USAA collects requests from its club affiliates for FITA Star tournaments for the year. They are noted on the website events calendar with a special symbol. Sometimes dates change due to unexpected circumstances so we encourage archers to check often for changes. Also, Star tournaments do get added throughout the year so check back frequently. The form for registering a FITA Star with USAA may be found here. The fee is $50.00, a portion of which passes through to FITA.
To register the Star tournament with FITA and have it listed on their calendar, USAA completes a FITA online registration form. Archers attending these FITA Star tournaments are then eligible to receive world recognition should they shoot a world record score. Notice should be forwarded to USAA as soon as this happens, since it has to be reported to FITA within ten days of its occurrance.
USAA requires that the archer's scorecard be submitted to the office so it can be forwarded to FITA for verification. When the score is ratified, FITA sends a World Record Achievement Certificate to USAA which is then forwarded to the archer.
Performance Awards
All archers benefit from participating in the Star tournaments. There are FITA Performance Awards that "shall be granted when the competitor achieves the relevant score for the first time in the appropriate event". USAA purchases from FITA a small supply of outdoor FITA Star pins for both recurve and compound archers. When the archer achieves one of the score levels to qualify for a pin, he or she should submit the scorecard (or a clear copy) to the USAA office along with the FITA Star Award (pin) Application form. The scorecard should be signed by the archer and a witness. The completed FITA Star Application and a payment of $7.50 (includes shipping and handling) for the pin should accompany the card so that the award can be processed as soon as possible.
For both the recurve and compound senior divisions, here are the levels for each of the stars. They are the same for both men and women:
1000 points - Gold Star pin
1100 points - Gold Star on Black
1200 points - Gold Star on Blue
1300 points - Gold star on Red
1350 points - Gold Star on Gold
1400 points - Gold Star on Purple
While the background colors are the same for both divisions, the word "Compound" is imprinted on the pins for the compound division. Further, for the recurve division, the FITA Star is on a shield background and for the compound division, the FITA Star is on a circular background.
For both the recurve and compound cadet and master divisions, here are the levels for each of the available stars. They are the same for both men and women and the background shapes are the same as noted above for the senior division.
1000 points - Silver Star pin
1100 points - Silver Star on Black
1200 points - Silver Star on Blue
1300 points - Silver Star on Red
1350 points - Silver Star on Gold
1400 points - Silver Star on Purple
These FITA pins are very lovely and many archers take pride in achieving them. For further details on the FITA Performance Awards program, look for the information in Book 1, Chapter 6 of the FITA Constitution and Rules book. You will note that FITA has an expanded list of pins available for various competitions, but at the moment only the ones mentioned above are available for archers through the USAA office. Not all point levels are in stock at the office, however, and it requires a special order to FITA for some of the higher point levels.
STAR FITA TOURNAMENT REQUIREMENTS
There is a $50 fee (payable by check or with a credit card information) to register a FITA Star tournament with USAA which must accompany the FITA Star Application. If the event is cancelled, a refund of $25 will be mailed back to the host club sponsoring the event. FITA charges USAA a penalty fee for canceling an event.
The following outlines specific requirements necessary to host a Star FITA Tournament.
1. A minimum of 45 day advance notice stating intent to host a Star FITA Tournament and to agree to abide by requirements of USAA and FITA. In order to qualify your tournament as a STAR FITA and receive FITA approval, the USAA MUST be notified a minimum of 45 days in advance of your tournament.
2. Required officials:
a. One Director of Shooting (who may also be the official judge at the event)
b. At least one USAA/FITA approved judge for every 10 targets
3. Complete list of results must be sent to the USAA within seven (7) days if a world record was set or within 30 days for all others. A complete list of results must also be sent to any international athlete's member association if he/she competed.
4. Scorecard(s) from any world record must be sent to USAA within seven (7) days of the event. The Scorecard must abide by FITA rules and regulations as stated in the most current FITA Rule Book and must be verified by another archer, scorer or official at the event.
HOW TO HOST A STAR FITA
As you are planning your STAR FITA, you need to keep these six goals in mind:
1. Be well organized
2. A strong volunteer-based staff
3. Consider the archers carefully. What will allow the archers to focus, while assuring that their basic needs are met?
4. Field setup and layout
5. Concentrate on both large and small details (such as signs showing the direction to the nearest restroom facilities, registration, equipment inspection).
