The National Archery Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of archery in the United States of America. It establishes shooting regulations, conducts tournaments, maintains records, and provides information to organize and support archery clubs. Founded in 1879, the NAA is one of the oldest sports organizations in the United States. The NAA is the National Governing Body for archery in the United States and is a member organization of the United States Olympic Committee.

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As the National Governing Body (NGB) for Archery on the U.S. Olympic Committee, the NAA selects archery teams for the Olympic Games and the Pan American Games. The NAA is also a member of FITA (International Archery Federation) and annually selects and sponsors USA teams for World Championships and Junior World Championships. FITA is a member organization of the International Olympic Committee. 

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The NAA sanctions club, state and regional level tournaments and provides a listing of these tournaments in the newsletter and on its web site. With guidance from the NAA, annual national tournaments are conducted in the disciplines of outdoor, indoor, and field archery as well as in crossbow, clout, traditional, and flight shooting. 

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The official newsletter publication of the NAA, the "NOCK-NOCK," features a section that is devoted to the JOAD program activities. Clubs and individual NAA youth members receive this publication as an NAA benefit. Members and clubs are encouraged to send news of their activities to the NAA Media Relations desk at the NAA office in Colorado Springs. Photos and graphics are welcomed with submitted articles. For a small additional fee, NAA youth members may also receive a subscription to the official NAA archery magazine, ARCHERY FOCUS, which offers helpful information to all archers, beginner through advanced.

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The NAA offers its member organizations the opportunity to apply for grants. The club must have been a member of the NAA for two consecutive years and must furnish a list of club officers and club members with the proposal. Matching fund proposals will be given top priority for NAA grants. For more information, contact the NAA for a grant package. Grant application packets are usually distributed in the fall to NAA member clubs. 

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The NAA selects, through ranking tournaments, a United States Archery Team (USAT) and a Junior USAT in both Recurve and Compound bow divisions. Archers must post qualifying scores in sanctioned tournaments and pass a 12 - minute fitness test. Details are listed in the Nock-Nock Newsletter and on the NAA web site. These teams receive training at the Olympic Training Center along with other privileges. 

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The members of the USA Archery College Program compete annually in the NAA National Indoor Championships. The College Program also hosts its own U.S. Intercollegiate Archery Championships (USIAC). College All Americans are chosen on the basis of their standing in these two championships. The NAA grants archery scholarships annually to eligible students. More information on the College Program and the participating schools is available on the NAA website. 

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TRAINING CAMPS

The NAA offers several training camps each year for archers of all ages. Most camps are held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. Camps are offered to USAT members, Jr. USAT members, JOAD archers, and adults. Regional and state camps are also held in some areas. For more information, contact the NAA office or check the NAA website. 

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The JOAD Committee governs the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program.  The committee consists of a JOAD National Coordinator, four regional coordinators (one from each of the four NAA geographic regions) and one Athlete Representative. 

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The National Coordinator is appointed by the president of the NAA and approved by the NAA Board of Governors. The National Coordinator selects the Regional Coordinators and the Athlete Representative. 

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The Regional Coordinators are responsible for coordinating JOAD activities within their own regions. They oversee the JOAD Regional Indoor and Outdoor Tournaments. The Regional Coordinators communicate with State Coordinators in their region. State Coordinators relay information to the state JOAD clubs.

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State Coordinators represent the JOAD clubs in their state. They may hold meetings with State JOAD club leaders regarding State Indoor and Outdoor JOAD events. In some states they maintain state JOAD records. Some State Coordinators also assist with scheduling in order to avoid conflicts and encourage club interaction.

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The JOAD program follows the same shooting, equipment, and dress code rules as the NAA.  To make it more appealing to younger archers, JOAD has developed additional age categories for competition that include separate divisions for male and female archers and for compound and recurve bows. Most JOAD clubs run weekly training sessions throughout the year. These clubs offer the JOAD achievement program and conduct JOAD and NAA tournaments.

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Youth archers may participate in JOAD through the calendar year of their 18th birthday.  NAA youth membership is required to earn achievement patches and to compete in State, Regional, and National Tournaments. A youth archer must be a member of a JOAD club in order to participate in a JOAD tournament. The JOAD archer must also comply with the NAA and FITA regulations concerning banned substances. A JOAD archer may belong to only one JOAD club. If an archer changes membership from one JOAD club to another, that archer must notify the NAA office and both clubs of the membership change. The NAA Staff Liaison will inform the JOAD committee of the change.

