COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – USA Archery just completed the Level 4-NTS Coach Course for 2020 led by Education and Training Manager Guy Krueger and National Head Coach KiSik Lee with the help of nine additional facilitators. In response to the ongoing COVID pandemic, what is normally two courses became one large course of 47 students and was held virtually over a 7-week period. Facilitators for the course were Brent Harmon, Dale Churchett, Eric Tollefson, Jim White, Keaton Chia, Kyle Bissell, Linda Beck, Mike Perrego and Tom Hinojosa.
The virtual course was quite a challenge but really provided some great opportunities for coaches this year. To accommodate the wealth of information covered and the need to master the understanding and application of the information, the class met twice a week for 2-3 hour lectures on Zoom and for another two sessions per week in breakout groups with a Level 4-NTS or Level 5-NTS facilitator. The breakout groups focused more on understanding and mastering the application of the materials.
Education and Training Manager Guy Krueger explains, “running this course was a challenge and an ambitious task that could not have been met without the amazing work of our facilitators. They really helped take this course to the next level and did an amazing job teaching, guiding and developing their breakout groups.”
Each facilitator was assigned four or five student coaches to help through the course. The course also utilized the new USA Archery Education Hub to provide a better understanding of specific topics. In addition, homework was assigned for the participants to complete. Each facilitator also provided “office hours” for students to ask additional questions and get extra practice.
The most useful homework assignment was the Shot Process Card that captured still pictures of the Set, Set Up, Load, Anchor, Transfer and Follow Through positions of each person on the course. Each week these cards were updated and uploaded after feedback was given by the facilitators and reviewed again. By the end of the course, at least four or five updates had been provided to facilitators for review. The shot process cards showed where everyone was starting from and how much they had progressed by the end of the course.
Nikki Haverstock, who has been competing and coaching for 20 years, said, “The online format meant that the class took place over a longer timeline but also offered a lot of advantages. I was able to attend a lecture, think on the contents for a day then meet with my breakout group to discuss any remaining questions I still had. This process of hearing, thinking then discussing allowed me to understand the material more deeply… It also gave me a lot more time to practice my shot, review the materials and meet with classmates all while still being at home with my family. In addition to really learning the NTS form, I enjoyed all the additional information on coaching. We covered training plans, different types of feed including cues, analogies and the 3 D’s of cues plus economy of language. I am excited to bring these new communication skills to my athletes.”
“I have to say the course was a lot of work but extremely rewarding,” shared Dale Churchett, Level 4-NTS Coach and Facilitator. “In my own group I had three compound, one barebow and one recurve archer. For those that don’t typically shoot with Olympic recurve bows, learning the KSL shot cycle can be challenging given the short amount of time they need to reach the required standard. Seeing the incremental improvements each breakout session was exciting and gave me confidence in my own teaching style.”
USA Archery is proud to congratulate the new L4-NTS Coaches. Their dedication and commitment to archery education will grow and better the sport for generations to come and we are grateful for their efforts. Learn more about USA Archery Coach Certification.
