Certified NASP® Instructor
Instructor, Trainer and Specialist Requirements
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) presents archery lessons to 1.4 million students in grades 4 through 12 each year. To accomplish this monumental task, NASP® uses a volunteer army of Basic Archery Instructors. Since 2002, NASP® has certified around 90,000 instructors.
Who are those 90,000 instructors?
Since over one million of the 1.4 million students receive NASP® lessons in school, during the school day each year, many of the instructors are Physical Education teachers or other classroom teachers. In addition, instructors include school staff, coaches, parents, grand-parents, outdoor education leaders and many others who present NASP® archery lessons to teams, clubs, and outdoor programs outside of the school day.
Becoming an instructor
Is very easy and requires no previous archery experience.
NASP® Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) trainings are offered regularly throughout the year at many locations in each state/province. You can find a current list of classes and sign up here naspbai.org. If you do not see a class that meets your needs, you can contact your state coordinator to request training. It is a great idea to train multiple people at a school. In addition to the teacher(s) that will be teaching the archery classes in school, you can also train interested parents, coaches, and other faculty at the school. This training will show you how to safely set up the range, teach the program and will answer most of your questions. The cost of the training will vary from state to state. The class listing should provide the cost of the training if a fee is charged. The fee will include the cost of the training packet.
When signing up to attend a Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) class, you may see 2 types of classes (a Traditional in person class and a Hybrid class). The Traditional class is taught 100% in person by a NASP® Trainer or Specialist. It consists of 7-8 hours of instruction including a brief written exam at the conclusion of the class. Most traditional classes are conducted in a single day. The Hybrid class includes a 3-4 hour online class including an online exam and then a 3-4 hour in person “field day” to finalize your training. The online portion of the Hybrid class consists of watching videos which cover all 11 topics covered during the Traditional class and an online multiple choice and matching examination. After successful completion of the exam, you will attend a field day where the online material is reviewed, and you are given the opportunity to practice teaching NASP® archery lessons.
NASP® has an impeccable safety record. One reason for this record is the strict adherence to our training guidelines as well as how closely our retention guidelines are followed. Once certified, an Instructor is required to present at least 10 hours of NASP® archery lessons each school year. To verify that the BAI has met this requirement, every BAI must complete an annual on-line survey. If an Instructor is unable to meet this requirement or fails to report, an online re-certification process is in place to “refresh” the Instructor prior to teaching NASP® the following year.
Instructor, Trainer and Specialist Requirements
Instructor (BAI):
Requirements: Must be at least 18 years old. (and) Must attend a BAI class and pass a BAI practical exam and score at least 80% on the exam.
Retention: Must present/teach/coach a minimum of 10 hours of NASP® archery lessons each school year (Sept 1 – Aug 31). (and) Must submit an on-line teaching activity report (naspbai.org) lessons each school year (Sept 1 – Aug 31).
Re-activation: Retake a BAI course and pass the practical exam and score at least 80% on the exam. (or) Complete the NASP® On-line Refresher class/exam.
Trainer (BAIT):
Requirements: Must be at least 21 years old. (and) Must have the jurisdiction coordinator’s approval to be certified (and) Must attend a BAIT class and pass a BAIT practical exam and score at least 85% on the exam.
Retention: Must teach at least one BAI (Instructor) class every 18 months. (and) A BAIT that fails to meet the retention requirement will be changed to a BAI level certification if able to meet the BAI retention requirement.
Re-activation: Retake a BAIT course and pass the practical exam and score at least 85% on the exam. (or) Co-Teach a BAI (Instructor) class with a certified NASP® Specialist (BAITS) within 3 years of teaching a BAI (Instructor) class.
Specialist (BAITS):
Requirements: Must be at least 21 years old. (and) Must have the jurisdiction coordinator’s approval to be certified (and) Must attain and maintain a BAIT level certification for a minimum of 9 consecutive months. (and) Must attend a BAITS class and pass a BAITS practical exam.
Retention: Must teach at least one BAIT (Trainer) class or one BAI (Instructor) class every 18 months. (and) A BAITS that fails to meet the retention requirement will be changed to a BAI level certification if able to meet the BAI retention requirement.
Re-activation: Retake a BAITS course and pass the practical exam. (or) Co-Teach a BAIT (Trainer) class with a certified NASP® Specialist (BAITS) specified by the National NASP® office within 3 years of teaching a BAIT (Trainer) or BAI (Instructor) class.
*** please note *** The information above is as defined by the national NASP® office. Individual states and provinces reserve the right to implement more stringent requirements. In addition, individual states and provinces reserve the right to determine who may or may not maintain a BAI/BAIT/BAITS certification in their state/province. The national NASP® office reserves the right to revoke the certification of any BAI/BAIT/BAITS if deemed necessary to protect NASP® and any persons associated with the program.