USA Archery Judge Seminar – Sept 2-3 2017

The time for judgement has finally arrived!  USA Archery is hosting a judge certification seminar in Chicago in September.  After a year of building interest and recruiting to build up our pool of judges to help keep our events running smoothly, here is the biggest step.  Our enthusiasm has convinced USA Archery to send their judge trainer to Chicago in September to certify new judges, and prepare people to become national-level judges.

What can a judge do?

It would be great for the ITAA community to have a large pool of training judges.  A trained judge can:
• Run a USA Archery sanctioned tournament, including national tournaments.
• Create a tournament atmosphere of confidence and consistency.
• Broaden the pool of judges for state tournaments, so everyone gets a chance to shoot a tournament, too.
• Be a rules mentor at a club to answer questions as archers prepare and train for tournaments.

What will the seminar cover?

This two-day seminar will cover a broad range of topics.  By covering the materials now, we can all be on the same page on the day of a tournament.
• Philosophy of Judging
• Communications with Organizers/Coaches/Archers
• Judges Responsibilities before, during and after the tournament
• Arrow Value Calling and Scoring procedures
• Indoor Scoring
• Equipment Inspection Procedures
• Rules – Where to find them and how to read them.Day 1 is in the classroom, and Day 2 is at an archery range.The goal of this seminar is to make sure that all judges across the country start on the same page, have the same training, and the same philosophy for judging.

Judging prerequisites.

There are several requirements to fulfill for folks wanting to volunteer to become judges.  All judges must be 18, complete a background screening through USA Archery, and complete the SafeSport training process.

Judges are usually required to have been USA Archery members for a year, but you can also qualify by volunteering with a USA Archery program for a year.  Many members of our community are parents and volunteers who are core members of our clubs and events, but who haven’t held a USA Archery membership for the past year.  That’s fine, and your volunteering counts to fill this requirement.

Benefits to the ITAA

The 2017 ITAA Roadmap includes the goal of supporting larger, more varied tournaments in the community.  A big part of this is ensuring that we have a large pool of trained judges.  This seminar is a great way to establish a set of judges who can mentor additional judges as we grow.

What does it cost?

On its face, the seminar costs $150.  But, in recognition of the importance of certified judges, the ITAA Board is offering a grant program to reimburse that seminar fee.  We are extending 10 grants to judges who successfully complete the judging seminar, judge two ITAA State Championship events, and act as judge mentors within their clubs and the ITAA community.  This fee will be reimbursed after the judged tournaments are completed.

Folks interested in this grant program should contact Tony. (tk@illinoistargetarchery.org)

Sign up for the Seminar