COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – It is USA Archery’s honor to recognize selected coaches of the year annually. These coaches stand out among their peers for their significant dedication and efforts to grow the sport and develop athletes. USA Archery is grateful to these coaches for their continued work to promote and improve the sport in their communities and across the nation. We congratulate all nominees and finalists.
A developmental coach of the year is coach of a youth club, school or junior-level coach, or a coach directly responsible for coaching athletes to the junior and/or elite level. This award is based on the accomplishments from the past year. The 2021 Developmental Coaches of the Year are Dr. Penny Veit-Hetletved and Brent Harmon.
Coach Penny is a Level 2 Instructor and a certified Level 3 Mental Management System Instructor. Coach Penny coaches at North Central Elite Archers and has made a huge impact with several elite youth archers. She coached the mental management system to two archers who set world records this year and assisted many in their mental game to achieve cadet and junior USAT spots. Coach Penny also coached at the world ranking event in Medellin, Colombia in May 2021.
Coach Brent is a Level 4-NTS Coach, a North Region RED Coach and a coach for the North Side Archery Club. Coach Brent played an integral role in keeping the club active through the pandemic as he worked to find additional locations for the club to utilize. Coach Brent has also been very active in organizing and promoting adaptive archery programs in the Chicago area throughout 2021.
A volunteer coach of the year nominee is a coach who does not receive payment in any form for their involvement in coaching. This award is based on the coach’s accomplishments over the past year.
The 2021 Female Volunteer Coach of the Year is Coach is Karin Bock of the Archery School of the Rockies. Coach Karin has reached out to the community, to at risk youth and to disabled members of the community to show them that everyone can do archery. Her students shared that Coach Karin strives to have an inclusive atmosphere at the range and to make everyone better.
The 2021 Male Volunteer Coach of the Year is Coach is Chris Cheng of the University of California, Irvine. According to his athletes, “Coach Chris is an excellent coach simply because he provides archers with the resources needed to excel while allowing them the freedom to make and learn from their mistakes.” Coach Chris puts a lot of emphasis on safety and self-improvement, and acts a mentor for his athletes.
The “Doc” Counsilman Award recognizes a coach that utilizes scientific techniques/equipment as an integral part of their coaching methods, or has created innovative ways to use sport science. The 2021 “Doc” Counsilman Science Award recipient is Coach William Bowman of the Archery School of the Rockies. Coach Will has been integral in developing adaptive athletes and archers with PTSD at the Archery School of the Rockies. He has designed and built equipment for various adaptive athletes including building and designing a plate that holds the bow so a young wheelchair user with Multiple Sclerosis could shoot and building several tactile sights for visually impaired archers.
USA Archery is proud to congratulate these outstanding coaches. Learn more about the Coach of the Year Awards.
