AJ Archery

ARCHERY indoor fun and excitement is now available for girls, boys, women and men, at AJ Archery’s 12 new shooting lanes, right in downtown Toledo. Beginners, ages 3 to 93, can learn to shoot a bow, and experts can fine-tune their form. Experienced archers can practice alone or benefit from Coach AJ’s exceptional archery improvement techniques. Hunters can increase their harvesting capability. Competitive shooters can gain the extra edge needed to win more often. AJ’s archery parties are the most fun you can have for any occasion. Kids archery parties are an exciting and safe way to create a memorable birthday experience. Bows, arrows and instruction provided as needed, or you can bring your own archery tackle. Accessible from the Convention Center, without going outside, AJ Archery is a great place for convention exhibitors and guests to enjoy down time. Located in Downtown Toledo Secor Building, 425 Jefferson Ave., 2nd Floor; 419.474.1103, www.ajarchery.com.

A sport for everyone:
Archery is a sport that can be enjoyed equally by girls and boys, women and men, young and old.
Everyone will feel at home at AJ Archery. Parents and grandparents can shoot with kids. Experts can shoot with beginners. Archery is a sport that can give a family a lifetime of exciting fun…together.
Archery is also a great date-night experience for all couples and a wonderful get together for friends and business associates.

How safe is archery?
The first three rules of archery you will learn from Coach AJ are 1. SAFETY, 2. SAFETY, 3. SAFETY. Rule number 4 is FUN, but you can’t have fun without being safe. At AJ Archery, we follow the standard rules and range etiquette that have made archery one of the safest sports in the world. Common sports like soccer, baseball and basketball have injury rates 15 to 25 times that of archery. (1)

(1) See http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/i_e/archery/ArcherySafetyInsight.pdf

How to get started in archery:
Begin archery the right way, and the safest way, guided by an experienced and certified archery coach. Getting started this way will prevent you from forming bad archery habits that need correction later. That means more success, sooner, and more fun that is exciting for all. Don’t run out and buy a bow, before trying the sport at AJ Archery. Since AJ Archery does not sell bows, our advice for your best bow purchase is always objective. Eventually, if you decide archery is for you, you will have to consider the benefits of, and differences between, traditional bows, compound bows and cross bows. Do you want to shoot occasionally, just for fun, or become a serious competitor? Do you want to shoot “paper,” 3D animal targets, or hunt? The experience and guidance you will receive at AJ Archery can save you from wasting thousands of dollars in the end on the “wrong” equipment. For example, do you know that the compound bow you might eventually buy must be precisely fitted to your size, strength and its intended purpose? Big Box stores and web retailers can’t do that. Get started right at AJ Archery, and then save money in the end by shopping in person at your favorite professional archery shop.

Open Range hours:
Call for hourly “Open Range Rates.”
All archers having their own bows and arrows are welcome to shoot during these hours for a fee.
Those needing to rent bows and arrows should call first to see if equipment that will fit them is available.

Open Range hours will change during scheduled Summer Camps and other special events, so it’s always a good idea to call before coming to shoot.

GROUPS: We can arrange other days, times and special sessions for your group. Call (419) 474-1103 for information.

Office Hours:
Monday -- 9am - 6pm
Tuesday -- 9am - 6pm
Wednesday -- 2pm - 9pm

Bow poundage note:
Although already well set up to handle bows up to 40 pounds, AJ Archery is in the process of upgrading its targets and backstop curtains to accommodate the highest poundage bows of all kinds, including crossbows. This high-poundage upgrade is underway and expected to be completed by late summer 2015. Upon completion, look for an announcement here and on our website, www.ajarchery.com.

If you pull more than 40 pounds, we suggest you call (419) 474-1103 before visiting.

Parking:
Free on-street parking is readily available 11am - 2pm, and after 5pm weekdays, and all day on weekends. Check local parking signs. Nearby parking lots charge $2-$3 most days, and slightly more on days when large events are occurring. Remember, because we are located on the second floor in the Downtown Toledo Secor Building, 425 Jefferson Ave., and connected to the SeaGate Convention Center, you can park your car in the SeaGate, Port Lawrence, and Commodore Perry parking garages and walk high-and-dry indoors, directly to the AJ Archery range.