6. Communicate with the archers before and after the shoot
Planning for a Star FITA requires attention to detail and careful preparation. Below are suggestions of focal points to assist in planning a Star FITA along with a schedule for when to complete the tasks.
Six (6) months in advance
1. Register the tournament with USAA at least 45 days in advance
2. Reserve the field.
3. Advertise your event by sending out a flyer, invitation or email to members and clubs in nearby states (you can receive a list of local club memberships by contacting the USAA office).
4. Line up sponsorships to ease the financial burden of the event.
5. Reserve a block of rooms in at least one hotel for the participants who must travel to the event.
6. Line up officials and volunteer staff for the event.
7. Set up an account with a nearby bank to handle the flow of money.
8. Create a web page with links from state organizations, such as the USAA website, where interested archers will see it. This web page should include the dates, information about hotels, the cost of the tournament, volunteer opportunities, the schedule of events, travel, cut and weather information, a list of officials and sponsors, description of the tournament, maps of the area, an application to participate in the event and the list of participants expected to be there. (This will need to be updated regularly). Results can be posted there as well.
One (1) month in advance
1. Organize use of equipment and amenities including butts, stands, tents, chairs, coolers, and tables for registration, results, scoreboards, bathroom facilities, concessions and parking.
2. Order target faces along with the amenities listed in number one.
Two (2) weeks in advance
1. Organize the registration lists. This will give you complete contact information, the category the archers are shooting in, membership information and lists of who paid for the tournament.
2. Setup brackets for the elimination round.
3. Create an email mailing list and send out a confirmation letter with updated information archers could use.
4. Create a database for mailing labels to place on both the FITA scorecards and the elimination scorecards.
5. Compile welcome packets, which should include a program, a back number, safety pins, a map to local attractions and a schedule of events.
6. Set up target assignments for the FITA rounds and determine the OR round.
7. Create nametags for the scoreboard.
One (1) week in advance
1. Paint and then layout the field.
2. Check assignments. This process will allow you to identify late entries or dropouts.
3. Contact local news outlets for potential coverage.
One (1) day in advance
1. Set up the field. The process of setting the field up includes butts, stands, targets, wind flags, distance markers, lane and target numbers, designate shooting lines, a sound system to keep the participants entertained and to announce instructions, a timing system, tents, coolers with ice and water, registration area, target faces and a scoreboard.
The First Day of the event
1. Hand out registration packets and do an official check in.
2. Hand out a complete list of participants to officials. This list will help verify target assignments and improve equipment inspection.
2. Have a crew ready to handle any last minute problems. (There will be last minute problems).
3. Throughout the course of the day you will need to keep the scores updated off running scoresheets. After every 12 arrows, run the scoresheets.
4. Keep the scoreboard updated.
After Competition of First Day
Fill in the names on the elimination brackets and print out copies for the participants.
1. Complete the tabulation of results, and make copies for all of the participants.
2. Post bracket and cut information at various areas where archers will be heavily populated.
Day Two of the Event
1. Hand out brackets and score sheets, attached to a clipboard, to each participant. The brackets should include target assignments for each match.
2. When a participant has completed the day, collect the scoresheet and post the results.
Day Following the Event
1. Post the results on the web page.
2. Email notification to participants that results are available.
3. Send results to USAA for national and world records.
4. Survey participants and volunteers for what can be done better for next year.
AVOIDING RISK
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Injury Information Clearing House completed a study that stated archery had the least amount of injuries of all sports in 1998. While archery is the safest sport, injuries do occur. The following tips help prevent the risk of injury during your Star FITA Tournament.
1. Carry at least one basic first aid kit. Make sure all staff knows where the kit is located in case of an emergency.
2. Have at least one phone near the field with directions on how to call out from the venue.
3. Follow national, state and local regulations for venue and event.
4. Post proper rules of archery at various places around the venue and enforce.
STAFF
Depending on the size of your event, the number of staff will vary.
Staff Tasks
- Setting up the field
- Taking registration
- Making up scorecards
- Compiling the results
- Officials
Staff Numbers
- Every 10 targets requires one judge.
- For every 10 to 20 archers - 3 people are needed to set up the field, and one person is needed to handle registration, make scorecards and compile results.
- For every 100 + archers - four or more people to set up the field, maintain it throughout the event and to handle registration.