Spencer Schouwenburg is a newcomer to the sport of archery. He has honed his skills so quickly, however, that he's already a legitimate contender for a Team B.C. spot in the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
The 13-year-old Schouwenburg is in his second season with the Silvertip Archers of Prince George. Shooting with a compound bow, his best score to date is a 294 out of a possible 300.
During the 2015 Games in Prince George, Team B.C. will have just one compound male member, so Schouwenburg will have to be exceptionally sharp to be that guy. Even within his own club, in fact, the competition for the Canada Winter Games team will be fierce.
"I have a dozen more archers at the same level so on any given day it could be any one of them," said Dawn Procter, coaching director at Silvertip. "And I can name a dozen archers across the province who are also at that level. It's going to be stiff competition -- the stiffest they've ever faced. If they are truly wanting a seat in 2015, they are going to have to work hard to get there."
In Schouwenburg, Procter has already witnessed the kind of determination it will take to make Team B.C. for the Games.
"I think the progression has come from his dedication to shooting a ton of arrows," she said. "He shoots two classes but he also shoots league and comes down at extra times when coaches are available. With Spencer, it's practice makes perfect. He has huge potential."
Schouwenburg, of course, will use the next couple years to get even sharper on the range. Being part of Team B.C. for the Games "would mean everything" to him.
"I'd love to get into the higher level of competition," he said.
Leading up to the 2015 Canada Winter Games, a series of qualifying competitions will be held to determine Team B.C. The team will also feature a compound female archer and male and female recurve shooters.
A compound bow, like the one Schouwenburg uses, has a levering system of cables and pulleys and that makes it more energy-efficient than other types of bows.
The archery competition at the Games will take place inside the Northern Sport Centre fieldhouse. Those archers who do come away with gold medals will certainly have earned them.
"Whoever makes the team in B.C. will likely be shooting against some very big guns," Procter said. "It will be the most elite competition some of them will ever see.
"There's no minimum age, but there is a maximum age," she added. "They can be up to 21 years old. So you could easily have a 14-year-old shooting with a 21-year-old. At that point in time, they might both be very good technical shots but the mental game and the experience will win out -- whoever is stronger mentally to handle the pressure."
Procter is thrilled that the fieldhouse will be the site of the archery tournament. Shooting conditions will be ideal and so too will the viewing opportunities for spectators. Fans will be able to watch from the upper windows or from bleachers that will be set up on the competition floor.
"Sport exposure makes that the best venue for us," Procter said. "Normally, archery is hosted in smaller venues. We're usually stuffed into a school gymnasium because of the requirement for ceiling heights so having the Sport Centre open to us, we're so excited about."
On Feb. 15, a celebration will be held outside of Canada Games House at the corner of Fifth and Quebec. The party, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., will mark the arrival of the two-year threshold until the opening ceremonies. Games-eligible athletes will be present and there will be live entertainment, children's activities, cultural booths, prize giveaways, food and an outdoor screen showing videos.
The event will also offer cross-county ski waxing and snowboard waxing courtesy of Stride & Glide Sports and Ruins Board Shop and is completely free of charge to attend.
