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2 Table of Contents Getting Started: An Introduction... 3 US Collegiate Archery Association Membership and Benefits... 4 Starting a College Club... 6 Interacting with College Officials... 8 Equipment... 9 Repairing and Servicing Equipment Obtaining Practice Space Contacting Club Members Websites, Advertising, and Clothing Coaching Assembling a Traveling Team Equipment for a Traveling Team Traveling with the Traveling Team Getting Involved in the Region Insurance Other Information About College Eligibility Frequently Asked Questions: Eligibility SAMPLE University Archery Club Constitution SAMPLE BYLAWS SAMPLE Traveling Team Member Contract SAMPLE Tournament Itinerary SAMPLE RECRUITMENT FLIER Teaching Archery to Club Members Need more info/help? About this Guide This document is the property of USCA and cannot be copied and/or distributed outside of the guidelines expressly stated for New Clubs. Copyrighted 2009 by USCA Photo credit: A. Ron Carmichael 1 Page

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4 Getting Started: An Introduction The United States Collegiate Archery Association is a nonprofit 501c3 Corporation. USCA (previously known as College Archery Program (CAP) and College Archery Coaches Association) has been serving College students since The vision of the U.S. Collegiate Archery Association is to establish college archery as an integral part of the campus experience in as many colleges and universities as possible. The USCA works hard to ensure that beginning, intermediate and elite archers can enjoy the sport in college, and we strive to introduce archery to as many college students as possible. The mission of the USCA is to serve as the National Governing Body for both recreational and elite archery competition in college. Its central purpose and role is to develop and maintain the resources and infrastructure that will support and grow college archery programs across the nation. The program is responsible for conducting the U.S. Intercollegiate Archery Championships for target and 3D Collegiate archery, and also responsible for selecting collegiate archery teams to represent the U.S. at international events. The US Collegiate Archery Association is comprised of four regions: West, North, East and South. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, four Regional Representatives, two Athlete representatives, and an At-Large Director. The organization s staff is comprised of an Executive Director, Membership Manager, Publicist, Webmaster, and Tournament Coordinator. Our volunteers strive to serve the college athletes in the best possible manner. Our goal in developing the Start a Club Guide is to support college students in starting and growing a healthy archery club at their respective universities and colleges. Additional support and information is provided in the USCA Rules and Procedures Handbook and the USCA Recruiting for your College Club Handbook posted on line at Learn about the USCA Achievement Awards, Tournaments, Honors and much more at the USCA website 3 Page

5 US Collegiate Archery Association Membership and Benefits USCA is a membership organization. As such, all coaches who are affiliated with a member club and athletes who compete must be registered members. USCA also offers a non-voting Supporting Membership class to provide for archers to participate in tournaments that may offer a Supporting Member division. Membership registration for clubs and individuals is available through the USCA Archer Management System (AMS) at All membership registration for clubs, athletes and coaches may be completed 24/7 online at Easy pay by credit card or PayPal. Clubs may also submit checks via snail mail. Membership is not approved until payment clears the bank. Club Memberships - Annual Dues - $90.00* New clubs receive 50% discount Third party liability insurance that covers archery related activities sponsored and supervised by a Member Club (including instruction, practices, competitions and demonstrations). Equipment Grants based on criteria and commitment to growing on-campus clubs. Travel Grants based on funds availability, criteria including attending Regional events and based on size of competition team. Grants are for attending Target USIAC or 3D USIAC only. Eligible to receive group discounts by various manufacturers supporting USCA. Opportunity to host national, regional and state events. Event notices and communications updates. Certificate of Membership. Head Coach and Assistant Coach memberships. Individual Membership Athletes - Annual Dues - $35.00 Third party liability insurance that covers archery related activities sponsored and supervised by a Member Club (including instruction, practices, competitions and demonstrations). Earn unique honors such as All-American, All-Academic Archery Team and Best New Archer. Opportunity to compete for International Team positions at World University Archery Championships and World University Games. Eligible to receive discounts by various manufacturers supporting USCA. Opportunity to attend athlete workshops. Eligible to run for USCA Board positions. USCA membership card. Individual Membership Coaches - Annual Dues Two coaches for each club receive free memberships with the Club Membership. Additional Coaches pay only $10 to cover insurance and liability costs. Participate in coach workshops. Eligible to apply for World Team Staff positions. Eligible to run for USCA Board positions. Eligible to receive training stipends (when available). USCA membership card. All coaches and athletes must agree to adhere to the USCA Code of Ethics and acknowledge and sign the USCA liability waiver. 4 Page

6 Each club establishes a Club Representative who is responsible for voting on behalf of the club. The Club Representative shall be designated by each team via the USCA AMS and no later than 1 April of each year. Refer to the USCA By-Laws. 5 Page

