This page answers frequently asked questions that our NASP coaches may have and serves as a guide for new coaches.
RULES
Where can I find the rules?
- You will find the rules, and lots of other useful information on the Teacher’s Resources page on our website.
- Be sure to check the links on the right side of the page.
REFRESHER TRAINING
What if I forgot everything I learned in my BAI training?
- Review the BAI manual and refresher videos available on the NASP website or contact your regional coordinator for a refresher.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Where can I send interested administrators, teachers or parents to find more information about the Alabama Archery in the Schools Program?
- Our Archery in the Schools page has lots of great information about the program.
- Be sure to check the links on the right side, especially the Teacher’s Resources page. There you will find the latest rules and other important reference information for Alabama coaches.
My kids are homeschooled, can they do NASP?
- Yes. Several homeschool students from within the state and around the country are involved with NASP. If they would like to compete, your students can choose to compete as individuals in tournaments or you can put together a group of homeschool students to create a team. For more information about homeschool teams, please read NASP Rule 1.4.
EQUIPMENT
How do I order equipment?
- The equipment order forms can be found here. A basic school starter kit consists of 12 bows (two left-handed), arrow resistant net, five targets, 60 arrows, repair kit, bow rack, and 10 quivers. The basic kit costs approximately $3,032. Please let us know when you order equipment so that we can keep track of the active schools in our state.
How do I order replacement equipment?
- NASP is the cheapest and best place to purchase all program equipment. The equipment order forms can be found here.
Can I order equipment from NASP for students to purchase?
- No. Equipment purchased from NASP must remain the property of the school. Students must purchase equipment through normal retail outlets. Be sure to remind students that only the Genesis bow made by Mathews can be used in the program. The Genesis Mini and Genesis Pro are not allowed.
GRANTS
Are grants available to help new schools?
- Grants are sometimes available to help with a portion of the initial equipment purchase. Grant availability is dependent on funding.
- If your school does not have equipment and has not received a grant in the past, please contact Marisa Futral about availability. Her email address is marisa.futral@dcnr.alabama.gov.
Where else can I find financial assistance to help start my program?
- Check with local banks, civic groups, businesses and conservation organizations to see if they have funds available or through other traditional fund-raising methods such as bake sales or car washes.
CERTIFICATION & REPORTING
What am I required to do to maintain certification?
- All basic archery instructors must report results online each year at www.naspbai.org. To maintain certification, 10 hours of instruction or assisting with instruction is required.
How does the required annual online report affect the school?
- When you or another coach reports “in school lessons” as having been taught, the school is marked as being in compliance.
Are any other reports required?
- Yes. We ask all non-Title I schools to submit a monthly timesheet to our office by e-mail or fax, you can find a copy of the timesheet and an example of how to fill it out on our Archery in the Schools page. We can use your time teaching NASP as matching funds for federal grants. This allows us to put money back into the program.
COMPETITIONS
How does my school become eligible to compete?
- A school must provide 10 hours of in school instruction in NASP lessons to be eligible to compete in NASP Tournaments.
How does my school meet the 10 hours of in-school instruction rule?
- This requirement is usually met during a course of study in PE classes, but it can be met in other ways such as JROTC, Study Hall, Agriscience and during any other time during the school day.
Why does NASP require a school to provide 10 hours of in-school instruction to be eligible to compete?
- The goal of NASP is to expose as many students as possible to archery. The life skills and lessons taught in even 10 hours of instruction could change a student’s life.
Could an after school only program accomplish this goal?
- Studies show only a small percentage of students will take part in an after school only program.
Are students who do not take PE or do not get to participate in the in-school lessons still eligible to take part after school?
- Students who do not get to do NASP during the school day are still eligible to compete, it is just the school itself which must comply. The coach chooses the students they wish to participate.
How does NASP ensure compliance with this rule?
- Compliance is insured by a check box the coaches must mark when registering for the first tournament of the year. Compliance is further insured by the required annual online report.
What do I do after I conduct the in-school lessons?
- Try to provide some additional time after school to work with students and build interest. Many coaches are surprised to find students who are naturals once they get the opportunity to try archery.
What do I do when I think we are ready to compete?
- Create an account and look for a tournament on the NASP Tournaments site. Register for the tournament by clicking on the one you are interested in. The registration site can be tricky, so spend some time navigating it and reading the help section. You will create your team, manage your roster, select flight times and complete the registration process on this page.
How do I prepare my team for competition?
- Consider doing scrimmages with a nearby school, run the range by the rules just like a real tournament. Also run several practices just a like a tournament with practice and scoring ends.
What is something a lot of coaches forget when getting their team ready to compete?
