I regret to note that Jim Johnson, Jane Johnson's husband, passed away recently. Services were held December 17th. Jim was often in attendance at the tournaments where Jane officiated, and was great fun to be with. Jim and Jane were married for 52 years.

For those who wish to respond, the family requests that anyone who wishes to make a charitable contribution in Jim's name may wish to consider the American Diabetes Association.

Our thoughts are with Jane and her family. Cards and letters may be sent to:

For the State Indoor, here is the registration page and here is the summary of STATE INDOOR registered archers.

Click for the JOAD State Indoor registration page and the summary of all STATE JOAD ARCHERS registered so far .

As usual, the treasurer will NOT cash your entry fee until AFTER the deadline date. So register and pay now, and if you need to cancel we simply shred the check. You insure that you will have a space on the shooting line, which is important as space is indeed limited. Delay at your own risk.
(reminder: all archers are welcome, not just "NAA" archers - but only registered NArchival Archery members are eligible to "place" and take home a trophy. NArchival Archery Registration forms can be filled out at the tournaments to complete your eligibility in time for the event.

Most Extreme Elimination Challenge

editor's note: Tom (and daughter Chelsea) will be conducting several Level I NArchival Archery Instructor certification courses in the next month or so - the cost is modest and the benefits for both archers and for parents potentially immense. Please click here to view information on the courses. This is a great opportunity!

• National Indoor Championships (2 sites per region)
• World Indoor Championships Team Trials
• U.S. Intercollegiate Championships (South Region's turn)
• National Field Championships
• World Outdoor Target Championships Team Trials
• Junior Olympic National Championships
• U.S. Archery Team Qualifying Tournaments

The deadline for filing a bid with the NArchival Archery is February 28, 2004. You can request more information by contacting the NArchival Archery (aka USA Archery) at phone: 719-866-4576. The USA Archery website is another source for information.

USAT QUALIFYING TOURNAMENTS
US Archery has decided to add the USAT Qualifying tournament events to the bid package. It is hoped that this will result in greater standardization for these events. Each Qualifier will be required to last a minimum of 3 days and no more than 4 days, including practice. The LOC (Local Organizing Committee) can choose the number of days and various options, such as single line/double line, one-day or two-day FITA (non-Olympic Years), single 70 meter round of 72 arrows or double 70 meter round of 144 arrows (in Olympic Years). They specifically exempt from these bid package guidelines the National Indoor, Field, Outdoor Target, and Trials tournaments, but they are still considered USAT events.

You will see references to "acrobat" as you surf various websites, especially archery websites. Why?
Acrobat is the name chosen by a company for a kind of computer file. Adobe, Inc. pioneered a document standard ("acrobat") that allows a document to appear the same on such different computers as those with Linux, Apples, MacIntosh, and Windows-based operating systems. These acrobat files typically have the file name extension of ".pdf". The good thing about these files is that when one is created on any computer, it is going to appear on your screen and print out the same on all of these kinds of computers as well. Also, while the Acrobat Writer software is pretty darn expensive, the ADOBE ACROBAT READER is FREE, making it easy for all to view and use these files.

It's sure easier to print everything to an acrobat file and not have to worry with the layout in HTML. GOOGLE has added the capability in it's engine to search through acrobat files, which gives back the ability to search of every instance of an archer's name on the NArchival Archery website, for example.

Unless it is critical to have something print precisely, such as the 4-H Distances Chart, or the JOAD/Senior Distances I try hard to keep everything in normal HTML and use coding techniques that insure it will still print decently for when you want a hard copy. Indeed, in both of these examples as well as in many others throughout the Archival Archery website, I keep BOTH the acrobat and the doc or html format.

If you have clicked on an acrobat file in the past and gotten an error message then you can easily and safely (and "free"ly) fix the problem by downloading the free Adobe Acrobat reader for your computer from the Adobe website. Just click on this link and choose your operating system platform, connection type, then follow the prompts and instructions to acrobat nirvana.

If you were using Zone Alarm you were likely protected. If you were using an up-to-date antivirus software like McAfee or Norton's then you were likely protected. If you weren't then you probably suffered downtime, had to rebuild your computer system, AND you likely sent "silent-but-deadly" infecting messages to friends listed in your email address book, thereby spreading the "joy". You can look on these viruses/worms/trojans as "the gift that keeps on giving" whether you want them to or not. If your computer does have the viral blues, you can use a free tool from Symantec to try to remove it. If the tool fails then you will likely get to rebuild your operating system and reinstall your programs.

With that in mind I’d like to offer the following reminders:

* Make sure you are running an updated firewall
Such as Zone Alarm, which is still free to home users. You can choose a "pay-fer" version that offers additional features, and can be set to automatically update itself.

