What is JOAD?
The Junior Olympic Archery Development Program (JOAD) of the Royal Oak Archers is sanctioned as an official Olympic training program by the National Archery Association (NAA) for the purpose of training youth in the art, sport and discipline of archery.
 
The program offers training in compound and recurve (Olympic style) bows and the disciplines of target, field and 3D archery.
 
Youths may participate in the JOAD program through the calendar year of their 20th birthday. While there is no minimum age for participation, it is recommended that children do not begin the program until they are able to follow directions and abide by safety rules.
 
Program Overview
Archers participate in weekly classes (every Saturday) under the direction of certified coaches. As student archers progress through the program, they learn:
  • Proper form and technique
  • Balance and coordination
  • Equipment care and maintenance
  • Sportsmanship and cooperation
  • Tournament rules and etiquette
Program Structure
Membership, Equipment and Attendance
New archers may attend 4 introductory classes. Club equipment is available for rental during this period for five dollars. After week 4, archers deciding to continue in the program must join Royal Oak Archers and order their own equipment if they have not already done so. Consistency is vital for the developing archer, thus weekly attendance is recommended. There is no charge for classes during the summer but there is a five dollar range fee to shoot at MJC Archery in the winter.
Seasons
The archery year is divided into winter and summer seasons:
Summer - outdoors at Royal Oak Archers (May – Oct). Beginners 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Advanced 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM.
Winter - indoors at MJC Archery (Nov – Apr). Beginners 10:00 PM - 12:00 PM, Advanced 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM.
 
Class Descriptions
Beginner:
 This class introduces archers to the sport of archery. All new members must begin with this class regardless of experience. Archers learn basic form, etiquette and rules. Archers spend two weeks on recurve and two weeks on compound to experience both forms. Each student receives individual attention in class. Our young shooters often experience increased academic grades at school because of the discipline and mental preparedness taught in this program.
Intermediate:
Archers work on their form, technique and equipment care specific to their discipline. They learn the rules associated with the various forms of competition and begin club, regional and state competition.
Advanced:
This class prepares archers for all forms of competition. Competition is stressed and winning attitudes are common at Royal Oak Archers. Focus is on advanced shooting techniques, mental preparedness and equipment adjustment and maintenance. Archers in this class can compete at the national level. When ready, senior archers receive level 1 coaching training and begin supervised coaching in the beginner’s class.
The Royal Oak Archers JOAD program has produced many county and state champions, the youngest being just five years old. Our local JOAD chapter has produced 10 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS and 10 RECOGNIZED WORLD CLASS ARCHERS. Archers compete in at least the first three of the five levels of competition:
  1. Club tournaments
  2. Regional tournaments (Tri-County Archery Association)
  3. State tournaments (State Archers of Michigan (SAM) and Michigan Archery Association (MAA)).
  4. National tournaments (National Archery Association (NAA), National Field Archery Association (NFAA)).
  5. International competition (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l'Arc (FITA), World Field Trials and Olympics)

MJC Archery (Royal Oak)
3001 Rochester Road
Royal Oak, MI 48073
(248) 589-2480
MJC Archery (Macomb)
19747 15 Mile Road
Clinton Twp. MI 48035
(586) 791-4600
 
Coaches
Devon Boling (Oakland County) (248) 882-2012
Ava McDowell (Macomb County) (586) 791-2664
JOAD@RoyalOakArchers.org