7 Starting a College Club Most Collegiate Archery Clubs are student-run organizations as Social/Student clubs or Sport/Recreation Clubs. Some clubs have Varsity status as well. USCA supports all levels and types of clubs. Starting and growing a club is exciting and fun. The purpose of this handbook is to outline the steps involved for starting a Collegiate Archery Club. Understanding the process is key to setting up a working club in a short period of time. Even though every school has different requirements and limitations, a club may be started at any school with a little time and patience, and an ability to utilize available resources. USCA is here to support every club in its endeavor to participate in college archery. In this guide you will find some great templates to help you get started. Be sure to read through everything carefully and work within the school s recreational sports guidelines. Finally, check the USCA website on a regular basis for updates, information, rules and regulations. Sample documents and downloads may also be found at Subscribe to the Enewsletter and receive monthly information, check our Fan Page on Facebook and stay up-to-date with Collegiate Archery. To start a club, some administrative items must be completed through both the college/university and through USCA. To be completed through the college/university: 1. Distinguish the club as an organization with the college/university. When a club is recognized by the school as an organization, the club may become entitled to many benefits and opportunities relating to school resources. Most schools require two or more people to start an organization; this second person does not need to be an archer. The club must be affiliated with the University either as a Varsity, Sport, Recreation or Social/Student club. An exception may be granted by the Executive Director for extenuating circumstances. Social clubs have less requirements than the others, but also have less university support. Most clubs are recreation or sport clubs. See what fits your club! 2. Find a faculty advisor. Not all schools require a faculty advisor. If your university doesn t, that s fine. This person may oversee club expenses and ensure that everything is in line with school guidelines and rules. Faculty advisors can ordinarily be found on lists in the Student Organization office or by approaching faculty members directly. This advisor does not need to have prior archery experience. 3. Open a school organization account. This account should hold organizational funds; membership funds can be held in this account, and equipment or team uniforms may also be paid for out of this account. To be completed through USCA: 4. USCA Archer Management System (AMS). The AMS allows clubs to register/renew USCA Club Membership, individual registration for Individual Membership, submit athlete eligibility, and pay membership dues online. Only one person per club will be able to access the Club information on the AMS. All individual members can access their own information. a. Register the Club at New Clubs receive a 50% discount from the regular club fees. b. Individual athlete members who plan to compete must register for Individual membership. c. You can add athlete members at any time. d. You do not need to submit eligibility information at the time of individual membership registration. Eligibility information will need to be submitted prior to competition and this is explained in the Traveling Team section. 6 Page

8 e. Coaches must register for Coach membership. Each club membership allows for two free Coach memberships. Additional Coaches pay a registration fee to cover insurance costs. If you don t have a coach, that s okay. Once this is accomplished, the Club will be an official USCA club and covered by USCA liability insurance. After you have completed registration the club will receive a Club Member certificate and Individual membership cards in the mail. Once you have completed the paperwork for the University and registered with USCA through the AMS, there s more to do in order to start and grow a strong club. Get ready for the new organization and its incoming members. Organize s. Since the organization will now be on the list of school organizations, the club will be getting a large amount of s of people wanting to join. You may not be quite ready to recruit, so make sure you respond to the s telling interested students that you will send out an informational as soon as everything is in place. Give them an idea of when that will be and encourage them to come out to the first practice when it s all set up. Organize future paperwork. Certain forms are vital to any archery organization. These forms include; cash flows, contact info/organization roster, and waivers. By using a Check Register Excel sheet, the club can easily keep track of cash flows. Figure out what information will be needed from future student members for the school and administrative paperwork. A form will be needed that collects full name, student ID number, year in school, address, and a phone number. Waivers are required for archery organizations and can be found through the school. Finding a place to shoot. Whether on or off campus, a place to practice is necessary. More detailed information can be found on page 10. Recruiting members. Recruiting archers on campus can be done by posting flyers with practice times and meeting places, advertising in the university newspaper, and participating in oncampus recruiting activities. They need only be eligible members of USCA if they want to shoot recreationally, and to become competitive, members just need to be aware of the membership requirements for other organizations in which they want to compete. 7 Page