* Make sure you are running updated antivirus
The strongest security utilizes a multi-layer approach. Check your AV software to see if you are up to date. There are FREE antivirus softwares, if you don't mind putting up with advertisements. It's best to get one that will check both incoming AND outgoing messages - that reduces the risk of infecting your friends' computers. CLICK HERE to go to a review of four free anti-virus softwares and CLICK HERE to view a summary of downloadable antivirus softwares. Price comparisons for Norton's version 2004 can be found at this link (~ $40) and McAfee's version 8.0 can be found here.(~$40) BE SURE YOU GET THE LATEST VERSION - buying a discounted older versions from years ago will not give you the protection you need.

Also, "ignorance" is not an excuse - if you test positive to any prohibited substance, you WILL be banned from all NAA/Archival Archery tournaments for 2 years. If you refuse to take the test, you WILL be banned for two years. If you flunk twice, you will be banned FOR LIFE. So this is a very serious matter!
Any text in red below is highlighted by the editor and is of special interest.

Let's start by excerpting a few pertinent passages from the
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)'s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section.
The full FAQ in acrobat form can be found at this link - if these excerpts or this article strikes interest in you then please read the entire FAQ before proceeding to contact the USADA or NArchival Archery with questions.

Q: Who does USADA test?
A: USADA has authority to test:
• any athlete who is a member of a National Governing Body (NGB); (editor's note: THAT IS THE NAA/Archival Archery for us U.S. archers)
• any athlete participating at a competition sanctioned by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) or a NGB; (ed.note: those events would be any STAR FITA, USAT Qualifier, State Championship or National Championship event, International competition such as PanAm, and any USOC Trials event, and finally the Olympics, of course)
• USADA does testing for international federations (IF) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

USADA also has the right to target test any athlete... (ed. note: You do not have to be an elite archer on a US ARCHERY TEAM, we are all subject to possible testing)

--------------------end of FAQ excerpts---------------------------------------

To get a full (8 page) list of ALL prohibited substances from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), click on this link. Be sure to get the list for 2004 which goes into effect January 1, 2004. USADA is the US chapter of the WADA, and follows the guidelines of the WADA.

If you have a handheld computer such as a palm, you can install a "wallet card" version of the 2004 list of drugs on it. Here's the link to the acrobat file. You will need to install the appropriate acrobat reader for your handheld for this. You can also PRINT a copy to carry, well, in your wallet!

Folks, you may not have been aware of this fact: If you shoot in ANY NArchival Archery tournament, you could in theory be required to submit to a drug test or face banning. Your archery ability does not matter - in other words, even if you always finish dead last in every single event, you could be tested if selected at random. Since Archival Archery tournaments are sanctioned by the NArchival Archery you could be tested at such an event. Also, the agencies all feel that it is the archer's responsibility to know this ahead of time, and to be fully aware of their medications' status.

It does not matter if the drug is prescribed for you by a doctor for a "real" medical condition. If you must take a drug that is prohibited, you must, at least 21 days in advance, get permission from the USADA to continue taking the medication. You do this by using the "Therapeutic Use Exemption" (TUE) request form. There is an abbreviated form if you take one of a very few inhalant beta-2 agonists or non-systemic glucocorticosteroids. Your request goes to a committee who considers your request and then informs you of their decision, which you can appeal if turned down.

WHAT IF I DON"T WANT TO GO IN A BOTTLE?

The penalty for refusing to provide a urine sample to the USADA is the same as if you test positive: 2 (two) years' ineligibility to participate in any NAA-sanctioned archery competition. A second refusal or failure to pass a test is penalized with a life-time ban from competition. So if you want to play you have to be willing and prepared to hit the cup with the yellow, not just the yellow with an arrow.

IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE!

In the beginning years of testing, the powers recognized there needed to be some flexibility and leniency used in applying penalties to archers that "just didn't know" about getting a TUE for say, a medication they take for having a heart condition or for asthma. Those days are now past - the WADA has made the rules much more consistent and IGNORANCE IS NO LONGER AN EXCUSE. (that's why I am writing this article)

A final precaution: Just because you can buy something without a doctor's prescription does not mean it is safe. In particular, dietary supplements are often risky items to take. They are not regulated by the FDA and some are nothing more than cocktails of drugs, natural and synthetic, thrown together without consideration for athletic testing. Read the label's ingredients carefully and if you are taking something where the manufacturer will not supply a list of the ingredients then you are simply asking for problems and not just with USADA. OTC (over the counter) products are a great way to flunk a doping test as well. And do not rely on the brand name - you must insure the ingredients are safe since the manufacturer may indeed change the ingredients without warning or fanfare.

Do yourself a favor and check the list now to see if any medications you take are on the list. If they are, then print the TUE and mail it in. It only costs the postage stamp and a little time. And remember, if you shoot at any NArchival Archery or Archival Archery event, you could be tested.