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I've promised my coaches that I'd avoid stirring up shit on this, but I need to vent.
So a little bit of explanation: Every local, state and national archery team that exists apart from one (the USA) uses a method of shooting called the Korean standard method. This is mostly because the Koreans are "meant" to be the best archers internationally. About 20 years ago, a Korean guy said "fuck that", left, made his own technique up and named it after himself, the KSL method. There is not a huge noticeable difference on the field, but when you're coaching and teaching others, the KSL method is much trickier for new archers to pick up. There's also the fact that the KSL method is NOT recognised by ANY archery governing body in the state (there's 3 main ones in this scenario: Archery NSW, Archery Australia and FITA [Federation of International Target Archery]) and it's not used by any other club except ours (the guy in question is the coach of the US team). THere are 3 levels of coaching: Level 1 has to be supervised by a Level 2 or 3 coach, Level 2 and 3 coaches can work solo. These coaching accreditations are NOT recognised in any way by the governing bodies.
Up until the end of last year, the president of the archery club the school runs at had no problem with my coaches being recognised as "official" coaches. Both of them are fully accredited coaches by the state and national governing bodies (ARchery NSW and Archery Australia). Neither of them are willing to use the KSL method because it's trickier to pick up for new archers, it tends to skip a lot of the fundamentals and puts more emphasis on "Target panic" instead of correct foundations and keeping things consistent. (my coach also will actually take the time to outfit everyone with the right equipment first rather than just turning them loose onto an archery supply store)
Apparently though, because my coaches are refusing to use the KSL method, the president has barred them from coaching at the club. They can both still shoot there and one of my coaches has represented the state at national-level events and we can still shoot there, just we are no longer allowed to receive lessons underneath them. While one of my coaches has no issue with the KSL method itself, he does not like to use it for his students. (He also does not teach "pro" level shooters, everyone shoots on an amateur level)
The club president also enforced a rule that everyone now has to wear their club shirts while shooting at club tournaments in an effort to be "professional." It is literally that, state or national level shirts only. No archery branded shirts or other alternative shirts.
Both coaches are now looking at other options, as are several of us who shoot with him. They're pretty much left with 3 options:
-Hire out the section of the archery range that is available to the public and use that to run classes.
-Join another archery club that will accept them (and us). Given that no other club in the state likes my club (apart from maybe 1 or 2), this will be an easy move. On top of that, because all of us are registered with the state and national bodies (all clubs require you to do this), it's just a matter of simply showing our cards to get a reduced fee if we join later in the year.
-Start our own club...this will more than likely not happen.
I am also not kidding in the sense that we will join them if they move clubs. Sure we could all go and find other coaches, but given that we're all equals, we all help each other out (I have been known to correct one of my coaches a few times as English is not his first language) and when he held a BBQ, we all clustered around him like the Knights of the Archery Table
, it's a given that our loyalty is to him and not to the club.
On top of that, we found out that the president of the club is pulling another dick move. There is a website out there for the KSL method that is run by some other guy and has been running for at least 10 years. The club president apparently decided that wasn't good enough and set up not only his own website, but a "governing body" that he's labelled very close to the national and international bodies. It's enough that someone could not tell the difference between the two, think that they're receiving better coaching than the club up the road and find out that it's not the case. It's actually enough as well to turn new archers off the sport. The "governing" body is NOT in any way sanctioned by Archery NSW, Archery Australia or FITA.
TL, DR: Archery club president decides that the method he likes is better than keeping it simple, forces all coaches to use it and bars anyone else from coaching unless they conform to his standards. President also pulls dick move to set up his own websites that market the method as being "better" and that it's sanctioned by various governing bodies, when it's only accepted by his own. It's basically what you DON'T want.
So a little bit of explanation: Every local, state and national archery team that exists apart from one (the USA) uses a method of shooting called the Korean standard method. This is mostly because the Koreans are "meant" to be the best archers internationally. About 20 years ago, a Korean guy said "fuck that", left, made his own technique up and named it after himself, the KSL method. There is not a huge noticeable difference on the field, but when you're coaching and teaching others, the KSL method is much trickier for new archers to pick up. There's also the fact that the KSL method is NOT recognised by ANY archery governing body in the state (there's 3 main ones in this scenario: Archery NSW, Archery Australia and FITA [Federation of International Target Archery]) and it's not used by any other club except ours (the guy in question is the coach of the US team). THere are 3 levels of coaching: Level 1 has to be supervised by a Level 2 or 3 coach, Level 2 and 3 coaches can work solo. These coaching accreditations are NOT recognised in any way by the governing bodies.
Up until the end of last year, the president of the archery club the school runs at had no problem with my coaches being recognised as "official" coaches. Both of them are fully accredited coaches by the state and national governing bodies (ARchery NSW and Archery Australia). Neither of them are willing to use the KSL method because it's trickier to pick up for new archers, it tends to skip a lot of the fundamentals and puts more emphasis on "Target panic" instead of correct foundations and keeping things consistent. (my coach also will actually take the time to outfit everyone with the right equipment first rather than just turning them loose onto an archery supply store)
Apparently though, because my coaches are refusing to use the KSL method, the president has barred them from coaching at the club. They can both still shoot there and one of my coaches has represented the state at national-level events and we can still shoot there, just we are no longer allowed to receive lessons underneath them. While one of my coaches has no issue with the KSL method itself, he does not like to use it for his students. (He also does not teach "pro" level shooters, everyone shoots on an amateur level)
The club president also enforced a rule that everyone now has to wear their club shirts while shooting at club tournaments in an effort to be "professional." It is literally that, state or national level shirts only. No archery branded shirts or other alternative shirts.
Both coaches are now looking at other options, as are several of us who shoot with him. They're pretty much left with 3 options:
-Hire out the section of the archery range that is available to the public and use that to run classes.
-Join another archery club that will accept them (and us). Given that no other club in the state likes my club (apart from maybe 1 or 2), this will be an easy move. On top of that, because all of us are registered with the state and national bodies (all clubs require you to do this), it's just a matter of simply showing our cards to get a reduced fee if we join later in the year.
-Start our own club...this will more than likely not happen.
I am also not kidding in the sense that we will join them if they move clubs. Sure we could all go and find other coaches, but given that we're all equals, we all help each other out (I have been known to correct one of my coaches a few times as English is not his first language) and when he held a BBQ, we all clustered around him like the Knights of the Archery Table
, it's a given that our loyalty is to him and not to the club.On top of that, we found out that the president of the club is pulling another dick move. There is a website out there for the KSL method that is run by some other guy and has been running for at least 10 years. The club president apparently decided that wasn't good enough and set up not only his own website, but a "governing body" that he's labelled very close to the national and international bodies. It's enough that someone could not tell the difference between the two, think that they're receiving better coaching than the club up the road and find out that it's not the case. It's actually enough as well to turn new archers off the sport. The "governing" body is NOT in any way sanctioned by Archery NSW, Archery Australia or FITA.
TL, DR: Archery club president decides that the method he likes is better than keeping it simple, forces all coaches to use it and bars anyone else from coaching unless they conform to his standards. President also pulls dick move to set up his own websites that market the method as being "better" and that it's sanctioned by various governing bodies, when it's only accepted by his own. It's basically what you DON'T want.
)
The beginners are having their lessons elsewhere (since we don't actually use our bows) while the slightly more advanced folks are shooting at the range with him checking on everyone every now and then. Given he runs an online equipment store as well, there is a legitimate reason for him to be at the range and not doing much. 
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