Welcome Scouts, Veterans and other youth groups:
Coach AJ is a certified instructor for Scouts, and has a special place in her heart for Youth following that path. Such groups can enjoy special pricing and arrangements.

AJ salutes America’s veterans:
All veterans are welcome and enjoy special discounts. The AJ Archery range is ADA wheelchair accessible, and available for activities arranged in cooperation with Veterans’ Hospitals. Adaptive archery while seated is a wonderful and therapeutic sport, and special coaching is available for those wishing to compete in the Paralympic Games.

Summer “Camps” for kids, parents and both:
Enjoy intensive training and the fastest start into a lifetime of archery fun and excitement for your kids, for yourself, or for your entire family. Join Coach AJ during June & July for two hours every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the AJ Indoor Archery Camp. These 8-hours-a-week, kids’/adults’ summer “Camp” sessions are offered during June and July. The "Camps" in August have different topics and are 3.5 hours long. Choose from morning or afternoon sessions on either Mon-Tue or Wed-Thu. To reserve your spot or get more information, email aj@ajarchery.com, or call (419) 474-1103.

Become a Certified Archery Instructor:
Qualified archers can obtain USA Archery Instructor Certification by participating in courses offered by Coach AJ on October 24-25, 2015 (Level 2). Request details via email at aj@ajarchery.com, or call (419) 474-1103.

Community Involvement:
The Range closes at times when Coach AJ participates/coaches during Community Events.
2015 Calendar:
June 4 - 7 Most Blessed Sacrament Parish Festival, Toledo, OH
June 13 Women on Target at Tri-County Sportsmen's League, Saline, MI
June 19 - 21 Compton's Traditional Rendezvous, Berrien, MI
July 13 - 20 Lucas County Fair, Maumee, OH
July 23 - 27 Range closed for vacation
August 6-9 Great Lakes Longbow Invitational with Michigan Longbow Association, Hastings, MI
August 22 Outdoor Women at Progressive Fishing Association, Whitehouse, OH
September 11 Sporting Clays Classic - ESC BSA, Island Lake State Recreation Area, Brighton, MI
September 11 - 13 Women in the Outdoors Ohio State Event, Carrollton Twp., OH



Coach AJ (Audrey J. Berning-Matell) credentials include:

Certifications
• Level 3-NTS Coach -- certified with USA Archery
• NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
• NRA Pistol Instructor
• NRA Assistant Shotgun Instructor
• Wilderness First Responder

Safety Certifications
• Adult & Child CPR, First Aid & AED
• Youth Protection Training, Boy Scouts of America
• Safe Sport - USA Archery

Coaching and Instructing Experience:
• Archery Instructor/Coach - Over 10 years experience working with various groups and individual students including Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD), 4-H Archery Team, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, Erie Shores Council Boy Scouts of America, Black Swamp Area Council BSA, The Catholic Club, Greater Outdoor Youth Jamboree, Traditional Bowhunters Expo, Lucas County Fair, Blessed Sacrament Parish Festival and Halloween Fest, PFA Outdoor Woman Event Instructor, Women in the Outdoors Ohio State Event Instructor, various family groups and special events such as birthday parties, date nights and family reunions
• Archery Merit Badge Counselor, Erie Shores Council BSA
• BSA Wood Badge Staff - Assistant Quartermaster; Assistant Course Director

Memberships:
• USA Archery
• Women in the Outdoors (WITO)
• National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)
• National Field Archery Association (NFAA)
• Physically Challenged Bowhunters of America (PCBA)
• Tomahawk Archers
• National Rifle Association - Lifetime Member (NRA)
• Adams Conservation Club
• Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC)
• Michigan Longbow Association (MLA)
• National Association of Professional Women (NAPW)
• Tri-County Sportsman's League (TSCL)
• International Bowhunting Organization - Life Member (IBO)
• Erie Shores Council BSA Shooting Sports Committee - Archery Chair


AJ Archery - AJ Outdoors LLC is an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.