Nashville, TN -(AmmoLand.com)- Based on a recommendation from the 2015 NASP Advisory Council, The National Archery in the Schools Program held its first-ever Educators and Coaches Conference in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner, Greg Johnson welcomed the large and enthusiastic crowd of 170+ to the event. Following introductions and recognitions, the audience heard a Keynote address from former Olympic Archery Coach Tim Strickland.
For the remainder of the conference, participants attended hour-long concurrent sessions on topics of interest provided by the members of the 2015 NASP Advisory Council. Topics included: Mastering the 11 steps of NASP shooting; String bow and responding to target panic; Conditioning for archery; Equipment maintenance of the Genesis bow and Easton arrows; Running an effective tournament; Running an effective practice; Redbook, fundraising and financial issues; Travel and transportation tips; Building feeder programs; Working with administration and coaching kids; Other archery opportunities; An educator fun shoot/tournament; and a chance to interact with vendors that supply approved equipment to the NASP.
Beyond the informative sessions, educators and coaches had the opportunity to interact with each other and share ideas from multiple states as well as jurisdictions outside the United States. The day and 1/2 event closed on Saturday afternoon with a huge prize drawing from generous donations from many of the supportive sponsors of NASP.
“An Educator and Coaches Conference is something we talked about as early as 2009, among our coordinators. Only recently did we feel ready to implement the idea after our NASP advisory confirmed that it was time. We really thought this was a great way for our teachers and coaches to share their successful strategies with each other,” said NASP President Roy Grimes.
“Anytime these passionate people assemble and share ideas, kids are going to win,” commented NASP Vice President and General Manager Dr. Tommy Floyd. “It was indeed a great event that seemed to generate positive feedback. We have released our post-conference survey and it is now out for comments from attendees. We are excited to have opened this door for a deeper conversation among peers and experts on how to provide an expanded experience for kids in this program. The enthusiasm of attendees at our first conference was obvious. It is indeed an exciting time to be a part of the NASP!”
NASP Advisory member and Trigg County Archery Coach Tom Patterson said, “Being a member on the advisory board that started in 2015, I am impressed with the fact that a mention and discussion about providing conferences to assist others interested in developing their NASP program, so quickly materialized into the first-ever Archery Conference in July of this year. The tools, techniques, talents, and vendors assembled for the first-ever conference appeared to be on target with the needs expressed in the advisory meeting of 2015. This conference proved to be very beneficial to me as attendees shared their positive take-aways at the end of the conference and even days after the event.”
Bernie Morrell of Morrell Targets said, “Morrell Manufacturing’s involvement in NASP has been an overwhelming experience. We had no idea when we joined NASP in 2004 that we would be so blessed! The amount of compassion and joy that we have felt towards the kids of NASP makes us PROUD to be the Platinum sponsor. It was such a great opportunity to attend the Educators and Coaches Conference and get firsthand information from the teachers on improving the overall NASP experience. It was incredible to hear how teachers and coaches are able to take this program and in turn, not only teach archery, but also help build students into model citizens! I truly believe that NASP has been divinely inspired and to see the lives changed because of NASP confirms that belief. Morrell Manufacturing is honored to have been involved with such a tremendous event.”
Based on pending feedback from conference attendees, NASP will be planning additional recommended steps toward meeting the needs of educators and coaches that serve approximately 2.4 million students per year. Look for additional information about training opportunities coming soon.
For more information, visit: naspschools.org or contact Dr. Tommy Floyd at: tommy.floyd@naspschools.org.
About National Archery in the Schools Program:
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) promotes student education, physical education and participation in the lifelong sport of Archery. The mission of NASP is to promote international-style target archery as part of the in-school curriculum, to improve educational performance and participation in the shooting sports among students in grades 4-12.
For more information, please visit www.NASPSchools.org.
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