Iceland’s archery community almost triples as coaching network grows

Iceland’s archery community has almost tripled in size since 2014, while the national federation has continued to develop its coaching structure through collaboration with World Archery and Olympic Solidarity.

Since 2022, World Archery Iceland has regularly organised coaching courses leading to internationally recognised World Archery qualifications, supported by Olympic Solidarity through the National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland.

Icelandic nature has a habit of making its presence felt. While previous courses have coincided with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, the latest coaching seminar in August had to contend with an unusual challenge: a solar eclipse.

The dates of the seminar had been decided a year in advance, but the eclipse meant hotels were fully booked and prices had soared. The federation eventually postponed the course by a week, with 11 Icelandic coaches taking part in the World Archery Level 2 seminar from 17 to 22 August.

“What the staff at the national federation forgot to check, however, was what the position of the sun and the moon would be on those days,” said federation president Gummi Gudjonsson.

All 11 coaches passed the assessment and received their Level 2 qualification.

The course was another step in the development of a federation whose archery community has grown rapidly over the past decade.

The growth has its roots in 2012, when a specialised archery facility offering free public access opened and helped make the sport more accessible.

Two years later, the federation reported 354 archers, and in 2019, the Icelandic archery committee officially became the country’s national federation.

Today, World Archery Iceland reports 1291 archers across 11 clubs, while its coaching structure has continued to develop alongside the growing community.

The federation says 26 coaches have achieved internationally recognised World Archery Level 1 or Level 2 qualifications, including 12 men, 13 women and one non-binary coach.

The latest Level 2 seminar was the fourth World Archery/Olympic Solidarity coaching seminar taught by coach trainer Tim Swane in Iceland since 2022.

The courses have become a regular part of the federation’s development work, supported by a strong relationship between the federation, its National Olympic and Sports Association, Olympic Solidarity and World Archery.

But the cooperation goes beyond simply delivering coaching qualifications.

Icelandic courses have also provided an opportunity to explore new approaches to coach education.

The strong English skills of participants have often allowed courses to progress faster than expected, creating time to introduce additional knowledge beyond the standard Level 2 curriculum.

“Since the English skills of those who attended the course were good, as is the case with most Icelanders, the organisation was often ahead of schedule,” Gudjonsson explained. “This created an opportunity to add different types of knowledge that were not included in the World Archery Level 2 coaching course curriculum.”

The Icelandic federation has also worked with World Archery to test new elements that could potentially be introduced into the coach education system in the future. Strong preparation, fluent English and an openness to cooperation have helped create an environment where new ideas can be explored.

The cooperation extends beyond courses held in Iceland. Olympic Solidarity has also supported Icelandic coaches in accessing international development opportunities. In 2023, Valgerdur Hjaltested spent six weeks at the World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne as part of the Resident Coach Programme, where she completed World Archery’s highest coaching level.

The latest 11 Level 2 graduates are therefore part of a longer development process: one that has seen Iceland’s archery community more than double since 2017 while its coaching network has grown alongside it.

The next World Archery coaching course in Iceland is scheduled for August 2027, continuing a partnership that has made coach education a key part of the federation’s development.

World Archery encourages its member associations to contact their National Olympic Committees to explore opportunities for Olympic Solidarity support for coach education. More information is available through the World Archery document manager

Images courtesy of World Archery Iceland.