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| Summary of This Issue This issue is devoted to the improvement of coaching of target archery, and thereby the practice of target archery itself, in the US. We, in the USA, are but a step away from entering a new chapter in the sport of US target archery. We, in the USA, have a vast reservoir of untapped talent and resources of both archers and of coaches, all willing to do what it takes to achieve excellence. We, in the USA, have a great chance to create a more uniform body of practitioners of excellence in the sport. How so? This opportunity for improvement is due in part to a newly enhanced awareness of "how others do it better" with a directed interest in trying new things, new approaches, new attitudes, and new ideas. The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has already been the instigator of change for many National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Olympic sports, and that includes now the NAA/USA Archery (you and me). We can embrace change and triumph, or we can resist it, remain the same, and thereby risk continued defeat. (and being passed by the rest of the world) In this world, USOC funding does not go to those who refuse to evolve. The outcome of change, like Democracy, is strongest when there is input and participation by all, and the same must be said of our organization. Input and influence by all of us, of the changes wrought during the upcoming period, will result in the strongest possible result and positive outcome. Participate and contribute to the outcome, or resist and be left behind. It's our choice to make, each of us. On a personal note, I can testify. I can bear witness. I myself, thanks to Don Rabska, have seen a dramatic change in my daughter Lindsey's skill as an archer as a direct result of the archery teaching methods currently being considered. He has taught me, and her, that the Korean method does work. It is valid. It is not voodoo nor some arcane mumbo jumbo. It is "solid" stuff. The great news is that virtually anyone (even me) can learn to diagnose flaws, teach basics properly, and assist elite archers to improve, if they only take the time and effort to learn this method, the biomechanically optimal way. By my count on the FITA website, the Koreans have captured some 39 of 43 world and Olympic records - I feel because their coaching system grasped the importance of these essential basics at a time when we were worried more about "target panic" and other, less objective, things. Americans can recover those records by creating a larger group of good, sound, technically correct, but essentially US archers. The biggest problem as I see it (from the cheap seats in the peanut gallery) is that this method is currently known and referred to as the "Korean Method" and many of us are intent more on knee-jerk reactions and arguing about calling it that (or not calling it that) than on getting past the name to the nitty gritty. OK, so maybe we need a new name for what we are adopting as our own hybridized technique. East and West meets somewhere in the middle. A.Ron Carmichael, PS: This issue will be a bit longer than usual, and the information in it much more demanding of understanding. Print it out, and read it a few times, to insure you are well informed. And thanks to Tom Parrish for allowing us to include his article. It's the cornerstone of much, much more than this issue. Good luck to us all! |
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| From the NAA A Vision of the Future USA Archery is implementing some positive changes. As legendary coach John Wooden stated, “No progress occurs without change.” Change is almost always difficult and frequently involves some “growing pains”, but is essential for improvement. Athletes and coaches understand this. If you keep doing what you've always done, you will continue to get what you've always gotten. And even if your results have been good, eventually others will catch up and pass you. Even champions must continually look for ways to improve if they wish to stay on top.By Tom Parrish High Performance Director of USA Archery When hired as the High Performance Director (HPD) in 2003, I was given the role of being the primary person for coordinating all efforts that impact the performance of USA Archery athletes in international competition. The HPD is the liaison between the National Governing Body (NGB), the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), the athletes and the coaches. The HPD position is one encouraged by the USOC and follows a model that has been successful with a number of NGBs. The HPD job involves a wide array of duties and responsibilities, but to state it in a nutshell, the primary job is to help USA Archery win medals in international competition. When I took this job, one of the first things I did was to assess where we were. I wanted to know where the U.S. stood in relation to other countries around the world in international archery performance. I did a statistical analysis of results from all World Target Championships and Olympic Games since 1995. Excerpts from the results of this study have been published in previous articles I've written for USA Archery magazine. The full report contains over 100 charts and graphs and is available by request. I also presented a summary of these results to the NArchival Archery Board of Governors at their fall meeting in 2003. One thing that was clear from these studies was that the trend for USA Archery over the past several years has not been a positive one. In spite of the fact that we have had success in the men’s recurve category at the Olympics, we have shown little improvement in scores compared to other countries and are no longer in a strong position amongst our competitors. To me, that meant one thing, mainly – we need to improve our knowledge of and our methods for training archers. That leads to the second major point and that is that we must educate and train our coaches better. The coaches are the key to having better archery performance. From the grassroots level on up, the coaches must know how to teach correct biomechanical form and shot execution and develop sound fundamental techniques. I believe that we have a lot of fine archery coaches in this country. I'm thoroughly convinced that the vast majority are really good people who are dedicated to the sport and to the athletes they work with. What we are lacking is not desire, ability or sincerity, but instead a