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JOAD State, Regional and National Tournaments shall be sanctioned through the NAA office (see sanction form in the Appendix). Other JOAD tournaments can be sanctioned in order to publish the date in the NAA newsletter and for insurance coverage. All state, regional and national JOAD tournaments must be affiliated with a JOAD club. Only one State JOAD Indoor and one State JOAD Outdoor can be awarded within each state in a calendar year. Regional JOAD Outdoor tournaments are held each year, along with one National JOAD Indoor and one National JOAD Outdoor tournament.  Each year the National JOAD Outdoor Tournament rotates to one of the four regions: North, South, East, or West. The Indoor National Tournament is he ld in several regional locations. The scores are compiled into one National Indoor Result sheet that is published in the NAA official publication and on the NAA website.

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Camps and organizations offering short-term sessions should apply to the JOAD Camp Archery Program, which offers a more basic and flexible achievement program (see Appendix).

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A JOAD Club should designate a Club Leader who must be at least 21 years of age. The JOAD Committee recommends that at least one instructor be certified as a Level Two Instructor.

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CLUB NAME

JOAD clubs are often named for the range where they meet, a nearby community based attraction, a name of a town or county, or an archery event. To avoid duplication, check with the NAA before you make your final decision.

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To charter a club with the NAA, there must be a minimum of three archers and an adult leader (see application and JOAD roster in the Appendix). A list of youth members, along with their NAA youth membership fees (unless they are already NAA members), and the club membership fee must accompany the charter application.

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Upon receipt of the application, the NAA will send to the club the JOAD Handbook and order forms for beginning JOAD clubs. The JOAD club will also receive the following:

* Tournament information

* Communications

* NAA newsletter and other NAA publications.

* Certificate of Insurance

The general liability insurance policy held by the NAA covers practice sessions and tournament activities conducted by the JOAD club. A list of practice times and dates and a list of tournaments you will hold should be sent to the NAA for insurance coverage.

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CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES

JOAD club organizers agree to conform to the regulations of the NAA, FITA, and the JOAD program. The club secretary should send a roster of JOAD members to the NAA each year at the time of membership renewal. The club must keep records of JOAD archers’ progress through the achievement program (see chart in Appendix), and follow the verification process for archers achieving the JOAD Olympian, Silver Olympian and Gold Olympian levels (see Appendix).

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Before the club is actually started there is a lot of information that needs to be gathered. You can start by determining what age range and ability levels you can handle. Find out what kind of archery equipment you need and what you u have. You can schedule an organizational meeting of people who are interested in helping with your club and a meeting for people interested in becoming members of your archery club. Things you might cover include setting a meeting schedule, practice location, and fee. A registration, consent, and release form is available in the Appendix.

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Space, equipment, and the number of instructors will most likely determine how many archers you can accommodate in your program. The club's meeting times can be advertised through local schools, organizations (YMCA, Scouts, 4-H, and Police Athletic Leagues), sporting goods stores and archery shops. Club and contact information can also be posted on the NAA web page and in your local phone directory.

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A supply of archery tackle (bows, arrows, arm guards, finger tabs, and quivers) is necessary for starting a club. Quality, lightweight one-piece recurve bows can serve the club for years. A 15-20 pound bow weight is recommended for beginners to avoid injury and teach proper form. Take-down bows provide a variety of sizes and weights for the class.  Most young people purchase or obtain equipment after they develop an interest so having rental equipment available will help get new members. A club may be able to borrow equipment from a summer camp, college, or pro-shop. To help raise funds for equipment purchase, the club may conduct fundraisers or ask local organizations to donate funds.

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COACH AND INSTRUCTOR TRAINING PREPARATION FOR TEACHING AND COACHING

There are many books available on coaching and working with youth. The NAA Instruction Manual and the FITA Constitution and Rules books are available from the NAA office. Archery manufacturers offer catalogs, brochures, and pamphlets about bows, arrows, string material, arrow tuning, stabilization, and other archery topics. These can prepare you and your assistants for questions from your archers and parents. Local archery shops can provide valuable support and assistance.  The NAA offers instructor and coach certification courses throughout the United States at different times of the year. Certification is good for four years. Re-certification can be done by application for those coaches that have remained active as a coach or have attended a re-certification course. Applications may be obtained by contacting the NAA office at 719-866-4576. The coaching developmental levels are as follows:

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This is a service course designed to train and certify archery instructors for short-term camp and youth instructional programs. The minimum age is fifteen for the eight-hour course. For detailed information on how to schedule a course or to locate a course already scheduled in your area, please contact Doug Engh at the National Alliance for the Development of Archery (NADA) at 352-332-9984 or NADAemail@aol.com.

