The sport of archery depends on caring and capable coaches who introduce the sport to young archers. In the United States, archery coaches and instructors are certified by a single regulatory body, USA Archery. USA Archery’s certification program prepares coaches to help athletes successfully and safely develop their skills and abilities as they progress through competition. Instructors holding a certification have been trained and tested in archery skills and safety, and it is an important credential for professional or semi-professional trainers to market their service. There are 5 levels of archery instructor certifications, as follows:
level 1 trainer
The Level 1 or Basic instructor specializes in introducing basic archery and safety skills to beginners. Typically, this type of certification is for instructors who want to work for summer camps, boy scout or girl scout organizations, or parks and recreation departments.
To receive a Level 1 certification, you must first complete a 4-12 hour course on safety, shooting range setup and commands, basic equipment information and care, and shooting fundamentals. The only prerequisite for this course is to be at least 15 years of age. The course costs between $30 and $50 on average.
level 2 trainer
While it seems intuitive that you must first pass a Level 1 certification before moving on to Level 2, that is not the case. As long as you are at least 18 years old, have successfully passed a background check, and are a current member of the NFAA or USA Archery, you can begin your Level 2 course. While Level 1 is not a prerequisite for Level 2 certification 2, a Level 2 coach is certified to teach Level 1 courses. Typically, the Level 2 coach is found in more established archery classes such as JOADs, college archery clubs, or larger community clubs. . This certification also costs between $30 and $50.
The Level 2 course is typically longer than the Level 1 course and covers the archery cycle in greater detail, adding a bit more depth to the archer’s technique. The aspiring instructor will also receive training on how to fit the equipment to their athletes, how to set up, adjust and repair the equipment, and how to teach regular archery lessons as well as the Level 1 Instructor class.
Level 3 Trainer – National Certified Training System
While the Level 1 and Level 2 certifications were primarily concerned with archery instruction in a classroom setting, the Level 3 certification focuses more on the development of the individual athlete. All Level 3 trainers are eligible to teach Level 1 or 2 courses. To become certified, the instructor candidate must be at least 18 years of age and have held a Level 2 certification for at least one year. Alternatively, if the instructor has three years of experience as an archery instructor, they can “try out” their Level 2 certification. Level 3 certifications require membership in one of the major certifying bodies (NFAA or USA Archery) and a successful background check.
Level 3 certification can cost around $250 for more than 20 hours of instruction in coaching philosophy, training plan development, competition preparation, bow tuning, and competitive psychology. Having a Level 3 certification means you’ll spend less time working with beginning, junior and amateur archers, and start to focus on athletes hoping to take their competition to another level.
Level 4
After an instructor has served as a level 3 trainer for 2 years and is ready to take their career to the next level, they can advance to a level 4 certification. This certification makes the trainer eligible to work in the fields of USA Archery national training and international team staff. Level 4 trainers can also teach Level 1 and Level 2 certification courses.
The Level 4 course costs just under $500, and will most likely require travel and hotel accommodation for the week of the course. This course has an intense focus on sports science, including biomechanics, sports psychology, nutrition, training cycles, and the National Training System.
Level 5 – Elite Level Trainer
When a coach has reached the pinnacle of his or her career, including at least two years as a level 4 instructor, and a history of successfully coaching three or more archers to a national podium, top 10 ranking, or Olympic, World team or international. placement, he or she may be eligible for their Level 5 certification. Instead of taking a course, a Level 5 certification is self-paced and self-directed to highlight the candidate’s ability to coach athletes to a high level of performance. The coach will typically be required to obtain higher level training, including ASEP Coaching Principles certification and USCO Safe Sport certification. Level 5 certification also requires training and supervision from a mentor or through an Observer Trainer Program. In short, Level 5 certification is the pinnacle of an archery trainer’s credentials.
previous requirements
Each certification, except the Level 1 certification, requires a background check through the USA Archery organization. Many of the goalkeepers a coach will work with in their career will likely compete in youth leagues. Anyone who works professionally with children must undergo a background check. Successfully passing a background check is a strong credential and will help reassure parents of athletes you may work with in your career.
Additionally, all certifications except Level 1 require membership in USA Archery or the National Association of Range Archers. These organizations provide a lot of valuable information about training and competition, and can serve as another credential to market yourself as a highly qualified archery instructor.
Expiration and Renewal
Each of the above certifications is valid for three years from the date of your certification course. You can typically renew your certification every three years by teaching archery classes in accordance with your certification (Level 1 – Summer Camp, Level 2 – JOAD, Level 4 – Archery Camps, and attending continuing education). The cost of renewal is usually as low as $30 and may require a re-verification of your background check.
If you have a passion for archery and work with athletes from all walks of life, becoming an archery instructor can be a very rewarding career. Although it takes time and dedication to improve both your archery and technical training, there is no greater thrill than seeing your athletes excel in competition after months or years of careful training.