unified, systematic, standardized approach to instructing and coaching archery. There will always be individual differences based on personality and the specific “twists” or style that a particular coach uses. We cannot expect a cookie cutter program, but we do need to get on the same page regarding the key elements that we're teaching. The lack of continuity among coaches across the U.S. ultimately creates confusion for the athletes. Who does one believe? Coach A or Coach B? How much more effective would we be if coach A & B agreed on the fundamentals and were capable of communicating with each other and working together in an atmosphere of mutual respect, with only the good of the athlete in mind? With these things in mind (and by-the-way, I never work in a vacuum. I consult with a lot of different people, coaches and athletes alike), I devised a plan of action, most of which is outlined in the High Performance Plan that is posted online. The details of the plan follow three main ideas: 1) find a way to unify our system for archer development, 2) focus attention and funding only on programs that will positively impact performance and 3) revise our coach education program. Accomplishing these tasks will require cooperation among all stakeholders in making some “adjustments” to how USA Archery does things. The adjustments that USA Archery is making will help move us in a new direction. This new direction will constitute a substantial shift from the past, with the most significant factor being the hiring of a National Coach. In 2004 the USA Archery Board of Governors appointed a seven person National Coach Search Committee. The search committee identified the top candidates from the 10 applicants for the National Coach position and made a unanimous recommendation to the Board regarding its number one choice. The Board voted unanimously to accept this recommendation. Our new National Coach will begin the job in the late fall of 2005. The official announcement about the hiring of our new National Coach will be made at the appropriate time (around July 1st). It is significant to note that the USOC is in full support of our direction and of our choice for a national coach. I am excited about this move and what it can mean for the future of USA Archery. The National Coach will be responsible for the long range planning, development and execution of all facets of the national archery program. This includes coaching the technical aspects of archery skills that will allow U.S. archers to successfully compete at an international level as well as coaching the related areas of physical training, mental training and other areas of athlete performance and athlete management. The National Coach will be headquartered in Chula Vista, California and will work out of the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center. The National Coach will train resident archers as well as long-term and short-term athletes according to a rigid, disciplined, well-structured program. The National Coach will travel to major international competitions as the head coach of the USA Archery Team. The National Coach will also host seminars and training sessions for coaches and athletes. These seminars may be held in regional locations as well as in Chula Vista. The National Coach will travel periodically to observe archers in state, regional and national competitions in order to provide feedback to archers and coaches as well as to identify talent. The National Coach will hold specific, intense training for a select group of coaches that will become, once fully trained, “Regional High Performance Coaches.” Athletes will be offered the opportunity to participate in a “Pathway Program” designed to connect them with the National Coach for guided training. The Pathway Program is intended to prepare athletes for elite international competition. The Regional HP Coaches will act as consultants to local coaches, parents and athletes and will provide guidance in training methods and programs. The Regional HP Coaches will act as liaisons between the local archers and the National Coach and will be information conduits between the Pathway Program athletes and the National Coach. Additionally, the National Coach will act as a leading member of a High Performance Committee and also as a consultant to the Coaches Development Committee. The National Coach will have great input into the USA Archery Coach Education System and coach training materials. I have already been working with the CDC to revise and upgrade our Coach Education System. Once completed, the new system will bring credibility to those that hold a USA Archery coach certification and will truly prepare them to be effective coaches. I stay in regular communication with our future National Coach about the elements of this system. As you can see, our National Coach will have many responsibilities and great influence over many of our programs. One person, though, cannot do everything. The National Coach will have one paid assistant and will require the collaboration and cooperation of numerous others, including the USA Archery Board of Governors, USA Archery staff, USOC personnel, committee members and coaches to be able to accomplish the goals set forth in the USA Archery strategic plan. I'm confident that as each of you get to our new coach you will be pleased with what you find. What to expect in 2005: If you have read the High Performance Plan that is posted on the USA Archery website, you may have already noticed some of the things that we plan to implement in the 2005-2008 quadrennium. Some of the elements will remain much as in the past, but a few changes will occur as well. Below is a summary: For Athletes Rolling Ranking: The rolling ranking will continue to be used. At the request of many of the top archers in the U.S., I have recommended to the USOC that the rolling ranking system be adjusted to require only 3 events rather than 4 to obtain a full ranking average. I've also recommended that more events be included as ranking events so that Junior and Collegiate archers will have a better chance to obtain a complete ranking average. The events to be used in a given ranking period will continue to rotate or roll through the USAT events and International events so that as new events occur, old events will drop off. The seven-month gap between the National Target Championships and the USAT event the following April makes it impossible to have a truly “rolling” ranking, but the current Rolling Ranking is