When arrows are flying rapidly on either side, it can be difficult for any archer to focus on their target.
Cal High senior Kaye Malladi starts by closing his eyes to expel all the thoughts whirling around in his mind. Then, he takes a breath, opens his eyes, and lets the arrow fly.
Taking it one shot at a time, Malladi has become one of the top archers in the state.
Malladi placed 31st recurve U18 cadet men division at the 2023 USA Archery California State Outdoor Championships.
“You get a rush of adrenaline and a pang of satisfaction whenever you’ve released a bow and the arrow flies,” Malladi said.
After completing his final tournament of 2024, Malladi is awaiting to see his ranking, which is very important to him. His last rank was 74 out of the hundreds of archers under the age of 18 in California.
Archery ranks are made up of an average number of points gathered at tournaments, a very complicated process. Malladi describes it as cutthroat, comparing it to a Kahoot game because if he misses just one point, he can drop several ranks.
Gaining such a high rank is largely in part to the skills Malladi gained at Chia Archery Club in San Leandro, where he gained valuable experiences
Campolindo High senior Jacob Saltzberg, one of Malladi’s closest teammates, praises Malladi’s character both in and out of competition.
“He seems persistent and very positive, very can-do,” Saltzberg said.
Saltzberg said Malladi’s humor always lightens the mood and praises his unique grip with the bow. Many teammates also have been impressed with Malladi’s sportsmanship.
“He talks to everyone, and brings people together,” said Anika Khanna, a Chia Archery Club teammate.
Khanna, a freshman at Lynbrook High in San Jose, believes Malladi is a good teammate because of his lightheartedness.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him stressed about archery,” Khanna said. “He just seems happy to be there.”
Saltzberg said that on the firing line people can be cold. But Malladi’s coach Victor Chia agrees with Khanna, saying Malladi is always positive and doesn’t let it affect him.
“Some people, they’re very good, they go ‘I’m not going to share my skills’” Chia said. “But he’s willing to help people and give them his experiences.”
Chia describes Malladi as a team player. He said that Malladi has improved during the two years he’s worked with him by becoming physically and mentally stronger.
Chia also appreciates Malladi’s independence as he’s one of few students who doesn’t spend time chatting after receiving instructions. Instead, he gets straight to work. Chia hopes to see Malladi at future tournaments even after he graduates.
Malladi’s interest in archery started with his uncle.
“I shot with him one time, [and] I did super badly,” Malladi said.
Despite his first performance, Malladi found himself enjoying the sport more and more as his uncle continued to take him out to shoot. Eventually, Malladi decided to pursue archery seriously, specializing in the Olympic recurve category.
The category uses the recurve bow, which shoots faster and with more power compared to a traditional bow. This style of archery requires frequent practice to be able to make consistent shots.
The process of gaining points in archery also varies depending on whether the competition is being conducted outdoors or indoors. But overall, points in archery are determined by how close the arrow is to the x in the center of the target. Usually, archers can gain a maximum of 10 points by hitting the x directly . For reference, Malladi states he usually gets between the six-point range and bull’s eye x for most shots.
After high school, Malladi said he will leave clubs behind and start shooting independently if he goes to a university. This way he can be more free to control his own practices.
But Malladi advises beginners in archery to find a coach and stick with him. It can be beneficial for beginners to receive that guidance to learn the technique first, and to have access to unique resources.
“When you’re confident in your archery style, then you can start reaching out and seeing how others shoot,” Maladi said. “Find a community.”
Malladi’s biggest roadblock throughout his journey in archery has been a lack of motivation. Since he practices every other day, missing just a couple days of practice can affect him.
“Your archery game physically drops,” Malladi said. “You start shooting worse.”
In the future, Malladi hopes to get the highest rank he can, ideally below 64 in his category, before college. He thinks achieving a high enough rank would be a great trophy to have, and will look very good on college applications.
This is useful since certain universities provide good archery scholarships. With support from his loved ones, he believes he can make it.
Malladi loves archery because he knows he has a natural talent for it. He’s tried many sports, like basketball and rugby, but archery was the one that clicked with him.
But beyond that, the practice of shooting calms him.
“It’s like exhaling,” Malladi said.