Program Changes and Transition

OAS is making several significant changes that will grow our program and archery league to further our goal of making Olympic-style archery a varsity sport. During these past two years, we have been introducing new components to our program such as workshops, the mail-in tournament, championships, league matches, and more. We have learned from these events and your feedback has been invaluable. Through our OAS schools, thousands of students have been given the opportunity to participate in Olympic-style archery. We are truly grateful for all of our coaches that have given their time to make this possible. With our new changes, we hope to continue to increase the exposure of our sport as well as highlight the new excitement and drive our league play has brought to the program.

OAS will now be concentrating on growing the archery league. The league uses a unique format that focuses on match play which is more exciting for both the archers and spectators. During the league season in the spring semester, schools will form their archery teams and they will compete in both individual and team round matches. They will have one home and one away game with each of the other schools in their division and they can qualify for spots in the Conference and State Championships based upon their season performance. With this new format we hope to see youth engaged in the sport, challenging themselves on an individual level, and developing strong bonds with their team and archery community. This league structure further defines our program which will allow it to be more easily adopted by new regions and athletic associations.

Using the archery equipment throughout the year for a club or PE unit is also encouraged as it maximizes its use and better prepares students for the season. This will also allow more of the student body a chance to participate in archery. We will also be continuing our annual mail-in tournament to give all of these archers a chance to compete against their peers both at their school and other schools across the nation.

As of December 1st, 2012, all new schools that are interested in joining the program must be willing to participate in the league and follow our new program structure. Existing schools will need to decide whether or not to continue participating in the program. This next semester will therefore be a transition period and by September, 2013, all OAS schools should be participating according to our new program structure.

Summary of Changes:

1) Schools that join the OAS program become a part of our league and are assigned to a conference and division. Schools must work with their Conference Leader to get a division assignment. More details on the league format can be found in our league handbook. Conference Leader information can be found in the Archery League section of our website.

2) League matches and Championships will now use the 80cm target face. This change will help align OAS with other archery programs to make it easier for OAS archers to transition to other programs. OAS is committed to building pathways for archers so that they have more opportunities in the sport.

3) There will now be a league fee of $150 per year. This goes into effect to all new schools that join after December 1st, 2012 for the 2013-2014 season. Existing schools will have the fee waived for three years, until June 2016.

4) Our program timeline of events has now been streamlined. Four instructor trainings will be offered in the fall, August through November. Pre-season workshops will be offered in December and January. At least one certified representative from each team must attend one of these workshops. The league season runs from February to April with Conference Championships in April and State Championships in May.

5) Equipment kits have been standardized for all new schools. An updated equipment list can be found on our website in the About OAS section.

Transition for Current Schools:

All schools currently in the OAS program, as of December 1st, 2012, must decide if they will continue to participate in the OAS program according to our new format or if they will be leaving the OAS program. This decision must be made by May 1st, 2013.

Schools that choose to continue participating in the OAS Program will –

Need to confirm that they wish to continue participating in the OAS program. Schools are encouraged to participate in the 2012-2013 season, but if not possible they can begin participating in the 2013-2014 season. We understand that some programs are already set for this year and will need time to re-organize to fit into our new structure.
Need to work with their Conference Leader to get their division assignment.
Continue to receive coaching and equipment support as well as their JOAD club membership.
Have the league fee ($150 per year) waived for three years until June 2016.
Receive 8 scoreboards, 80cm target faces, and bow cases to add to their equipment packages.

Schools that choose to leave the OAS Program will –

Receive their equipment as a grant. ESDF will no longer be liable for the equipment. If the school does not wish to continue their archery program then they may return the equipment back to ESDF.
Have their JOAD club membership (includes insurance coverage) maintained until June 1st, 2014. After this date, it is the school’s responsibility and choice to continue maintaining the membership ($90 per year).
Be able to attend OAS instructor courses and workshops free of charge. However, certification and re-certification fees are not included (cost ranges from $20-$50 per coach).
Continue to have access to OAS online resources.

We hope that you share our vision and excitement for our program as we make these changes. We are truly grateful to all of our schools, coaches, and students who make this program a success and we hope that you will continue with us as we take this next step forward for OAS. If you have any questions, please contact Keaton Chia (kchia@esdf.org | 510.303.6402) or your Conference Leader (info listed below). Please contact your Conference Leader with your school’s decision regarding participation in OAS. Thank you everyone!

~ the OAS Staff