The start of Sherwood Showdown wasn’t a shot in the dark, but a destined bullseye for John and Eliza Hill who started the archery dodgeball business in fall 2025.
Yes, archery dodgeball is a real game — a game in which players use bows to shoot padded arrows at each other in a series of different game modes. Think dodgeball meets paintball or Airsoft but with bows and arrows. Don’t worry; you wear a face shield and goggles, so nobody loses an eye. Sherwood Showdown is the only dedicated archery dodgeball gig in town, and the Hills jumped at the opportunity to make it happen.
John is an engineer, and Eliza was working in corporate marketing and events. They were looking for something new and something they could build up over time for their own first business. When they discovered archery dodgeball in Denver, they found that it was a fun way to break down barriers between people. Eliza estimates there are about 1,000 places to play across the nation.
On the Archery Dodgeball Battlefield
John said that many people start out skeptical, whether they’re at a work event or were dragged along with a friend. By the end, they are begging to get in the arena.
“You absolutely have to experience it yourself,” Eliza says, adding that it’s a perfect activity for people who want something active that is still indoors.
I, of course, did have to experience it firsthand — you know, due diligence and thorough reporting and such, nothing at all related to diving into full medieval combat mode.
Ducking, diving and weaving through the arrows was fun. I took to the cage and got shot by foam arrows myself, not to brag or anything. As soon as John cued my group to go, my competitive side came out. I was ready for war — until an arrow bounced off my arm almost immediately. First one out, but I was laughing all the less.
One great aspect of archery dodgeball I discovered is that because the sport is so new to most people, everyone starts at the same level. In that way, it’s easy to have fun because no one is an expert. You aren’t trying to prove anything, you’re just trying to be the last one in there.
The next round started, and I actually managed to get someone out. Who said I was bad with a bow?
“Me!” said the foam arrow bouncing off my shoulder. I laughed and gave Eliza a thumbs up. “That’s the game,” I said, as I stood in the eliminated corner with John.
Fun and Games and Business
“Fail often, fail fast,” he later told me.
That was the Hill’s motto when starting on their entrepreneurial endeavor. Eliza, originally from Pennsylvania, and John, originally from New Mexico, met in Colorado Springs, and became dead-set on opening a business.
“We’re both very driven people” she says. “I think this is another thing to do together, like another journey to go on.”
They both say that the entrepreneurial community in Colorado Springs welcomed them with open arms, and after signing a lease for the space, everything became a little less daunting.
“Starting a business is scary until you realize no one knows what they’re doing,” John says.
Their journey is just beginning, but John and Eliza already have tips for new entrepreneurs. She says flexibility is key, and that there is less rigidity than people think in entrepreneurship. If you are married to a vision that is too specific, you aren’t open to new avenues of success.
“It’s kind of ambiguous, but as you go and as you learn, then it starts to take shape,” Eliza says. “Obviously you have your guiding star — this is where I want to be — but there’s a thousand different ways to get there.”
The forest themed space is a nice bow that pulls the whole place together, not to mention the bow in your hand that makes you feel like a marksman.
Sherwood Showdown is at the corner of North Carefree and North Academy Boulevard. They welcome walk-ins on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and are open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week for reservations.
Group rates vary, but a one hour session of play for one person is $35. You can read more at their website: sherwoodshowdown.com.
