So they meet every Thursday at Sudden Impact Archery in Hingham

by Dave Boehler
Beacon Sports Editor

SUDDEN IMPACT ARCHERY in Hingham welcomes women every Thursday for 90-minute sessions. – Submitted photos

Every Thursday, women gather at Sudden Impact Archery in Hingham.

So of course I had to ask if they could bring pictures of their ex-husbands/boyfriends to shoot at. Maybe even current ones?

“Yes. Sure. I suppose so,” Kaitlin Koch said.

Koch, who lives in Port Washington, has four children ages 5 and under. As any mom knows, that calls for some alone time, especially since she was with them most of the day through COVID-19 because she worked from home.

“I needed to get back into some old hobbies,” she said. “And I wanted to make new friends.”

Koch reached out to Sudden Impact Archery, and what she calls a fun, non-competitive open-shoot night has been going on since February. It was supposed to last six weeks but became too popular.

“It’s very enjoyable and fun,” she said. “It’s not just shoot, sit, shoot, sit. For a lot of us, it’s about the socializing and getting out, trying something new.”

Even if newcomers have never shot a bow and arrow before, Koch is not worried about accidents.

“There are no safety concerns because the first-timers are all walked through like a safety course with (the owner),” she said. “Like, ‘this is how we hold the bow, this is how we knock the arrow, this is how we draw, this is how you aim.’ Everyone shoots, we all stand behind a line and you check with everyone if it’s all clear and then you retrieve your arrows. It’s very systematic.”

All females in the area are welcome to join in on the fun, no matter their level of archery expertise. It costs $10 and includes equipment, if needed.

“We’re always loving new people to come join and try it out,” Koch said. “The more the merrier.”

The session runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and women even bring snacks and beverages for a half-hour of socializing after an hour of shooting arrows.

The indoor range features targets on motorized tracks that can get as close to 6 yards or as far as 20.

Some women keep track of their own scores, but leagues are held other nights at Sudden Impact. Games are like cricket, tic-tac-toe, battleship or simply shooting at a hanging ping pong ball.

“We prefer to be non-competitive because it’s supposed to be to get out,” Koch said.

For more information, search for Koch or Northern Ozaukee County Women’s Archery Group on Facebook, or call Sudden Impact at (920) 564-6011.