Frank Lawler Becomes Newest Archery Coaching Instructor as GG JOAD Archers Brave Crowds of Thousands
Golden Gate JOAD’s Frank Lawler shows his USA Archery Instructor card.
Golden Gate JOAD’s Frank Lawler was awarded his USA Archery Level 1 Archery Coaching Instructor certification Saturday as Golden Gate JOAD archers braved crowds of thousands attending the enormous Outside Lands music festival. The festival attracted capacity crowds of 65,000 attendees, closing off access to much of Golden Gate Park. Thanks to the archery range’s out of the way location in the north-west corner of the park, Golden Gate JOAD was able to hold a full Saturday archery session.
We’re enthused to continue offering our expanded Golden Gate JOAD program which includes performance coaching and regularly scheduled achievement shoots all while continuing our first timer’s lessons and our regular sessions. Having enough volunteer staffing is key to making that possible, which is why we are pleased to add Frank Lawler to our roster of USA Archery certified volunteer instructors. Frank has been a regular shooter with Golden Gate JOAD a while and has been helping with range set up and logistics. His terrific instinctive-style barebow shooting adds to the breadth of styles supported by our program. Frank regularly shoots 30 and 50 meters without sights, a great example of “traditional” archery, or “trad shooting.”
Golden Gate JOAD’s newest instructor Frank Lawler shooting his recurve using “instinctive” aiming.
Teaching is the most visible part of an instructor’s duties at Golden Gate JOAD but our volunteers duties start much earlier than the day’s instruction. Head Coach David Chan arrives at the range at 6:45 am to start the set up, early enough to catch a glimpse of a coyote trotting across the open field at the range.
A Coyote trots across the Golden Gate Park Archery range as Golden Gate JOAD sets up for the day.
The set up continues as additional volunteers arrive to set up all of the extra target bales and equipment that allow us to comfortably fit 35 archers into a small portion of the Golden Gate Park Range.
Golden Gate JOAD instructor and webmaster Shabbir Safdar setting up range lines at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park Archery Range.
Golden Gate JOAD’s Frank Lawler and Cathy Stierhoff setting up targets at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park Archery Range.
Golden Gate JOAD Head Coach David Chan checking in an archer for a first time lesson.
Volunteers continue to be a vital part of Golden Gate JOAD, as are certified instructors. Golden Gate JOAD will be offering instructor courses in the coming months.