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How to Become an Archery Coach

Have you ever wanted to become an archery coach?

If you have a desire to become an Archery Coach or want to involve your child in the sport of archery.  you may want to know the qualifications of the coaches.   This will give you the basics.

USA Archery certification program:  caring, capable coaches who introduce the sport to young archers.

Archery Coach: Certification Level One

A Level One Archery Coach must be at least 15 years old and is certified for summer camps, boy or girl scout organizations, or parks and recreation departments.

A Level One will be proficient in:

  • Teaching beginner archery programs to people of all ages and abilities
  • indoor and outdoor settings
  • target, field, or 3-D
  • range safety, safety both on and off the archery range
  • range setup
  • steps of shooting
  • Equipment repair

Archery Coach: Certification Level Two

A level two Archery Coach must be at least 18, have passed a background check successfully, and are a current member of NFAA or USA Archery  (Level 1 is not a prerequisite.)  A level 2 coach typically teaches J.O.A.D., college archery clubs, or larger community clubs.

A Level Two will be proficient in:

  • the bow shooting cycle in finer detail
  • adding a little more depth to the archer’s technique
  • how to fit equipment to their athletes
  • how to set up, tune, and repair equipment
  • how to teach regular archery lessons as well as the Level 1 Instructor class

Archery Coach: Certification Level Three –  National Training System Certified

A level three must be at least 18 years of age and have held a level 2 certification for at least a year.  If the instructor has three years of experience as an archery instructor, membership to one of the major certifying bodies (NFAA or USA Archery), and a successful background check they can ‘test out’ of their Level 2 certification.

A level 3 archery coach focuses on athletes who are hoping to take their competition to another level.

A Level 3 will be proficient in:

  • athlete development on an individual basis
  • coaching philosophy
  • training plan development
  • competition prep
  • bow tuning
  • competitive psychology

Holding a level 3 certification means you will spend less time working with beginner, youth, and amateur archers, and start focusing on athletes who are hoping to take their competition to another level.

Archery Coach: Certification Level Four

After an instructor has served as a Level 3 coach for 2 years they can advance to a level 4 certification. the USA Archery national training camps and the International Team Staff. Level 4 coaches can also teach Level 1 and Level 2 certification courses.

Elements for a Level 4 Archery Coach include:

  • sports science
  • Biomechanics
  • sports psychology
  • nutrition
  • training cycles
  • National Training System

Certification Level Five – Elite Level Archery Coach

An elite Level 5 archery coach must have served at least two years as a Level 4 instructor, and have a record of successfully coaching three or more archers to a national podium place, top 10 rankings, or Olympic, World, or International team placement. The Level 5 certification also requires training and supervision from a mentor or through a Coach Observer Program.

If you want to be involved in this coaching program, you can check out https://legendarchery.com/ for more information.