# NFAA Instructor Certification



## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Sometime in the 80s, I was working at a shop and the owner wanted me to become NFAA certified so I could teach new archers. So I spent $200+ of my own money and 20 hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday taking a course from the official NFAA instructor while outside the clubhouse, I was missing our NFAA sectional. I was told that I would be certified for life.

In the late 90s, I was attending the NFAA nationals and found out that Frank Pearson was giving another certified NFAA course. So $200+ and spending every evening after shooting all day for 5 days and I was re-certified for my lifetime again. Later over the years my NFAA director would inform me every couple of years that Frank Pearson's class did not count but the first one would always be good.

So until 2012, I was instructing archery with my NFAA certification. I moved to Arizona and was asked to help new archers by an archery club. Was told that I needed to show proof of certification. Could not find my NFAA certification after moving so I called the NFAA headquarters. Now the good part. I was told by the largest archery association in the USA that they no longer kept these records and turned them over to the USAA. So if I had found the certification, it would not have been any good anyway.

Gets better. I called the USAA and was told that they threw away the NFAA certifications because only their certifications counted. So to teach again after doing so since the 80s, I would have to spend another $200+ and spend another (I didn't ask) amount of time to get certified by the USAA. So I told them what I thought of the whole thing. 

So are any other NFAA certified instructors still around? Were you aware that your certifications were thrown in the garbage? Did you know that the NFAA has given up on another part of archery that some of us spent a lot of money and more important, several hours of our lives on?


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

I got my NFAA instructor certification MANY years ago. The class I attended was during the evenings of Indoor Nationals, and was a complete waste of time as most of the people were looking for a shooter school to improve their performance, not an instructor course.

Then I attended the NAA Level I and Level II combined course, it was pretty good except that it was the first class our instructor had taught and he was a little shaky.

I've kept my USAA Level II certification current, you just need to do an annual report that says you have taught, and there is a fee. Plus a couple years ago the added the requirement of Safe Sport and a background check to be certified, probably a good idea.

In 2005 I attended the NASP Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) and Instructor Trainer (BAIT) class, and it is by far the best preparation I've seen for teaching a beginning archer. I just taught a group of 8 new BAIT last weekend, and supervised them teaching their first class of 8 new BAI. See www.naspbai.org to find a class.


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

It's funny. I just went to renew my membership online. I went to the membership tab and read this.

"Your membership qualifies you for national tournaments, certified instructor programs, an Archery Magazine subscription and more! Find which membership level to the world’s largest field archery organization best fits you below."

Is this a lie? This is currently on the NFAA web site. I had called them a month ago and was told that they gave the certified Instructor's membership to the USAA who threw them away and yet they claim to currently give a Certified Instructor program at this time. Thank you Linda for the information, but I have no desire to spend more money and more hours taking another course. I just don't like to be ripped off.

Before I renew my NFAA membership, I think I will see if I can shoot the Nationals in Darrington with a USAA membership. I am getting the feeling over the last few years that the NFAA exists to make money and not to give back to the archers as the USAA does.


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## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

"i paid for class too " was or is certified instructor ? but now I have no ideal what ever happened to my certification ???? I do think the NFAA is only out to make money for some certain people that are members ??? what a rip off and all`s I wanted to do is help kids in archery for free.


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

wa-prez. Isn't your husband still the NFAA director for Washington? Could you ask him what happened to the NFAA certification program since the NFAA is currently (as of yesterday) advertising the program on their website.


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

Yes, TC is (again, after a few years of lapse when other people had the position).

NFAA has accepted the USAA Level I and Level II Instructor Certification programs as a co-user. I think they plan to develop an advanced coaching program that is more focused on compound shooters.

Here's a LONG quote from the NFAA Constitution and By-Laws 2015-2016:

*2014: The Certified Instructor Program
*NFAA supports both the NFAA Advanced Instructor/Master Coach training program and the National Training System (NTS) developed by USA Archery. The NFAA Advanced Instructor/Master Coach Program is a two tiered program for experienced competitive archers. The
two tiers are:
• Advanced Certified Instructor (ACI), with three merit levels: Advanced Level II, Advanced Level III, and Expert Level IV.
• Master Coach, with three merit levels: National Level II, National Level III, and Professional Level IV.