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This course is designed to qualify instructors to teach group archery classes, JOAD programs and Level 1 Camp Instructor Courses. Participants must be NAA members and be eighteen years of age or older. This is a thirty-hour course scheduled by request to the NADA (see phone number above). A certified Level 3 or higher coach or an Instructor Trainer can teach the Level 2 course.  Forms for hosting a course are included in the Appendix.

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This course is designed to prepare coaches to teach and coach individuals, as well as team archers. Participants must be NAA members, at least twenty-one years of age and must have held Level 2 certification for at least one year. The course is an intensive six-day event scheduled once or twice a year at one of the U. S. Olympic Training Centers. Level 3 certification is a prerequisite for enrollment in the Level 4 course. (The course may be taken during the calendar year of the 21st birthday).

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This course is designed for experienced coaches who want to extend their coaching activities and skills to the National Team level. Participants must be NAA members and must have held Level 3 certification for at least two years. The course is an intensive, six-day event scheduled annually at one of the U.S. Olympic Training Centers. Level 4 certification is required for participation in the National Team Coach Development and Selection Program.  Dates and locations for Level 3 and Level 4 courses are published in Nock-Nock and on the NAA website at least four months prior to the confirmed dates. For information on the above certification programs and the National Team Coach Development Program, please contact the NAA office.

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The JOAD Qualification n Rounds and Achievement Levels are designed to motivate and challenge youth to develop their archery skills. Each archer advances at his or her own pace. To progress through the achievement program, the JOAD archer must pass each level, starting wit h Yeoman (or Qualified Archer for younger archers), shooting the required score under tournament - like conditions. A qualification round requires a minimum of three JOAD archers and one adult JOAD Leader. 

The indoor qualifying and tournament rounds may be held outdoors when space or safety is a factor. When archers are attempting qualifying scores, recurve bows shall be used for the Recurve Bow Division and compound bows will be used for the Compound Bow Division. An achievement chart is included in the Appendix.  Qualifying scores are shot in rounds of 30 consecutive arrows. Indoor rounds consist of ten ends of three arrows each. Outdoor rounds are ten ends of three arrows or five ends of six arrows.  After an archer has achieved a qualification level, he or she may start scoring the next level with a new 30-arrow round. Levels are passed in consecutive order.

The Indoor Qualification Rounds provide levels at 9 meters for archers who are not yet able to reach 18 meters. An archer may pass those levels at either distance, but if passed at 9 meters the archer does not need to repeat that level at 18 meters. There is no age requirement for either distance for JOAD Qualification Rounds, but archers who complete a qualification at 18 meters should continue to shoot at 18 meters.

The Indoor Qualification Rounds can also be shot at the JOAD target or the NAA target. For recurve shooters, the JOAD target is the 60-cm target and the NAA target is the 40-cm target using the outer 10 ring. For compound shooters, the JOAD target is the 40-cm target using the outer 10 ring; the NAA target is the 40-cm target using the inner 10 ring. Three spot targets can be used when they are available if desired.

Qualifying scores may also be achieved in NAA or JOAD tournaments. In the Indoor JOAD or NAA round, both the first and second 30 scoring arrows may be used as separate qualifying scores. In the outdoor JOAD Tournament round, only the first 30 arrows of a 36-arrow round are used.

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Achievement awards for each level in the program are sold by the NAA. There are certificates, patches and pins available for both the indoor and outdoor qualification rounds. The club leader may distribute these awards during club gatherings. (Order forms are available in the appendix).

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JOAD Olympian, Silver Olympian, and Gold Olympian awards are awarded through the NAA Director of Programs’ office. The archer must be an NAA member and JOAD Club member to receive the Olympian Awards. The following information is required with the request for these awards:

* Original scorecard (or clear copy) signed by the archer and a witness

* Archer's name, complete address, and date of birth entered on the card

* Rank earned and discipline (recurve or compound)

* JOAD Club name and where to send the awards if other than directly to the archer.

* If it is a first time Olympian the size of jacket that is being requested.

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After January 1, 2003 athletes who achieve Olympian rank will receive a lightweight jacket, a patch, and a certificate along with being recognized in the NAA official publication.  The Silver Olympian achievement is recognized with a certificate, a patch, and a sports bag.  Both indoor and outdoor patches can be obtained, but only one sports bag for this level is received.  The Gold Olympian achievement is recognized with a certificate, a patch and a wristwatch.  Both indoor and outdoor patches can be obtained, but only one wristwatch for this level is received.  These awards are provided to the archer by the NAA. The NAA will send the awards to the JOAD Leader, upon request, for presentation at the club gathering (see Appendix for application form). The archer can only receive one jacket, bag, and watch but will receive a first time patch and recognition for both indoor and outdoor Olympian, Silver Olympian and Gold Olympian.

