What Is JOAD Archery?
The Junior Olympic Archery Development program — USA Archery’s official competitive pathway for youth archers ages 8 to 20.
JOAD is how serious young archers enter the USA Archery competitive system, earn nationally recognized achievement awards, and build toward collegiate and Olympic pathways. Sarasota Archery Academy’s X-Ring program is built around the JOAD framework.
JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) is USA Archery’s official competitive program for youth archers ages 8–20. It runs through certified clubs and offers structured coaching, a progressive star-pin achievement system (Yeoman, Junior, Senior, Master pins plus the 6-Gold and Olympian awards), and a competitive pathway that connects to national tournaments and U.S. Olympic team development. Sarasota Archery Academy’s X-Ring Program trains athletes in the USA Archery indoor 18-meter and outdoor 720-round formats used in JOAD competition.
What Is JOAD?
JOAD — Junior Olympic Archery Development — is USA Archery’s official development program for youth archers between the ages of 8 and 20. It is the structured pathway through which young archers learn proper technique, enter competitive archery, earn nationally recognized achievement awards, and progress toward collegiate and Olympic-level competition.
JOAD is not a single event or a one-time test. It is a year-round program operated through certified clubs — like Sarasota Archery Academy — where coaches provide instruction in a structured, safe environment. Athletes can participate recreationally or advance as far as their ability and dedication will take them, all within the same program framework.
The program covers range safety, proper shooting form, and progressive skill development. It accommodates multiple bow types and both indoor and outdoor competition formats, meaning an archer doesn’t need to choose a single path early — the system rewards development across all of it.
JOAD Age Divisions
Age divisions are used at national JOAD events including JOAD Target Nationals and the JOAD U.S. Open. At club-level and regional events, divisions may be combined depending on participation numbers.
JOAD Achievement Awards
One of the most motivating elements of the JOAD program is its achievement award system. Rather than being structured around age or years in the program, the JOAD achievement system is entirely performance-based. Every archer starts at the beginning and progresses at their own pace by hitting scoring benchmarks indoors and outdoors.
JOAD Star Pins
Star pins are awarded for achieving specific score benchmarks in indoor and outdoor rounds. Archers earn pins progressively — each level requires a higher score than the last. Pins can be earned for barebow, basic compound, fixed pins, recurve, and compound equipment, and are awarded separately for indoor and outdoor achievements. An archer can pursue multiple pin tracks simultaneously.
The 6-Gold Pin
Awarded when an archer shoots six consecutive 10s — six perfect arrows in a row. It is one of the most coveted single-session achievements in JOAD. The 6-Gold pin is not guaranteed by practice volume; it requires that each arrow in a single string is executed to a 10. For most archers, earning the 6-Gold is a milestone that signals their shot process has reached a new level of consistency.
JOAD Olympian Award Levels
Certificate, official USA Archery pin, and a lightweight jacket. Recognized by the USA Archery national office.
Certificate, official USA Archery pin, and a sports duffel bag. A significant scoring achievement formally recognized at the national level.
Certificate, official USA Archery pin, and a personalized plaque. The highest level of JOAD achievement recognition.
Olympian Award recipients receive special recognition from the USA Archery national office. These are rare achievements that signal elite-level consistency.
JOAD National Competition
JOAD athletes who develop through club-level training and regional competition have a clear path to national events. USA Archery hosts two major national competitions specifically for JOAD athletes:
JOAD Target National Championships — The premier national target archery competition for JOAD athletes. Held annually, this event brings together the top junior archers from across the country to compete in USA Archery indoor and outdoor target formats at the national level.
JOAD U.S. Open — A national-level open competition for junior archers. A major competitive benchmark for developing athletes pursuing national recognition.
The JOAD pathway also connects to USA Archery’s national team development pipeline, the path that ultimately leads to Olympic and Paralympic team consideration. JOAD is where that journey starts.
How the X-Ring Program Connects to JOAD
Sarasota Archery Academy’s X-Ring program is a USA Archery member program. X-Ring athletes train in the USA Archery indoor 18-meter 3-spot and outdoor 720-round formats — the same formats used in JOAD achievement scoring and national competition. X-Ring athletes are eligible for JOAD achievement awards including star pins, the 6-Gold pin, and the Olympian award levels. Coaches Rob Gilbert and Chad Henderson (both USA Archery Level 3 NTS certified) provide the structured instruction JOAD is designed around — technically sound development from the first arrow through national-level competition preparation.
JOAD Archery FAQ
Start the JOAD Pathway in Sarasota
Sarasota Archery Academy’s X-Ring program is Southwest Florida’s only competitive USA Archery training program with Level 3 NTS certified coaching. Tryouts are open for the 2026 season.