9 Interacting with College Officials To successfully start an organization at a college/university, good communication between the club and the school is necessary. Knowing how to interact with college officials is crucial to getting things accomplished in a timely manner and will help clubs to find school staff members who can aid in helping the club attain its goals. Finding whom to talk to is the hardest part. Go online and find a campus directory or do a simple Google search to help find needed information. Certain departments will differ from school to school, but the major departments used will be Space Management, the Registrar, Recreational Sports, and Student Organization offices. Start by learning who s who. Understanding the roles of various staff members in a given department will help the club to determine who is most appropriate to assist them. Always request a face-to-face meeting with college officials in the beginning. Use s to establish initial contact with the official and then set up a meeting time. This will help the official put a face to the organization and will establish a personal connection and interest in the organization. In most schools, it is a students right to request and hold a meeting with ANY college official. Come prepared with all necessary documents, proposals, materials, and always dress well. Be persistent. School officials may have questions regarding safety requirements, space restrictions and costs. Many of these questions can be easily answered with information found in the Appendices of this Guide. Create a database of information that future members can access. Keep a database of information regarding contacts such as name, position, contact info, and how they assisted the club. This will establish a record of useful information that can be used by current or future club officials, especially as club leadership changes. Have fun! The rewards of starting an archery club far outweigh the work it takes in the beginning. Once these small items are taken care of, club members can relax and begin enjoying the sport of archery as part of the college experience! 8 Page

10 Equipment The right equipment is imperative for a club to grow and keep members safe. If the club has existing equipment: Go through old equipment for safety and usability. Dispose of any cracked or damaged arrows, frayed strings, or bows with twisted/damaged limbs. Always use a bow stringer to test bows and for stringing and unstringing bows. Unusable equipment should be thrown out, not sold or donated. Inventory all usable equipment and purchase replacement parts where necessary. If the club has no prior equipment: Serve the most amount of people with the least amount of work. Simplicity is key when looking for new equipment. Buy equipment that is interchangeable and easy to fix. Find durable equipment that will not require constant repair. The goal is for archers to walk up to the line and shoot without being confused by bow components or breaking too many things. Items to purchase: Targets American Whitetail produces outdoor target mats and homemade stands. They can be used for indoor shooting, outdoor shooting, and tournaments when the club is ready. The only note regarding these targets is that when the bow poundage is too low, the arrows will not penetrate the target. This can be fixed by putting layers of cardboard on the face of the target to give those arrows something to penetrate. Arrow net Nets should never be used to protect people or property, but when hung properly and according to manufacturer s instructions, nets can help protect walls from damage due to stray arrows. Range boundary markers Caution tape is great to use because it is inexpensive and can easily be setup to mark the perimeter of the range. Use an extension cord wrapper to store the caution tape when it is time to pack up. Look into cones or roadway posts to deal with crowd control. Quivers Simple ground quivers are available and are very easy to store. However, if quivers cannot be purchased, they can be easily made by utilizing materials readily available. Arrows Easton Jazz and Blues arrows are a good-quality, cost-effective solution for clubs seeking arrows that will offer the forgiveness of an aluminum arrow, while still being low-cost and durable. Be sure to keep up with needed nock, fletching and point repairs, as these will keep the arrows shooting well. Bows Depending on the finances of the club, the two options for a beginning program should be better quality beginner takedown bows, or less-expensive metal-handle takedown bows, such as those made by Hoyt, Samick, KAP or Win and Win. In either case, club members should be familiarized with the proper procedures for stringing, unstringing, taking down and putting bows together. PSE offers a good compound bow that has a wide adjustability for draw length. Storage Rubbermaid-type storage containers are great for keeping equipment organized, and are easy to transport. Large SKB rail cases are also good for storing the bows since only one limb needs to be removed for storage. For arrows, an inexpensive option is gift-wrapping containers that open from the top so it is easy to select the arrows that are needed. As for the targets, the best option is to store them where the club practices, but if that is not an option, the club can also investigate the possibility of a trailer. An 8 x 5 trailer will fit four target mats and stands, and all bows and equipment. Check first with the University on rules for owning a trailer and remember that the club will need to pay registration on the trailer. Purchasing and Financing Club Equipment: Since most clubs start out very small, there is little money for all the equipment listed above. However, there is assistance available in the archery community to help clubs with startup costs: Easton Foundations. The Easton Foundations (EF) is a sponsor of US Collegiate Archery and provides grant assistance to new archery clubs who are USCA members. Information regarding the types of grants and the online application is available on the USCA website. After you have reviewed the information if you still have questions, contact the USCA Executive Director at director@uscollegiatearchery.org for information. The grant is not automatic and must be ap- 9 Page

11 plied for and approved by the EF. The University will need to provide not-for-profit information as part of the process.* College/University recreational sports. Check with the school regarding storage facilities, and whether there is any money available to start up a new organization. Fundraising. There are companies online that assist college organizations with finding money. An example is A Google search, as well as spending some time talking to other student organizations that have had to raise money, can be helpful. Archery Equipment Suppliers. When ordering equipment, consider ordering from companies that specifically offer discounts to camp and school archery organizations. A Google search can be helpful in this regard as well. *The University needs to be a 501(c)3 organization to qualify. Speak with the Student Business office (or equivalent) for documentation. 10 Page

