Sport and camaraderie of archery attract competitors young and old; `I'm not one of those video game kids'.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Kim Ring

STURBRIDGE - It is early Sunday morning, and 13-year-old Trent Drumm of Paxton is not sleeping in.

He's up, warmly dressed and headed to the Hamilton Rod & Gun Club in Sturbridge, his bow and arrows ready for a morning of shooting.

"I'm not one of those video game kids," he says while waiting for his turn to shoot at a paper target that depicts a game bird. "I can't just sit in front of that thing. I have a four-wheeler, BB guns; I like the outdoors."

Alyssa Krasnecky, 16, might sit in front of the television at her home in Sturbridge if she had nothing better to do on one of the coldest mornings of the year. But on Sundays, she's up and at 'em bright and early and headed to the club with her dad, Daniel Krasnecky, who heads up the archery shoots.

"I love being here," she said. "I love being with the people. It's like a family, really."

And while she thinks about college, she admits that she'll probably come home on the weekends to shoot when she can.

"I know I'll really miss it," she said.

It is an odd sight, dozens of archers lined up inside the enclosed pavilion patiently waiting to shoot at paper targets of rabbits, coyotes, game birds and the like. Once they all have shot, they move to the targets and call out their scores while retrieving their arrows and stepping back to a more distant line from which to shoot.

Some are huge burly men, others gangly teens. There are a few women and some seniors who've been at this for more years than they will admit. All are happy, helpful and, while it is a competition, supportive - especially when it comes to teaching the younger members.

"Everyone here is willing to help," Mr. Krasnecky said.

While it costs about $400 for a decent bow, arrows and other accoutrements needed, used equipment can also be found.

Trent, who managed to get a bow for free, worked for his dad to earn the $90 he needed for arrows this year.

He has seen his skills improve over the two years he's been shooting here. Trent also found a mentor in Randy Lusignan, who's one of about a dozen Lusignans from the East Brookfield-Spencer area who spend Sundays shooting in Sturbridge. This year the pair hunted together and bagged a turkey with a 10-gauge shotgun. Trent's dad, William, now takes part in the weekly shoots, as does one of the women from the Lusignan clan.

"I figured I could beat...