Welcome To Ascham Oaks Archery!
Our goal is to offer no nonsense guidance for the youth and beginning archer. We hope to prepare you with a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, and techniques that will start you on your journey as an archer. A foundation that will carry you into whichever discipline of archery you choose to pursue or to just have fun in your backyard.
A little about us…
My name is Pat Ditto. My wife Amanda and I live in northeast Florida with our two dogs, Clyde and Beau. I am a Manager on a sod farm and Amanda is an educator, specializing in reading. We have four children and four grandchildren. We love being outdoors, whether it is on an archery range, fishing, hunting, camping or napping in a hammock. Our house sits among several magnificent centuries-old southern live oak trees on five peaceful acres we call “Ascham Oaks.”
Why Ascham Oaks?
An Ascham is an Elizabethan era cabinet designed to store an archer’s bows and other gear, similar to a gun cabinet. Ascham Oaks = a place to keep our bows and arrows. There is also a deeper meaning that appealed to us. The Ascham was named after Roger Ascham, an English scholar, author and avid archer who, in 1545 wrote the book Toxophilus, the first manual on archery written in English. During a time when most books were written in Latin or Greek for the Aristocracy, he brought archery to everyday people, sparking a renewed interest in archery as a sport. We hope to live up to his standard and earn our namesake by sharing archery with you.
Sharing In The Magic
There is a magic in sending an arrow down range to the target. You release the arrow in one place then, a moment later, it appears in another place. When it strikes the target just where you intended it is addictive. But, it is not magic, it is a discipline that can be learned and practiced by almost anyone. Along with that discipline there is history, lore, and tradition that connect today’s archers with archers throughout human history.
20 Years And Counting
Amanda and I have been active in archery for almost 20 years. We have both been certified as NASP archery instructors and have helped many youth and beginner archers learn the sport of archery. We practice traditional archery, shooting both recurves and longbows. We enjoy the simple beauty of a well crafted bow and arrows and the zen-like process of shooting one. And we think you will too! Follow along and we will help you on your journey.