12 Repairing and Servicing Equipment Even the best equipment can break at times, so it is important to be prepared for repairs and put together a system to quickly fix everything in a timely manner. When purchasing equipment, try to focus on items that the club can afford to keep working safely and properly each year. Purchasing industry-standard equipment for which parts can be easily found will save the club time and money in the long run. Consider establishing a relationship with a local pro shop that can advise the club regarding parts and repairs. Things to keep in mind: Depreciation costs of good equipment The cheapest equipment is not always the best - there can be a sacrifice in performance, and cheaper equipment is typically more difficult to service and repair. Be aware of whether the equipment uses metric thread screws and some use standard thread screws. Avoid bolt-on limbs when archers start to move up in equipment. Instead, consider ILF (international limb fittings) so that heavier and lighter limbs can be interchanged. Use an assembly line to have multiple people help fix equipment everyone will learn how to do it and can help next time. Repairing doesn t have to be a chore: get everyone together and have a fletching party or inventory party where club members get to know one another while learning how to maintain the equipment. One problem archery clubs can face is that when a bow breaks, they use parts from an extra bow and do not replace the old parts. Any time a part breaks, be sure to inventory the broken part and replace it immediately. Club members should be able to make a vast majority of repairs once people are properly instructed on repairing equipment. If, as the beginning member, you aren t sure how to safely repair equipment, consider talking to a local pro shop about learning how to repair or service the equipment. Even a half-hour lesson with one of the bow tech s is money well-spent if it saves valuable club funds in the future. 11 Page

13 Obtaining Practice Space Obtaining practice space may require a great deal of networking. There are plenty of options for places to shoot but finding what is right for the organization is dependent on the school s location, resources, and surrounding community. Indoor Shooting Space: An archery range requires a large amount of space, proper safety barriers, and easy accessibility. Try to locate the shooting space at a central location on campus. Shooting spaces aren t just limited to the obvious gymnasiums. Also be sure to investigate armories, recreation centers, nearby church basements, underground hallways not being used, attics, or even an unused barn, depending on the type of facilities the school has to offer. Try to locate rooms with storage possibilities to store the equipment and target mats or the club will be forced to transport all the equipment each and every time. Outdoor Shooting Space: An outdoor field can be easier to get from a school than an indoor location. The farther the field location from other activities, the easier it is to obtain, but the club could see a decrease in membership as a result of the distance. The key to getting a range close to campus is sharing with other groups and being mobile. Try to find places that are next to large buildings, wooded areas, or on research land. Make sure there is space for the trailer or a storage shed. Obtaining the Shooting Space: Start with the recreational sports center or Club Sports director. Begin talks with just asking advice where to find a shooting place instead of just asking for it. Show them this land will be put to good use by bringing insurance information, field diagrams with measurements, parking plans, and other helpful documentation. Ask the Varsity Sports Center. The Varsity administration is a separate group than the Recreational administration, and may have land that the club can use. Talk to the field/facilities manager. The field/facilities manager might know of unused storage rooms, land owned by the university that is not being used, or an old hallway the club can shoot in. Pro Shops/Ranges: There is always the possibility that there is a range nearby that the club can join or use. This is a good alternative since they already have the targets, and the club will just need to arrange transportation. Keep in mind the costs that may be included in going to a range: range fees, gas costs, and transportation. 12 Page

14 Contacting Club Members Communication with club members is something the club needs to perfect in order to keep things running smoothly. When the club has 50+ members all needing to know if practice is canceled or where shooting is that week, it is imperative to get in contact with everyone quickly, easily. By taking advantage of available technology, the club will soon be able to get in touch with everyone without using phone trees or flooding members paper mailboxes. Website The main way of communicating with club members will be the website. Place an update column on the site with a calendar where club leaders can post practice or any changes. Make sure current contact information is on the website and try to anticipate questions that may be asked. Have a friend go through the website and figure out questions that the club can easily answer with another page on the site. The website will also be a great promotion tool as well as a means of gathering information for those interested in joining. With , the club can make different groups for different people to join. Using Google, for example, the club can create a group just for recreational members, a group for Traveling Team members, and a group for just Officers. This is a great way to get the information to only those who need it. When using s, be aware that sometimes people use different clients and what the club sends might not work with their client. Also, it is important to go over basics. If the club has a very large list of members, i.e. 75 recreational shooters, who need to know of a practice change; send an using BCC (blind carbon copy) so everyone cannot see the other addresses. Another fun thing the club can do with is sending out newsletters that use HTML code. This will give a professional look and feel to the s that give the same information as a plain . Encourage others to opt-in to the list, so that the general newsletter can also be used as a recruiting tool. Texting Services A free service beginning to emerge for organizations is texting services such as txtblaster.com. Please visit the website for more information. Please note that some phone plans charge based on the messages being accepted as well as the messages being sent, so be sure to advise club members that updates might cost them a standard messaging rate through their phone service providers. 13 Page