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The JOAD program conducts tournament rounds in the disciplines of Indoor Target Archery (JOAD Indoor Round) and Outdoor Target Archery (JOAD Outdoor Round).

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Competition includes separate divisions for girls and boys, as well as for recurve bows and compound bows. Equipment regulations for these divisions are the same as for the NAA and FITA.  Equipment regulations are listed in the FITA CONSTITUTION AND RULES book, which is found on the FITA website at: www.archery.org.

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(These categories are the same for JOAD and NAA)

*Archer (for 2003 those born in or after 1985)

Athletes may compete in this class up to and into the year of the 18th birthday (this is a recreational class). In outdoor tournaments, ladies and gentlemen will shoot 60, 50, 40, 30 meters. Athletes shoot at the outer ten ring in outdoor competition. At indoor tournaments, all athletes shoot the 40cm target; compound shooters use the inner ten ring. Below the regional level, it is the tournament director's choice whether or not to offer this category. Those who shoot in this category the full season are not eligible for Jr. USAT.

*Cadet (for 2003 those born in or after 1987)

Athletes may compete in this class up to and in the year of their 16th birthday (shoot this class for Jr. USAT: top Cadet boy and top Cadet girl). Cadets will shoot 60 arrows at the 40-cm target (inner 10 ring for compound) in JOAD and NAA indoor tournaments. In outdoor tournaments, both ladies and gentlemen shoot 70, 60, 50, 30 meters. All athletes shoot the outer 10 ring in outdoor competition.

* Cub (for 2003 those born in or after 1989)

Athletes may compete in this class up and in the year of their 14th birthday. For indoor JOAD competition the recurve athlete will shoot at a 60cm target face (outer 10 ring) and the compound athlete will shoot at a 40cm target face (outer 10 ring). At NAA indoor tournaments, both recurve and compound athletes shoot at a 40-cm target. Recurve shooters use the outer 10 ring; compound shooters use the inner 10 ring. Both recurve and compound athletes will shoot 60 arrow rounds at the JOAD and NAA Indoor tournaments. In outdoor tournaments, all Cub ladies and gentlemen shoot 50, 40, 30 and 20 meters, using the outer 10 ring.

*Bowman (for 2003 those born in or after 1991)

Athletes may compete up to and in the year of their 12th birthday. For indoor JOAD competition the recurve athlete will shoot at a 60cm target face (outer 10 ring) and the compound athlete will shoot at a 40cm target face (outer 10 ring). At NAA Indoor Tournaments, both recurve and compound athletes shoot at a 40-cm target. Recurve shooters use the outer 10 ring; compound shooters use the inner 10 ring. Both recurve and compound athletes will shoot 60 arrow rounds at the JOAD and NAA Indoor tournaments. In outdoor tournaments, ladies and gentlemen both shoot 30, 25, 25, 20 meters. This category scores the outer ten ring in outdoor competition.

*Yeoman (for 2003 those born in or after 1994)

Athletes may compete up to and in the year of their 9th birthday. There is no National competition for this age group. Indoor JOAD rounds are 30 arrows at an appropriate target (Tournament Director's decision). Outdoor rounds for JOAD and NAA competition are not official for this age class and it is up to the Tournament Director to decide if a category for this age group will be offered.

At some tournaments three spot targets are available. On these targets, the scoring area is the same size as it is on a single target, but the scoring rings only go out to the 6 ring. These targets are designed to protect arrows from banging into each other. At some outdoor tournaments the three spot target is mandatory at the shortest distance; at others it may be optional. Be sure to read the registration forms and call and get information if you need it.  At indoor tournaments three spot targets may also be available. All achievement levels can be earned on three spot targets of the appropriate size. Availability of three spot and single spot targets at tournaments is up to the Tournament Director or Tournament Committee. A World Indoor Record for Cadet or Junior will only be recognized if shot on a three spot target.

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Each year, the JOAD Committee seeks a JOAD club (clubs) to host the JOAD Outdoor National Championships. The championships rotate around the United States each year from North to West, to South, to East. The JOAD Committee determines the format, with the approval of the NAA Board of Governors, and lends guidance to the tournament committee. Proposals should be sent to the NAA before February 28 of the previous year for approval at the March Board meeting.  The JOAD Indoor Championships are held in the same locations as the NAA Indoor Championships. There are usually two locations in each region. Regional scores are combined to determine regional champions; the scores from all of the regions are combined to determine the national champions.

