimmer.

The first layer to the competitive nature of archery is speed (that’s right, not accuracy but speed). I’ve been a boxer for most of my youth and I’ve learned that in ALL my combat sports experience, speed kills and archery tag is no exception. The ability to move nimbly and dodge incoming arrows all while launching a volley of arrows strikes yourself has proven time and time to trump slower players. Accuracy IS king in the sense of “what’s the point of speed if you can’t hit your target?” but the truth is, I’ll take a slightly faster player over a slightly more accurate player any day.

Catching. Yes you can catch arrows in archery tag and we have some players that are crazy good at it. Catching an arrows not only negates the damage of an arrow AND depletes the enemy of their arrow resources but it also has some BIG added effect in all games that we play (even the highest level competitive games). I’ve seen the classic 1 vs. many scenario so many times won by the underdog player because of a well anticipated catch. Catching > dodging. Always.

There is a plethora of skills to learn to be an effective combat archer like a fast quick draw (picking up an arrow and firing it as fast as possible), holding multiple arrows, team strategy and synchronization and resource (arrow) acquisition but these are skills ill touch up on another day.

Archers Arena 6/4/18 Archers Arena 6/4/18

Renovations to serve you better

Summer is soon upon us! That means it’s time to bust out your sunglasses, Nerf Balls, your favourite speedo and your bows and arrows!

To add to the excitement to summers much anticipated arrival, there are BIG new changes happening at Archers Arena! All these changes are in the spirit of serving you better and making your trip to Archers Arena even more unforgettable so without further ado, allow me to reveal these amazing changes to you in this week’s blog post!

The Upper Deck – Perhaps the biggest change is the second floor that we recently had constructed! This second floor has been installed to give spectators a bird’s eye view of all the action happening in both courts. This is undoubtedly the best place to be in to see the fight without actually being in it.

Upgraded Sniper towers – Our sniper towers have now doubled in size! We can get many snipers comfortably into a tower at once that can maneuver swiftly around each other. Furthermore, the lining of the tower has been padded with soft rubber to ensure sniper comfortability while leaning over to make difficult, angled shots. Holes have been drilled out of the side of the towers so ammunition can be delivered to snipers with ease and without the sniper having to divide his or her attention between ammo gathering and sharpshooting. Special bows have been installed in both towers on a rack that are more suitable for sniping gameplay. Lastly the ladder has been replaced with a staircase to ensure players can get up and down quickly and more importantly, safely. Life’s good as a sniper!

Air Conditioning Unit – its summer but this thing can (but won’t) make it feel like winter! A common request during summertime is to play in air-conditioned courts and it has been granted. No sweating just looking at a bow and arrow!

Extended party room – Our current party room is being extended 2x its size! If you want a private or personal party with your huge group of friends, no problem! A sectional is going to be added between the two rooms as well to host multiple groups.

New Turf Court – We mowed the lawn and got rid of our grass court and replaced it with a new rubber court to make things clean and pristine

Archers Arena is always under development to make your experience better but we’ve never had such dramatic changes like this! I’ll see you in the sniper tower

Mr. Aimazing (Kyle)

HOURS OF OPERATION