15 Websites, Advertising, and Clothing Growing an archery club is fun and exciting, and though it takes a little effort, the rewards are amazing. There are three simple ways to increase membership and visibility on campus: websites, advertising, and clothing. Websites Websites are usually the first thing that potential members see when learning about the organization. Make the first impression a good impression by being professional. A website for a school organization must be informative and up to date. A free website hosting domain for the club to use is a website building software that allows the club to customize certain aspects of the page to convey information and pictures. To really show off the site, the club can purchase a personalized domain for around $ Go to a computer science class and put up a note or hand out a flier to a professor asking for someone that knows how to write HTML code. Usually for little money, the club can get someone to design a simple website that is more professional than freewebs.com - and the club s URL will not be school, but schoolarchery.com instead. Advertising Advertising is a representation of the club, its attitude, and a way to tell the audience who the organization is trying to target. Advertising can be free or expensive and still achieve the same results. It comes down to three things: planning and research, implementation, and execution. Quality matters when advertisements are created. Spending just a little time in Microsoft word can produce a professional-looking ad which can be taken to the local copy center or FedEx Office, and distributed on campus, added to the college newspaper, and posted on campus where others can see it. Clothing Clothing is a very inexpensive way for the club to advertise the organization. Some things to keep in mind when ordering shirts: It makes sense to involve a few people in shirt design, as the shirts need to be nice enough that people will want to pay for them and wear them. Pre-ordering is necessary. People do not always sign up for shirts the first time, so it is wise to anticipate future orders. By finding the right vendor, the organization can make a profit on shirts. Certain vendors will reduce the charge per shirt if they are able to retain their own logo on the clothing. Club members look more professional when practicing, traveling and at tournaments, while in uniform. Uniforms send a message about the look and feel of the organization to potential members, while also establishing the identity of the school at archery competitions. 14 Page

16 Coaching With a new club on campus come new archers who do not know how to shoot yet. Some clubs are fortunate enough to have a coach on campus, but in some cases, more experienced student archers will be helping to coach new members. Things to keep in mind when starting to coach: The club is responsible for keeping the archers safe as well as maintaining their equipment until they are capable of doing it themselves Private lessons are a must, but remember that student-coaches are students first and a coach second. These individuals must coach around their school schedule and focus on time management. Group lessons are a great way for everyone to learn a new concept at the same time. Consider certifying club instructors. First, the more certified instructors a club has, the more students it can assist without placing an undue burden on one person. Instructors can also use that certification to work as a camp archery instructor or assist at a range during the summer. When more coaches are established, consider having a head coach and assistant coaches structure, so that teaching within the club is consistent from instructor to instructor. The US Collegiate Archery website provides more information regarding certification and coach education opportunities, at You may also visit the National Alliance for the Development of Archery (NADA) website at to find information on instructor courses being offered in your area. 15 Page

17 Assembling a Traveling Team Building a Traveling Team incorporates the fun and excitement of tournament shooting into your college archery club. This involves just a few steps on the part of club officials, some of which you may already have done when setting up the club initially: 1. Visit the USCA Archer Management System (AMS). The AMS allows clubs to submit their information, athlete eligibility, and pay their membership dues online. This should be done on a regular basis to ensure that athletes are eligible and that club membership is current. Athletes cannot compete without being on the Eligibility Roster. Athletes may not compete in tournaments in the college division unless they are on the USCA eligibility roster. 2. Determine if there are any associations archers will need to join. If the archer plans to compete in tournaments other than USCA sanctioned events, there may be a required membership depending on the type of competition desired. Archers must first meet eligibility requirements and be a USCA member athlete. Then, the following requirements apply, based on the type of tournament: USCA Tournaments USCA Membership is required. USCA Tournaments are the only events that National Titles and honors are bestowed on Collegiate Archers. USCA Sanctioned NAA Tournaments (local, state, national): USCA Membership is required for any tournaments that have a college division. USCA Sanctioned NFAA tournaments: NFAA membership is not required to attend the World Archery Festival in Las Vegas but to compete for the Collegiate Vegas Challenge, USCA Individual and Club membership is required. N- FAA individual membership is required for Louisville and the Dakota Classic in Yankton, South Dakota. If USCA sanctions an event that is an NFAA National Championship, such as NFAA Indoors, there are no national collegiate championship titles bestowed. National Collegiate Championship titles are bestowed only at USCA National events. ASA Tournaments: No membership is required to participate in the archer s first ProAm in college division. ASA membership as well as USCA membership is required if the archer plans to shoot in more than one ProAm. 3. Traveling Team contract. This contract is important to keep team members shooting and aware of their responsibilities. When the club creates a Traveling Team, the organization is giving them the opportunity to shoot regionally and nationally, but with that comes more responsibilities. A sample contract can be found in the Appendices of this document. Travel plans and expenses should be discussed with club members and worked out based on the needs of the organization. The club is basically building a new organization that is tied to the recreational archery club through personnel and organization name. The traveling team has its own identity but still needs special consideration with the organization because it will command the most time and resources from the club. The club needs to get organized early on to separate funds that need to keep the club running and still help progress the traveling team. It is a balance the club needs to figure out because one sector cannot survive without the other. Assign Officers Traveling Team Trip Coordinator. This person s responsibilities are to find hotels, update itineraries, find tournaments and notify those interested, and collect funds. 16 Page

