Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do you rent/sell/repair equipment?
A.
No. We provide equipment to the students in our classes, but we do not rent, sell or repair equipment. We do not have a store or pro shop. We are an archery club and a non-profit organization that provides lessons to the public in cooperation with the City of Pasadena’s Parks and Recreation programs.

Q. Do you have classes for adults/children?
A. Yes! We offer classes for beginning, intermediate and advanced archers of all ages. Check our instruction schedule to find the class you’re interested in.

Q. What is the age requirement for children?
A. There is no arbitrary age requirement. Participants need to be “old enough to follow instructions.” We’ve had 4-year-olds who could do that and 17-year-olds who couldn’t. Archers need to be, in the opinion of the instructors, strong enough to handle the equipment, with enough physical coordination to execute the shot process,  mature enough to remember and obey the safety rules, and emotionally developed enough to cope with the frustration that comes with missing the shot without having a tantrum. Generally speaking, age 6 is about when most children are able to participate, but you know your child better than we do. The instructors can and will remove a student who is unable to participate safely.

Q. When are your classes?
A. The PRA archery classes are all on Saturdays from 7:30 AM until 12:00 PM. Please check our instruction schedule to find the class you’re interested in.

Q: Do I need to buy equipment for the classes?
A. No. We provide all necessary equipment for our introductory classes. We recommend that you don’t spend any money on a bow or arrows until after you have taken lessons, learned about the equipment, and spoken to an instructor about what to buy. There is no archery equipment worth buying at any typical sporting goods store (Big 5, Sports Authority, Dicks, etc.). You need to go to a shop that specializes in archery equipment, and it helps to know what you’re looking for.

Q. My child wants an archery birthday party…
Q. My company wants to do a team-building event…
Q. My Adventure Club wants to try archery…
A.
  At this time, PRA is only able to offer group sessions for nonprofit organizations. Scheduling is based on the availability of our instructors, who are all volunteers.

WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO OFFER GROUP SESSIONS TO PRIVATE OR CORPORATE PARTIES.

Group classes must be scheduled a minimum of two months in advance and run from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM on Saturdays. Please inform us at the time of registration if any participants are under the age of 10. All equipment and instruction is provided.  Maximum group size is 20 participants.

Please send an email to info@rovingarchers.com to inquire about availability of dates. We are constrained by our use agreement with the city, and can only conduct parties or group lessons on Saturday afternoons from 12:30 to 2:00 PM. Naturally, we are booked several months in advance, but sometimes we have cancellations. Sorry, we can’t conduct lessons on any other days or after 2:00 PM.

Q. Can I book a private lesson?
A. PRA is unable to offer private lessons; there are individual coaches who do so outside of our operating hours at any of the nearby ranges. Many of them are listed online at a variety of sites.

Q. Do I have to be a PRA member to use the range?
A. No. The archery range is located in a public park and is open to the public except for the times when it is reserved for PRA classes or tournaments. There is also a homeschool class on the practice range from 9:00 AM to 11:00 on Thursdays during the regular school year (September to June) and summer programs that may occasionally preclude use of some targets.

However, range users are required by the City of Pasadena to have and carry a city-issued Safety Certification Card while using the Lower Arroyo Archery Range.

Q. When are your tournaments?
A. Our tournaments are on Sundays from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Please check our Tournaments page to find the tournament you’re interested in.

Q. Do I have to be a member to participate in your tournaments?
A. No. All our programs are open to the public. Participants in the Sunday tournaments must have their own equipment. The regular Sunday tournaments are free for members and $5 for non-members.

Q. Is there a fee to use the range?
A. No. At this time, use of the range by individuals during the open periods is free. The city reserves the right to change this at any time.

Q. The range is such a beautiful, peaceful spot; can I walk there and do some bird-watching?
A. Yes, if you stay on the marked trail. It defines the edge of the range and the archers are all facing away from it, so it’s perfectly safe to hike there. According to the City of Pasadena’s official trail map, there are no hiking trails that pass through the range. Walking on the target maintenance path that bisects the range is prohibited, and there are “Range Rules” signs posted at each end of the range stating as much. The Range Rules prohibit anyone, archers included, from walking between shooting positions and targets. It is permissible to walk up and down shooting lanes on unoccupied targets.

Celebrating the art of the Bow and Arrow in the historic Lower Arroyo since 1935