Thanks to generous support from noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, as well as the entire Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s team, the National Archery in the Schools Program conducted its third educator and coaches conference at the beautiful Johnny A. and Jenny Morris Convention Center in Springfield, Missouri on July 23-24, 2021.
Over 260 educators, coaches and guests from 29 states gathered at the Springfield location and enjoyed two full days of concurrent sessions, interaction and sharing of ideas and strategies. Bob Ziehmer, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Senior Director of Conservation, welcomed the attendees and provided an update on the conservation mission of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s and how these goals align with the daily work of the NASP® educators and coaches. Hunter/Angler Marketing Specialist, Eric Edwards, from the Missouri Department of Conservation, provided a special Missouri welcome to the large crowd. NASP® President Tommy Floyd provided a 2021 program update and student challenge before attendees made their way to the many concurrent sessions. In each of these sessions, experienced NASP® presenters willingly shared their wisdom and insights.
Throughout Friday and Saturday, participants attended hour-long concurrent sessions on the following titles:
- The 11 Steps – String Bow and Target Panic
- NASP® Conditioning and Fitness
- Equipment Maintenance
- Coaching the Beginning Archer
- Coaching the Advanced Archer
- Coaching Mixed Groups of Archers
- Effective Practice Techniques
- Coaching Common Shooter Mistakes
- Running an Effective Local Tournament
- Coaching Kids Prior To, and During a Tournament
- Tech Tips – Effective Scoring Room Tips
- Coaching Common Shooter Mistakes
- Team Building Tips
- The IBO 3D Challenge
- The Archery Way – Coaching Integrity, Honesty and Sportsmanship
- Working with Administrators, Parents and Volunteers!
Beyond the informative sessions, educators and coaches had the opportunity to interact with each other and share ideas from multiple states. The event closed on Saturday afternoon with a huge prize drawing from generous donations provided from many of the supportive sponsors of NASP®.
NASP® President Tommy Floyd said, “We are so grateful to Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s for being the corporate sponsor of our conference. Our event was held in one of the most beautiful venues in the U.S. The ongoing commitment of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s to young people, the shooting sports, and conservation made this a wonderful opportunity to partner! We also greatly appreciate the support of the National Bowhunting Education Foundation for their financial support of our conference. The willingness of our presenters to share best practices says a lot about the individuals that led each session. Many attendees commented on how grateful they were that presenters would share these valuable strategies. NASP® will soon seek feedback from our attendees via a post-conference survey. The information gathered will be utilized in planning for our next event. We believe that it speaks well of the kind of people in our program who simply want to give back to the sport of archery. It is indeed an exciting time to be a part of the NASP®!”
Pending feedback from the 2021 event, NASP® will be planning additional opportunities to meet the needs of educators and coaches that serve approximately 1.3 million students per year. Look for additional information about training opportunities coming soon.