Seyoon Park (9) stared down a target 60 meters ahead of her, her recurve bow in hand. Taking a deep breath in, she raised her bow in her left hand, while her right hand drew the string back. She held her breath, arms taut with force and eyes lined up to her target through the scope, then exhaled as she released the arrow.
The arrow shot through the air before piercing into the X at the bullseye of the target, reverberating in its place. 10 points out of 10. Still, she couldn’t rest yet; it was only the first scored shot in the rankings for elimination round of the 2025 JOAD Target Nationals—one of the largest archery competitions in the USA—and the 65 other competitors aiming for a victory at the tournament left no room for error.
Park placed ninth there on July 17-18, and eighth in the 2025 Indoor Nationals earlier on Feb. 8-9. Both scores contributed to her final placement on the overall USA Archery national rankings, which determined if she would make the prestigious USA Archery Team.
After Nationals, Park said she thought she had fallen short of making the team, which would grant her benefits such as the potential opportunity to represent the USA in some events, sponsor benefits, and status. However, she discovered that she was ranked third in the country in U15 women with recurve bows, earning her a spot on the team.
“I thought my dad was lying when he told me, so I checked myself,” Park said. “I found that I actually got third nationally and was eligible for Team USA. I was really shocked, [and it] made me really happy.”
Park has been competing in archery for four years, and has attended more than 50 archery competitions, including the 2025 California State Outdoor U15 Championships and the aforementioned 2025 JOAD Target Nationals and Indoor Nationals. She said that she began doing especially well in archery this year.
“Last year, I was doing badly, but this year, I started locking in,” she said. “[Practice] became like a routine, and I just [did] it. I started doing really well when I went to nationals [and especially] at states, [which] made me really happy, because I felt like my hard work paid off.”
Park’s success in the national competitions and second place at the state outdoor championships did not come without its fair share of practice. In fact, she said practicing form to remain consistent is one of the most important parts of archery, so she spends an hour each day practicing. She goes to a shooting range three or four times per week, where she practices shots from up to 60 meters away, or at her house where she has a bale and practices her form from closer to the target.
“People think archery is an aiming sport, but aiming is only [a little] of it,” she said. “Most of it is just formwork and consistency. My form needs to be consistent each time, so I practice every single day. I used to not like practicing, and sometimes, I get burnt out and don’t want to practice, but I beat that part of myself, and it [feels] worth it. You get results based on your practice time. If you train hard enough, your form is solid; it just depends on how much you practice.”
When shooting, if Park’s hand is a bit too low on the string, the arrow will fly too high; however, if her hand is a bit too high, the arrow will fly too low. Park said that this made her have to stay aware of her body and bow while shooting.
“When you first shoot, it’s really hard, because when your heartbeat goes up, your arrows go higher,” she said. “So sometimes, I have to move my [scope] higher so that it goes down, because my heart rate is up. Then in the [later rounds,] my heart rate comes down because I got used to the competition environment, so then I [bring the scope back down].”
Park said that she had suffered from and had to overcome burnout many times throughout her archery career.
“Sometimes, I get burnt out and don’t want to practice, but I have to be able to beat that part of myself,” she said. “Going to practice every day is a big part of archery and training, [and it helps] when I get burnt out.”
On top of the strenuous factors of form and burnout, archery competitions have high stakes, and a single miss of the target could bring Park’s ranking down by almost ten places. She said the intense pressure made her envious of other competitors.
“I got really jealous of the good people,” she said. “There [are] so many good people, especially because now I’m moving up a division to U18, so I have to get better at focusing on myself and not on how they’re doing. I still need to work on that. [It’s hard,] because when we’re shooting, there’s a live score app so you can see what place you’re in, but I have to not check that, because that’s going to ruin my [mentality].”
Despite the struggle, Park said that archery has become a source of joy for her.
“When I do well, it makes me happy,” she said. “When I’m shooting, I feel more confident. I know what I’m doing, and it’s really fun.”
Archery has given Park more than just skill with a bow; she said it has also improved her day-to-day life.
“Archery requires a lot of time commitment,” she said. “With entering high school, I have less time to practice, so [I’m grateful that it taught me to] use my time more efficiently and get better at time management. [More than that,] I feel like I’m calmer. I don’t get easily mad or stressed. I’ve become a better person and learned a lot [about] responsibility and grit.”