18 Traveling Team Secretary. This person s responsibilities include making sure all paperwork is filed and sent to the proper people. This includes ensuring that athletes complete the USCA s AMS, tournament registrations, and membership for other organizations as necessary. Traveling Team Coach. This person is responsible for being the coach at hand during practices and tournaments. Coaches in general should not compete at the same time as the archers. For clubs with student archers, this can be difficult. The coach needs to shoot on a different line than the other archers do during a tournament, in order to offer quick repairs and support when needed. 17 Page

19 Equipment for a Traveling Team The equipment for a traveling team is very different than that of a recreational team. It is important to understand what to buy and why, how to use the equipment to help archers start purchasing their own competitive equipment, and how to purchase the equipment. Make bow packages. Make sets of equipment that are not archer specific (not including tabs or arrows). Include in the package a riser (metal riser such as the Hoyt Eclipse), limbs, string, sight, stabilizer, rest, plunger, clicker, bow stand, stringer, tools, and a quality bag. Certain things are not put into the bow package since archers can use equipment even if they change bows such as arm guards, chest protectors, and quivers. Set up the bows for generic arrows at first until the archers are ready for their own custom fit arrows. This will save money and allow archers to take more time to perfect their form and work their way up in bow weight. These bow packages can help students purchase their own equipment. If a student is low on funds, they can purchase certain things one by one and put it on the club bows. For instance, a student can just buy a sight and put it on the club bow; when they purchase a riser, they can still use the club limbs and stabilizer. Focus on fundraising to help fund equipment for competitive archers. Selling shirts, hosting an indoor tournament, raffles at tournaments or other events, and other fundraising efforts can help the organization to fund the equipment that can help the team to excel. Think out of the box, and enlist the help of others. 18 Page

20 Traveling with the Traveling Team When traveling to tournaments across the country, being well-organized becomes very important. Instructions for traveling with the Traveling Team: 1. Once you ve determined a tournament to attend, you will need to plan. Whether club members are target or 3D archers, USCA offers competitive opportunities for all. Regional and national tournaments can be found at Keep in touch with the USCA Regional Representative in your area as they too can give the club information on upcoming tournaments. 2. Make sure everyone that wishes to compete is an eligible member of USCA. This means having the archers log on to the AMS and provide all of the required information to the USCA Membership Manager (membership@uscollegiatearchery.org). 3. Book travel arrangements as early as possible in order to save money. Staying at the host hotel means the club will be around other archers. Sharing rooms with other club members will save money, but be sure to talk to club members first to make sure they are comfortable rooming with a given person. Think about the small details when booking a hotel room, such as making sure there is a complimentary breakfast available at a time when archers can access it, and whether there is a refrigerator for keeping small food items cold. 4. Send in the tournament registrations as quickly as possible. Space is limited at tournaments, and teams could face wait-listing issues if registrations are sent too late. Communicate with the tournament director to ensure that everyone s registrations are received and processed without issue. 5. Determine who will be driving to the event. Make sure that everyone who is driving is properly insured, and is following University guidelines for operating a vehicle on campus. Some clubs are able to utilize University transportation. Find out if your club has this opportunity by asking Sports/Rec. 6. Design and print out an itinerary, which will tell team members where they need to be and when. This document is great for helping archers to feel at ease about their schedule, so that they can relax and focus on the reason for the trip the competition. 7. Figure out payments. One method is for each car to split up gas prices between passengers, and to do the same with hotel rooms. Another way to pay for the trip is for everyone to put money into the school account and that account can be debited after the trip. If your club has questions about the prospect of traveling, be sure to contact the USCA we d be glad to offer advice and guidance! 19 Page

