If you are new to the sport of archery, you may find it
difficult to make progress in your training without the help of a trusted and
knowledgeable coach. However, how can you find a coach you can trust? This
question is especially important when you are seeking a coach for your child’s
archery lessons. So how can you make sense of the various certifications an
archery coach might have, in order to find someone qualified? This post will
help you navigate the archery coach certification process so you can find
someone to help you develop your sport.
Archery coaching certifications get progressively more
professional within each of the five levels. For instance, a level 1
certification requires that coach be at least 15 years of age, and makes him or
her eligible to work with summer camps, girl and boy scout organizations, or
local parks & recreation departments. A level 2 certification is slightly
more complex, and enables the coach to work with community clubs and college
teams. Beyond this, the coach needs even more education and training, to enable
them to work 1-on-1 with competitive level archers. Once a coach reaches level
5, they are essentially an Olympic level coach and ar considered the most elite
of the elite.
To become a coach beyond level 1, a coach must be a member
of one of the national certifying bodies, either The National Field Archers’
Association or USA Archery. These differ based on the type of archery being
practiced, in the case of USA Archery, your coach will train you in Olympic-style
traditional archery. For those certifed by NFAA, you can expect them to train
archers in field archery, bowhunting, and compound bow shooting.
Here are the exact requirements needed for each level of
coaching certification:
Level 1 – Must be at least 15 years of age
Level 2 – Must be at least 18, be affiliated with USA Archer
or NFAA, and must submit to a background check
Level 3 – Same as level 2, and must have been a level 2
coach for at least one year.
Level 4 – Same as level 3, plus they must have been a level
3 coach for at least two years.
Level 5 – Same as level 4, plus two years as a level 4
coach, and must have successfully coached athletes to the national or
international podium.
The important thing to note here, particularly if you are
looking for a coach for your child, is that all levels except Level 1 requires
a background check in order to be able to work with younger athletes.
Additionally, if you are looking for 1-on-1 training, you will want to find
someone with a level 3 certification or higher, depending on your level of
competition.
For more information on finding the best archery lessons for
you, go to MyArcheryClasses.com now!