significant in that it gives us a score average that can be compared to international standards. This is something that the USAT rankings do not do, although the USAT rankings have significance as well. I've forwarded a proposal to the NArchival Archery AAC and Recurve representatives that combines the two ranking systems. This would allow us to identify those archers who not only shoot the highest scores, but who also tend to win. Athlete Support: For the past few years much of what is offered in athlete support has been outlined in the Special Athlete Support Program (SASP) document. In the past this document has been posted along with the Rolling Rankings and has been shared with the athletes and coaches at Gold Track camps. The 2005 document is still being finalized and will be posted once completed. So far all support has come from USOC Performance Pool funding and has included athlete stipends, bonuses and incentives. For 2005 there will be no athlete stipends; however, stipends will resume from 2006 through 2008. I am recommending that the 2005 SASP document continues to include bonus money for those archers whose rolling ranking average meets, exceeds (or gets really close to) the international average for their gender. I'm also recommending that there be USOC incentive money available for archers who place in the top 4 at designated international events. Operation Gold money will be available in 2005 for placement at the World Target Championships. USA Archery is also considering extra incentive money for achieving certain benchmark scores. Funding has not yet been secured for this, but we plan to provide large cash payouts for high score achievement, such as FITA scores of 1350 or higher, or for establishing a new World Record. Another idea, which I personally like, is providing extra cash rewards for USAT members who shoot FITA scores of 1315 or higher. (All scores mentioned above apply to recurve only. Benchmark scores for compound have not yet been discussed). Training Support: With the intent of putting financial support where it will have the most direct impact on performance, USA Archery intends to provide some support to top athletes so that they can get more time with their coach. Generally, this means that a “High Performance Committee” made up of Level 4E and 4F coaches, the National Coach and the HPD would select a limited number of elite athletes (based on their rankings, past performances and potential for international competitiveness) to receive reimbursement (a set amount) for travel to train with their coach on a regular basis (if such travel is needed). Training plans, reports, and receipts would be required. We will continue to have “Gold Track” training camps during this quad, but not likely more than one for men and one for women (or one combined) for 2005. There will likely be one group meeting/camp with the National Coach near the end of the year in Chula Vista. International Competition Experience: USOC support for travel to Grand Prix events will be redirected in 2005 & 2006 to host a joint camp/competition in the U.S. One or two international teams (AUS, CHN, ITA, KOR) plus a U.S. team will be invited (and funded) to attend a weeklong competition/camp at Chula Vista. Additionally, archers are always encouraged to attend Grand Prix, COPANARCO or other international events on their own. These can be valuable experiences and rolling ranking credit or incentives can be gained. For Coaches Coach Education: The CDC is in the process now of revising our coach education system and creating new coach training materials at all levels. As chair of the CDC, I not only consult with the other members of the CDC and with our new National Coach, but I also welcome and seek the input of other NArchival Archery certified coaches. There has been much discussion of late regarding coach development and coach certification programs. It’s a concern that exists among all stakeholders (athletes, coaches, parents, administrators, etc.) and is common to many organizations of many sports in many countries. One of the difficulties lies in establishing and maintaining high standards and requirements for certification in a sport that is largely constituted by a volunteer base. The CDC’s first goal for 2005 is to revise our coach education system to make it more effective and more credible. Our second goal is to establish standardized course materials for all levels of NArchival Archery Instructor/Coach certification. We hope to have the new system completely in place by 2006, to include prerequisite standards, course requirements, new course modules and new re-certification standards. We want our courses to be accessible and of reasonable cost as well. In my opinion, the NArchival Archery Basic Coach level (current Level 2) is where we need the best coaches. These are the coaches that introduce archery to new people and have the first influence on an archer’s form and technique. It is at this level that we need coaches who are extremely well versed in proper methods of teaching shot form and shot execution. We cannot allow bad habits to be formed in these early stages. To do so impedes the development of the archer. If our Basic Coaching level is properly designed and effectively taught, there will be no reason for a “level 2” coach to go on to “level 3” unless they wish to learn more about the application of the sport sciences. A “level 2” coach should know as much about shot form and shot execution as any “higher” level coach. It’s just that the other certification levels will include other topics of information that help in training elite athletes or international teams.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of questions, but we, at the very least, want to ensure that we are not doing something simply because this is the way we've always done it. Also, I want everyone to understand that I look at this as an inclusive process. Anyone who has questions, comments, concerns or constructive input, please feel free to contact me. If we work together I'm certain we can produce a bright future for USA Archery, one that we can all be proud of. |
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| Win & Win President Conducts Coaching Seminar In North America For 2nd Time The president of Win & Win Archery is Kyung Rae, PARK, and he conducted one coaching seminar and shooter school last year in the Northeast. Reviews from those attending were extremely positive. What has Mr. Park done as a coach in the past?