- Scoring! Make copies of the Scantron form and have your students practice bubbling neatly and checking their scorecards. Make them familiar with the scoring rules and have them practice it and the scoring process.
MY TEAM
How do I create my team?
- Hold tryouts or select archers for your team. We suggest open tryouts to attract a wide variety of students, who again may surprise you with their ability to develop. There is no limit to the number of students you can bring to Regionals or most local tournaments. Many teams will have 50 students or more on a team.
What do I look for in a good archer?
- Students of all shapes, sizes and abilities find success and often your non-typical athletes will be some of your best archers. Look for students who are willing to commit to the challenge.
How do I decide how many students to put on my team?
- This will depend on how many students you have interested in trying it and how many students you can work with. It helps to have several assistant coaches trained and able to help you with practices and tournaments.
How many students can I have on a team for State or National tournaments?
- If you receive an invitation to the State Tournament or Nationals, you will be limited to 24 archers on your team. How to narrow your list down to 24 is up to you and often tough.
I don’t have enough kids in my school to have a team, can I combine with another school?
- NASP Rule 1.8 is the small school rule. This rule allows archers to shoot up to a higher division. You must contact the State Coordinator for approval if you qualify under this rule. This should be considered a last resort.
After I select my team, how do I get prepared to compete?
- Practice, practice, and more practice! Students should practice at home if they are able to get their own equipment and at school. Serious coaches will have practices before school, after school and some during school. Some schools even have a dedicated archery PE class, like football classes.
What if I have a student who did not compete at Regionals? Can I add them to my team for State or Nationals?
- Yes
What if I have a good archer, but my team overall is not very competitive?
- NASP is both an individual and team sport. Archers may win awards and earn State or National invitations based on their own performance while also contributing to the team score.
SCORING
How does NASP scoring work?
- NASP scoring is based on the International Style 10 ring target, with the center ring being worth 10 to the outer ring being worth one point.
- Here is a video that explains the process.
What is a perfect score in NASP?
- Archers shoot 30 arrows with a maximum score of 10 points per arrow for a total maximum score of 300 points possible per archer. A perfect score is extremely rare.
How are team scores calculated?
- Team scores are calculated using the top 12 scores on your team with at least four scores being of the opposite sex. A perfect team score is 3,600. The team results and rankings from the past year can be found on our NASP State Championship page.
TOURNAMENTS
What are Regionals?
- Regionals are Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Sanctioned NASP Tournaments. Competing in Regional Events qualifies your team to earn an invitation to the State Championship.
- More Information on Regionals can be found on our Regional Events page.
How does my team or individual archers earn an invitation to the State Championship?
- By competing in a Regional Tournament.
- To learn more about the State Championship visit our NASP State Championship page.
What terminology should my archers and I be familiar with for tournaments?
- Flight – the shooting group an archer will be competing with, often designated by time (example "8 a.m. flight").
- End – a round of arrows shot within the flight. NASP tournaments consist of one practice end and three scoring ends. The distances are from 10 meters and from 15 meters.
What else should I know about tournaments?
- Pay in advance as the host school has many expenses.
- Arrive early, be prepared to put stickers on your scorecards and bubble shooter numbers and bring arrows for your archers for local and Regional tournaments.
- Arrows are provided at the State Championship.
What competitions are there besides local tournaments, Regionals and State?
- The National tournament and the World tournament. You must earn an invitation for Nationals by competing at the State Championship. The World Tournament has an open classification available to all NASP schools and students.
COACHING TIPS
What are some tips to make a good practice?
- During practices consider more than just shooting at the bullseye.
- The most successful teams are the ones who take it seriously like any other sport.
- Practices should be consistent and disciplined.
- Have a plan and stick to it. Use the string bow to reinforce the basics of good form without the need for equipment or range time.
- Consider physical and mental fitness routines that can aide the shooting process.
- Do research or attend advanced workshops to learn advanced coaching techniques. Integrate shooting games such as tic-tac-toe or shooting at balloons.
- OK, we’ve had practice tournaments and know how to score and we are ready to win some trophies, what next?
- Check the NASP Tournament site for the calendar of events. Compete in a local tournament for fun and to build confidence in your archers.
- Consider 3D target archery as a fun diversion from bullseye.
- Start early in the school year so you will be ready for Regionals.
My archers are good, and they have been improving since we started a team. How do I make sure they continue to get better?
- Focus on the fundamentals of archery and always go back to the 11 steps.
- Reach out to coaches from other teams, ask what they’re doing, see if they don’t mind if you attend one of their practices.
- There are lots of great teams around the state and they all have coaches that are willing to share and help new coaches.