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JOAD tournaments must be sanctioned by the NAA for insurance coverage and publication (for application see Appendix). Sanction of State JOAD tournaments is done by State JOAD Coordinators. Regional l Coordinators approve Regional Tournament bids and the JOAD Committee, along with the NAA Board of Governors, approves the National JOAD Championship Tournament. JOAD tournaments which are hosted by chartered JOAD clubs, must follow JOAD/NAA/FITA tournament rules, and provide for all divisions and classes (except Yeoman and Archer which are optional below the state level) within each discipline.

Sanction of FITA tournaments must be done 45 days prior to the event. The application for sanction can be found und on the NAA website and in the Appendix. The application is sent to the NAA for approval along with any necessary fees. 

Clubs accepting financial assistance from sponsors for tournaments may not agree to endorse a donor’s products or infringe on the terms of NAA sponsored agreements. Details of financial assistance must accompany applications for sanctioning permits.

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One important issue raised by many NAA members and competitors is the Dress Code for JOAD Clubs. It is important for JOAD Clubs and archers to adhere to the dress code standards of the NAA which are available in the Nock-Nock publication and on the NAA website.

All JOAD competitors must wear navy blue (non-denim) or white bottoms with Club shirts/tops being encouraged. Dress code will be enforced at all National tournaments and should be enforced at other tournaments. Please ask an official if you are uncertain about your attire. Anyone in violation of the dress code will be asked to change to appropriate clothes or to forfeit competition as the judges or officials see fit. If you have any questions you can always contact a member of the Officials and Rules Committee, or the Chairman of Judges at the event.

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Double scoring is used in JOAD tournaments, NAA tournaments, and qualification rounds. Double scoring means that an archer’s score is verified and recorded at the target on two separate scorecards by two scorekeepers, one of whom may be the archer. A third archer calls the value of the arrows from highest to lowest scoring arrows.

If a scorekeeper writes an incorrect value for an arrow, a judge must witness the arrow in the target and correct the value on the scorecard. Arrow values may not be erased or changed except by a Judge in a tournament round or a JOAD Leader in a JOAD qualification round. During the calling of arrows, no part of the target including target face, target butt, or target stand, may be touched by anyone. Once the arrows have been called, all arrow holes must be marked before pulling arrows.

All boxes for hits, tens, X’s, and total score must be filled in before the scorecard is given to the tournament director.  Both scorecards must have the same totals in each box and should be signed by the archer and the scorekeeper. It is the scorekeepers’ responsibility to complete the scorecard, and it is the archer’s responsibility to check the addition on the scorecards and certify the correct score by signing both cards.

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Olympic Round competition is the exciting head-to-head match shooting that presently completes many tournament events. The JOAD Committee has acknowledged that youth archers need to train for Olympic Rounds both locally and nationally to prepare for International and World competition. The JOAD National Outdoor Championships provide the opportunity and incentive to practice Olympic Round shooting.

The following distances are used for Olympic Rounds:

Junior - 70 meters

Archer- 60 meters

Cadet- 70 meters

Cub - 50 meters

Bowman - 30 meters

The archers shoot one-on-one matches of 18 arrows (3 ends of 6 arrows) until the quarterfinals. From the quarterfinals until the final gold medal match, the archers shoot 12 arrows (4 ends of 3 arrows). Archers continue until they win the gold or until they are eliminated. The two archers, who do not win in the semi- final match, shoot again in the bronze medal match. For more details, the FITA rulebook covers the rules governing the Olympic Round.

Ideas for Olympic Round Practice

JOAD coaches may need to be creative in designing practice for Olympic Rounds because there are often not enough JOAD archers to fill even a round of 8 archers. It is helpful to join with another club or clubs and have the archers shoot at their appropriate distance while competing with archers of different age groups. This often is quite evenly matched while making it more challenging for the archers at the greater distances. Another way to give archers competition is to hold a Round Robin, in which each archer competes with all other archers. Rounds of 6 or 8 archers usually work best.

When an archer has no one to compete with, he or she can get scores of 12 arrow rounds from the Olympic results, put them on a card and try to out shoot the archer arrow by arrow.  Whenever possible, however, the best way to prepare for the Olympics is to participate in tournaments which include the Olympic Round.

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INFORMATION AND RESOURCES