The National Training System is a five tiered program managed by USA Archery. The five tiers are:
• Level 1 Instructor
• Level 2 Instructor
• Level 3-NTS Coach
• Level 4-NTS Coach
• Level 5-NTS Coach

*NFAA and USA Archery Joint Certification Agreement:
*The NFAA and USA Archery have entered into a “Coach Certified Instructor Program Partner Organization Agreement” in which certain instructor level certifications are “common levels” and recognized by both NFAA and USA Archery. The three lower levels of the NTS; Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3-NTS, are common courses available to members of both NFAA and USA Archery using training materials and criteria managed by USA Archery.

Under the Joint Certification Program, the NFAA and USA Archery will design and format their respective programs and hold the copyright and intellectual property rights to their respective program materials for instructor/coach levels above Level 3. The two Programs will be made available to members of both organizations and the NFAA encourages its member instructors and coaches, who are interested in a
broader range of archery coaching, to participate in the NTS Program. 

Instructor Certification and recordkeeping for the common instructor levels will be managed by the USA Archery Certification Coordinator. Documentation of those students who successfully complete the certification requirements will be forwarded by the course Instructor to the Certification Coordinator, who will accept that documentation along with successful background screening results and enter the newly
Certified Instructor(s) into the USA Archery Instructor/Coach database.

Through the year 2023, current, selected NFAA ACIs and Master Coaches, certified prior to 2014, will be authorized to conduct courses and certify Level 1 and Level 2 instructors. NFAA Instructors and Coaches certified after March, 2014, will need NTS Certification by USA Archery to be authorized to present the courses and certify Level 1 and Level 2 Instructors.
Certification of Level 4-NTS and Level 5-NTS will be managed by USA Archery and certification of NFAA Advanced Certified Instructor and Master Coach will be managed by NFAA.

*Re-Certification of NTS Instructors and Coaches:
*Under the NFAA/USA Archery Joint Certification Agreements and USA Archery requirements, recertification for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3-NTS Instructors is an on-line process through the USA Archery Membership Services System. Re-certification access is managed by the USA Archery Certification Coordinator.

*Re-certification after NFAA membership lapse:
*If at any time an individual lets his/her NFAA membership expire, his/her certification as a Certified Instructor or Master Coach will also expire, and re-certification will be required. To re-certify his/her Instructor or Coach certification, the individual must first renew his/her NFAA membership and follow the re-certification process as described above.

*2014: Certified Instructor and Master Coach Certification Requirements:
*The certification of all NFAA Advanced Certified Instructors and Master Coaches received after February 1994 and prior to January 2014 will expire 10 years from the date of issuance. Advanced Certified Instructors and Master Coaches certified prior to February 1994 shall retain their certification for as long a they remain NFAA members; however, to receive instructor/coach insurance coverage, those instructors, coaches will need a successful background screening and to complete anti-harassment training such as the USOC “SafeSport” program.

So the bottom line is that NFAA has an Archery Instructor Certification Program, but that management of the first two levels has been delegated to USAA.


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## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

thank you for postng this on archery talk,i believe my is now expired.


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Thank you. I will see if I can get some answers from the NFAA. I was certified prior to 1994 and have been a NFAA member since. I will ask how to get a background check and complete the anti-harassment training. My question is that when I called the NFAA, I was told that I needed to contact a certain person with the USAA as all records were sent there as you pointed out above. But when I called and talked to that certain person, I was told by her that the NFAA records were tossed into the garbage. "Her words were not kept."

again I thank you for the information that I will use to get some answers to my problem as I do not wish to spend another $200+ and many hours taking the same course over and over again. See you at Vegas and Darrington.


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

You can do the Safe Sport training online from the USA Archery website. You'll watch a slide show and answer some quiz questions on what you watch. It takes a few hours, depending on how fast you go through it. I did it all in one day, just took a break half-way through, or a person can spread it out further. Here's the link: http://www.teamusa.org/usa-archery/archers/safesport and I see this page includes a link for the background check too.

It all happens online and is relatively painless.


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## 2413gary (Apr 10, 2008)

I'm going to teach and coach with out NFAA and USA archery they can go jump off a cliff


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## archer_nm (Mar 29, 2004)

You tell me Gary


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Talked to Dave Hyrn at Vegas. He will try and find my certificates. Talked to USAA after and was told that even if he finds them, I will still need to join the USAA and take all their classes before I can teach again. So I thank Dave for the effort, but no need to spend hours searching when it will do no good. Thank you Linda and TC for your advice.

My advice is that no one should take the NFAA instructor certification classes as it will be worthless and cannot be used.


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## oldpro888 (Dec 31, 2010)

Dave Hyrn, there's a name I haven't heard since about 1989 in Watkins Glen.


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