Student Participation in NASP®
Reducing barriers so more students can experience NASP®!
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) continually receives emails and phone calls from educators, coaches, and parents, inquiring about how they can enable participation in NASP® for individual students with specific physical challenges. NASP® certainly wants to see as many students as possible enjoy archery. This document was compiled from the shared experiences of others that have successfully helped a specific student experience the joy of archery. It is no way intended to be a comprehensive guide for every situation, but more of a starting point based on the previous success of others.
This document is intended to provide insights into student support examples with issues such as hearing, vision, stance, draw hand set, and bow hand set. The National Archery in the Schools Program is an in-school archery program for students in grades 4-12. Safety is the ultimate priority. Any participating student must be capable of safely operating the Genesis bow and maintaining its direction toward the intended target. Students must be capable of comprehending and following NASP® rules and safety protocols. While this may not be possible for every student, this guide was certainly intended to increase participation for many.
As each child is a unique individual with individual circumstances, anyone seeking options to enable participation by a student in NASP®, should first consult with the student’s parents, teachers, and school administrators. These trusted individuals would know best as to the specifics of any existing educational support or modification plan that is in place for an individual student seeking to experience archery.
Hearing:
If a student is unable to hear the whistle commands.
Vision:
If a student is unable to see the target.
Stance:
If a student is unable to stand at the shooting line.
Option: A chair or wheelchair may be placed on the shooting line, straddling the shooting line, in a manner similar to what is described in “Stance”, and to what is pictured below. A support person may be allowed to assist if necessary. The archer may shoot from a seated position. Depending on available space, and situation, the archer may be moved to a different lane. However, in most cases archers can share a lane with another archer without issue. The support person may also assist with the retrieving of arrows and scoring if necessary.
Draw Hand Set:
If a student archer has restricted ability to hold and draw the bowstring.
Option: A mouth tab can be added to the bowstring. The archer can then hold the mouth tab in their mouth securing it with their Molars and pre-molars (side teeth). The bow arm is the pushed forward to “draw the bow”. When the desired aim is achieved, the archer relaxes their jaw muscles and lets the tab go, releasing the bowstring.
Note: release aids are not permitted in NASP®.
Mouth Shooting
Setting up a bow for mouth shooting
I have a ton of people dealing with shoulder problems asking how I set up my bow to shoot with my mouth. This should get you on the right direction. I did have to shorten my draw 1″ and also some mouth shooters prefer the tab above the arrow to get more distance.
Setting up your bow for mouth-tab shooting
For anyone without the ability to shoot a bow with two arms, a mouth tab can be fitted to your string. You can draw and release your bow with your teeth. Join Tim Farmer as he gets two archers set up for mouth tab shooting
Tying a Mouth Tab d-loop for archery
How I tie a mouth tab for physically challenged archers to be able to shoot archery using their mouth.
Bow Hand set:
If a student archer has any condition restricting their ability to physically support the bow on their own.
Option: A device may be used to support the bow for the archer. The device can only take up the available 30” space of the shooting line that each archer is provided. The device must not interfere with, or pose any risk to, archers in adjacent lanes.
One such device we have seen is manufactured by Archery Shooter Systems, The Shooter Assist Stand. This is a device that has worked for many archers. The Shooter Assist Stand may be used independently or in conjunction with other methods to accommodate a wide range of challenges. Archery Shooter Systems can help with each situation and provide specific information for use. NASP® provides this option only as an example.
Archery Shooter Systems can be contacted at:
Tony and Doreen Bergh
109 N Wagner St
Endeavor, WI 53930
608-587-2554
www.bowhanger.com
NASP® believes that archery is a fun, safe and life-long skill that almost anyone can enjoy.
It is the hope of all of us at NASP® that these few examples may provide discussion starters in communities wherever educators, coaches and parents want to work together to find mechanical solutions to a specific individual challenge faced by an interested student. The primary goal of NASP® for all participation is safety. To repeat what was stated earlier, participating students must be capable of operating the Genesis bow and maintaining it safely in the direction of their target. Students must be capable of comprehending and following NASP® rules and safety protocols.