He is very well founded in the precepts of biomechanically proper archery techniques, he has a vast amount of archery competitive experience, and he can relate these to his students. He is also very knowledgeable about recurve equipment (as president of Win & Win Archery) and can educate coaches on proper tuning methods quite effectively. He will be conducting a course for coaches over two days, followed by a one-day shooters school, in May. The timing for this coincides with the Target Team trials being held in Florida, but this will have little impact as the target audience (excuse the pun) is the COACH of the beginning archer to elite archer. Teaching new archers by using his methods will result in a much more solid and stable archer. The intermediate to advanced archer will benefit the most from his shooters school. His wisdom and experience enables him to mentor both the JOAD archer as well as the senior archer. The coaching course and shooter school will be held in Austin, A. Austin is centrally located in the US, resulting in lower travel costs and is served by an international airport only 15 minutes from the venue, and abounds with extra-curricular activities as well. For more information and to make a reservation for either the coaches course or the shooters school, use this link.Spaces are limited so check your calendar, check the Archival Archery calendar, and then book your travel NOW. |
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| Coach Kim At ARCO - Coaching Seminar and Shooting School Korean Olympic archery coach Hyung-tak Kim will preside at an NAA-hosted coaching seminar and shooters school to be held at ARCO. The seminar and shooters school will be conducted at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, April 8-10, 2005, and will be supervised on-site by Lloyd Brown, 2-time US Olympic Archery Team Coach. The coaching seminar is from April 8 th, 9:00AM-6:00PM and April 9th, 9:00AM to Noon. The Shooters School immediately follows on April 9th, from 2:00PM to 6:00PM and on April 10th from 9:00 AM to 5:00PM. Costs are: Coaching Seminar: $150 NOTE: If you already have an NArchival Archery level III or level IV certification, this Coaches Seminar will be considered by the NArchival Archery as re-certification. This seminar will offer a rare experience into the Korean coaching philosophy by the man who for years has dominated the Korean archery scene. Participants will learn the Korean shooting form, and how to teach this form. In addition, Coach Kim will discuss effective training programs, secrets of famous Korean archers, and the mental aspect of Korean archery. He will also discuss choosing the proper equipment for young archers. The Shooters School is open to all competitive recurve archers and will provide individual and group instructions from Coach Kim. All participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment. To secure a position in the Coaching Seminar or the Shooters School, participants are to send in a non-refundable deposit of $100 for each seminar to Lloyd Brown, indicating the seminar(s) they wish to attend. Call or send an e-mail to guarantee space at the Olympic Training Center. The balance is due at the start of the seminar. Make checks payable to The National Archery Association.Lloyd Brown3089-C Clairemont Dr. #207 San Diego, CA 92117 (858) ARCHERY phone (619) 275-0865 fax |
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| Calendar Starting in April and proceeding through September, there are numerous opportunities to attend organized training events: Coaching Seminars, NArchival Archery Coach Certification Courses, Archers Seminars (aka Shooters Schools), and JOAD camps. The USA Archery's calendar lists a striking number of Level I and II courses to be held this summer. Five are shown in June alone! In addition to checking the NAA's calendar, you can also contact NADA at (352) 472-2388 to find out about Level I and II courses being held in your area. You can also check the AA's calendar of events to see a fairly clear chronological layout for this summer of the NArchival Archery tournaments, JOAD Camps, Coaching Seminars, and Level III/IV courses. Contact the webmaster if you know of an event not already listed, and you can also check the AA's Training Opportunity page for additional information.  |
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| Copyright This newsletter and all Archival Archery content is copyright with all rights reserved. Please contact the webmaster regarding any information or requests for reprints. Approval is easily acquired for any non-profit use. |
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