COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Archery continues its commitment to supporting coaches nationwide through targeted grant programs that expand access to education, professional development, and leadership opportunities across the sport.
In 2025, USA Archery awarded funding to coaches through the Collegiate Archery Program Coach Grant and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) Coach Education Grant. Together, these programs reflect USA Archery’s broader investment in coaching excellence, while serving different audiences and pathways within the archery community.
The Collegiate Archery Program Coach Grant is designed to strengthen collegiate archery by investing directly in the coaches who lead campus-based programs and support student-athletes.
Through this grant, selected collegiate coaches received funding to attend USA Archery’s Virtual Symposium and/or enroll in the USA Archery Level 4 Coach Certification Course. These advanced learning opportunities provide technical instruction, contemporary coaching methodologies, and practical tools for effective program leadership, helping coaches build competitive, sustainable collegiate programs.
The 2025 Collegiate Archery Program Coach Grant recipients were Craig Holycross (Muskingum University), E.G. LeBre (Brandeis University), Cassandra Pelton (Georgia Southern University) , and Wendy Whalen (Long Beach State University).
USA Archery also continued its commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive coaching community through the DEIA Coach Education Grant.
The DEIA Coach Education Grant is designed to reduce financial and access barriers for individuals from diverse and underrepresented communities, supporting their pursuit of advanced coach education and leadership roles within the sport. By investing in inclusive pathways, USA Archery aims to strengthen the coaching pipeline while ensuring the sport better reflects and serves the communities it reaches.
In 2025, the DEIA Coach Education Grant provided support for participation in the Level 4 Coach Certification Course and the USA Archery Virtual Symposium. Both programs offered interactive, multi-session learning experiences focused on athlete-centered coaching, modern training approaches, and professional growth.
Level 4 DEIA grant recipient Jana Stout shared the impact of the program on her coaching journey:
“The DEIA grant enabled me to participate in the Level 4 USA Archery Coach certification, an experience that truly transformed my approach to coaching. The course deepened my understanding of athlete-centered coaching and constraints-based learning, and I’ve already seen these methods improve athlete engagement and performance.
“As a mom of two teens, investing in myself professionally is often secondary, so this support was invaluable. I’m passionate about coach education and excited to apply what I’ve learned as I work toward becoming a Level 3 Coach Trainer and continue mentoring Level 1 and 2 coaches.”
Coaches interested in future grant opportunities and professional development resources are encouraged to visit usarchery.org and follow USA Archery announcements for application details and timelines in 2026.