21 Getting Involved in the Region College archery is made up of a tight-knit community of student athletes who are willing to help each other to support the growth of archery in schools around the country. The USCA is a national organization which also focuses heavily on the grassroots growth of each of its four regions: North, South, East and West. There are three ways the club can get involved in the region. This includes traveling to or hosting a US- CA Regional Championship, networking and collaboration with the Regional Student Representatives, and working with nearby schools to help them establish and grow their own archery clubs. USCA Regional Championships Every year each region hosts their own USCA Regional Championships and encourages all college clubs to attend and compete against one another. This is a great way to network with other teams in the region, build relationships and learn from one another. These tournaments also give archers great competitive experience before going to larger tournaments such as the Target United States Intercollegiate Archery Championships (USIAC) and the 3D USIAC. Student Athlete Regional Representatives USCA Regional Representatives are nominated by those in their region to help represent the interests of clubs in their area on a national level. They are focused on club growth and development in their region, as well as on the growth of USCA as a national organization. These individuals can be a great resource for your organization, whether there is a suggestion your club would like to present to USCA, or a question that pertains to your region. You can locate contact info for your current Regional Rep and National Athlete Rep on the USCA website under Contact Us. Work with Nearby Clubs Traveling to nearby clubs is another great way to help other clubs and build relationships with other archers. USCA focuses on making archery a part of the campus experience at colleges across the country, so offering a helping hand to another club is not only a good gesture, but a boost for both organizations in terms of resources and friends. 20 Page

22 21 Page Insurance USCA is insured by a liability and accident insurance policy. Clubs are covered for their activities such as practice, local tournaments and other sanctioned club events. Individual athletes are covered for competitions and while participating in sanctioned events/activities. Coaches are covered wile participating in Club activities and USCA conducted events. In order for a club s tournament to be covered, clubs must submit the tournament information (date, location, format, etc.) to USCA to be posted on the USCA official website. Once the vent is completed, the club must submit the results for the tournament within ten (10) days of the end of the event. Clubs who do not provide the complete tournament information to USCA are not covered by the liability or accident insurance and assume all liability of the event. All participants at club activities and/or tournaments must sign the liability waiver prior to participation. Clubs can request a certificate of insurance for proof of insurance for sanctioned events. Other Information Club Structure: The majority of the USCA clubs are student-run organizations, typically sport recreation clubs. Very few organizations are varsity level, which have more stringent requirements through the university than do sport recreation clubs. The club officers must be knowledgeable, not only about USCA requirements and regulations, but also the university/college sport recreation department regulations since the club is affiliated with both programs. If the club is through the university s sport recreation or social club department, they likely have regulations about the role and involvement of a coach and advisor. Because these are student-run organizations, the university expects the club officers to run the club not the coach or advisor. Make sure organization members know and understand the rules of the university, as they will impact the manner in which the club functions. Clubs can also be student associations or social clubs. Decide which works best for your club and complete the requisite paperwork. Classes: Setting up physical education classes for credit is not only a great way to keep fit, but is a useful recruitment tool. To explore the possibility of having either recreational archery classes, or classes for credit, the club will need to work with the athletic department or sport recreation department. To further explore these possibilities, the club should seek assistance from its faculty or staff Advisor. Club Instruction: The club will also want to conduct classes for its members. A basic 6-week outline for teaching archery is attached as an appendix. There are also excellent books regarding how to teach archery. For more information, consult the USCA website at Divisions/Disciplines: Clubs include any and all archers, whether they shoot a compound, recurve, barebow, traditional, or Genesis bow. The inclusive nature of the US Collegiate Archery Association is one of the USCA s finest attributes. The organization continues to work toward including all equipment disciplines in regional and national tournaments; for more information on divisions offered at specific USCAsanctioned tournaments, visit the USCA website. Clubs are also encouraged to conduct local tournaments and be inclusive. Through efforts locally and nationally, if attendance warrants, more categories may be developed. Eligibility/Compliance: All Clubs must meet USCA requirements; competing archers must be eligible to compete. University-affiliated clubs through Sports Recreation or Athletic Departments must also comply with all requirements from the university. Coaches: Coaches are an asset to the team. USCA strongly recommends the club have someone who can assist in this regard. We also recommend working with a certified instructor, or giving student athletes can become certified so that several people in the club will be able to assist others within the organization. For information on certification opportunities, visit the USCA website.

23 Advisors: Advisors are often required as part of the university club requirements. Typically, the advisor must be an employee of the university. If in doubt, contact the university sport recreation department. Tournaments: The USCA offers tournaments at all levels: local, state, regional, national and international. Information is posted on the USCA website on a regular basis. Make sure members check the USCA website often. Also make sure that accurate, updated contact information is provided to the USCA so the club can be notified of all announcements. Updated information may be sent to the USCA webmaster: webmaster@uscollegiatearchery.org. If your club wants to conduct a tournament, you must notify the USCA and have it posted on the website. Results are required to be submitted no more than 10 days after the tournament. Failure to notify the USCA about a tournament nullifies your insurance for that event! 22 Page

