Basic Archery Instructors carry a responsible position on and off the range and are qualified to present archery as a sport to schoolchildren and adults. They are also qualified to serve as officials during competitions and championships.
Africa Genesis Archery (AGA) Northern Cape’s Administrator, Dawid de Greeff, after having completed the AGA Level-2 Instructor Training (BAIT), is now qualified to oversee the local training of archery instructors and officials in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.
This development significantly reduces the cost for volunteers who wish to get involved in the sport as instructors and officials. Now, six new Basic Archery Instructors (BAIs) are taking advantage of the opportunity and will be trained locally by AGA-NC on Saturday, May 6, at Vooruitsig Primary School by De Greeff.
Archery is considered the second-safest sport after ping pong (table tennis) due to the high standard of training and discipline instilled in archers from the first time they are introduced to the sport. Archery also developed a system and procedures that were followed by everyone involved to keep archers safe while enjoying the discipline.
BAIs carry a responsible position on and off the range and are qualified to present archery as a sport to schoolchildren (from Grade 2) and adults. They are also qualified to serve as officials during competitions and championships.
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BAIs should be at least 18 years of age to be trained, while BAI assistants can be trained from the age of 16. An archery official, along with the range master on duty, at a competition or championship is responsible for the safe running of the range and ensuring correct scoring.
According to De Greeff, AGA-NC strategically obtained the BAIT qualification to sustain and support the growth of archery in the province, and in preparing for the 2024 National Championship, for which they put in a bid, a sufficient number of BAIs and officials will be required.
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The volunteers registered for Saturday’s BAI training are Christephor Kruger (student at SPU), Shihaam Joemat (archer and mother), Karin Bester (archer and teacher at Vooruitsig Primary), Linda Visser (teacher from Bloemfontein), Andrieka Stroebel (Adventure Archery Club member), and Chantelle Shaw (mother and supporter of the sport).
For those who wish to get involved in the development of archery in the Northern Cape, South Africa, and Africa, they can contact Dawid on 073 030 2909 or e-mail [email protected] for more details.
• AGA-SA’s services aim to introduce archery to school-attending youth from Grade 2, as well as adults, and to initiate, plan, facilitate, and implement archery programmes, especially in less privileged communities.
AGA also focuses on implementing archery activities at the local, district, and national levels. The organisation promotes projects focused on recruiting and training AGA instructors on a local, district, and national level and organises archery activities and competitions among Cubs, Juniors, and Seniors on a local, district, national, and international level.
They also promote programmes to promote AGA as a sport for the entire family.