24 About College Eligibility In order for an archer to compete in ANY registered tournament or event in a collegiate division or in affiliation with his/her IHL, the participant must meet USCA eligibility requirements and be a USCA member in good standing. There are two (2) sessions of eligibility. Proof of eligibility must be provided prior to competitions as outlined below. The Fall eligibility session is 1 August through 31 December. The Fall deadline is 15 September or 15 days prior to the first competition. If a university is not in session, contact the USCA Membership Manager. (membership@uscollegiatearchery.org) The Spring eligibility session is 1 January through 31 July. The deadline for Spring eligibility is 1 February or 15 days prior to the first tournament. If this date is not technically possible, the club can appeal the deadline to the USCA Membership Manager (membership@uscollegiatearchery.org). The Fall eligibility can be used in the event that tournaments are held during the month of January and school is not in session. In the event that a student athlete was ineligible during a Fall session, but is eligible during a Spring session, the Club Rep (or the athlete), may submit proof of Spring eligibility prior to any Spring tournament participation. In the event that a student athlete was eligible for a Fall session, but fails to meet Spring eligibility requirements by carrying the full-time credits or their GPA fell below the requisite GPA (2.0 for undergrad / 3.0 for grad) during the Fall session, that athlete is ineligible to compete in tournaments during the January session. The USCA reserves the right to request proof of eligibility by contacting the athlete, the coach/advisor and/or the Club. Appropriate proof will be determined by the USCA Membership Manager or the Executive Director and appeals can be made through the complaint process as outlined in USCA s Handbook, A Matter of Trust: Codes of Ethics. USCA Eligible status will be granted on a per Session basis to an archer who: 1. Is registered, pursuing a degree and enrolled full-time as a student at a single USCA recognized and compliant IHL; a. Online and Correspondence Course Credits will be accepted towards a student's Full-Time enrollment status only if they are offered through the student's USCA IHL; and they appear as normal, indistinguishable IHL credits on the student's transcript. b. If a participant is enrolled in two IHLs simultaneously, the archer must meet the Full-Time enrollment requirement independently at one (1) USCA recognized and compliant IHL in order to represent and/or be affiliated with that IHL at a USCA activity. 2. Maintains a 2.00 minimum cumulative GPA (Undergraduate students), or a 3.00 minimum cumulative GPA (Graduate students); 3. Adheres to the USCA Code of Ethics. Archers must agree to the Code of Ethics at the time of membership registration and/or renewal in order to compete; and 4. Is a member in good standing. In order for an archer to be certified USCA Eligible, a USCA member club must: For each archer: 1. Submit complete and accurate individual membership registration through the AMS. 2. USCA eligibility form properly executed by the University/College Registrar or Athletic Director establishing that the student(s) is (are) enrolled in the institution full-time and maintaining a GPA of 2.0 or higher for undergraduates or a 3.0 or higher for graduate students. The USCA reserves the right to require an official or unofficial copy of the student's current transcript. 23 Page

25 For the USCA IHL club: 1. Current Club membership completed through the USCA Archer Membership System (AMS). 2. Active USCA Individual memberships for the Club Representative and complete and accurate registration through the AMS. 3. Coaches must register through the AMS providing complete and accurate information. Establishing USCA Eligibility Paperwork Shall be submitted to the USCA AMS at a minimum of once per Session for the Session in which you plan to compete: 1. Postmarked by September 15 th for the Fall Session; st 2. Postmarked by February 1 for the Spring Session; a. May and should be updated/amended at any time during a Session to reflect any change; b. May be requested for reconsideration by the USCA Membership Manager and/or USCA Executive Director at any time during the USCA Academic year; and c. In the event that the Spring Session starts prior to an athlete being able to submit the paperwork for Spring semester, then an extension of Fall eligibility can be requested. The athlete is responsible for requesting this extension from the USCA Membership Manager. Failure to do so and competing without an exception will result in disqualification and other penalties. Length of Eligibility 1. An archer may participate in USCA events for a maximum of five (5) Academic 2. Years beginning with those athletes who were members during the Academic year. Athletes who graduated prior to May 2009 are ineligible for the 4. extended year of eligibility. 5. A student shall have unlimited years to complete a total of five (5) years of 6. USCA eligibility. 7. One (1) year of USCA eligibility is considered used when an archer competes in 8. any sanctioned USCA event in a collegiate division during a USCA Competitive 9. Year, whether or not the archer is properly representing an IHL, has not been 10. granted USCA Eligible status, or is unaware of and/or is in conscious disregard 11. of the USCA eligibility requirements. In a case of extreme circumstances, a 12. hardship exemption may be considered by submitting a request through the 13. process outlined in A Matter of Trust: Our Codes of Ethics. 14. Transferring Institutions: A student who transfers from one institution to another 15. without graduating must have met the eligibility requirements prior to and upon 16. transferring in order to immediately apply or reapply for USCA archer status. 17. There is no waiting period. Non-USCA Eligible status A student not receiving USCA Eligible status may: 1. Not shoot in any USCA event as a USCA participant; 2. Shoot in a non-usca class (such as Senior Division), if available; 3. Re-apply for USCA Eligible status when in full compliance; and 24 Page