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Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/498175
J an Robertson is a fixture at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln. Most people who frequent the center, which opened in the spring of 2014, would probably recognize the tall 72-year-old retired firefighter; Robertson is in the midst of a second career as a volunteer archery coach and the coordinator of the center's Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program. He's also arguably one of the best archery coaches in the region. Robertson holds a Level 4 Olympic Archery Coach designation, the second highest level of coach under the U.S. Olympic Archery Training Program. He's trained with KiSik Lee, the program's head coach, who has coached more Olympic medals than any other coach in Olympic archery history. Nationwide, fewer than 150 coaches hold the same credentials as Robertson, and he's the only Level 4 coach in Nebraska. His affiliation with the Outdoor Education Center is a feather in the cap of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's education program, said Jeff Rawlinson, the agency's outdoor education manager. "Nebraska will be turning out some of the best archers in the Midwest for sure," Rawlinson said. Long before the Outdoor Education Center opened last May, Rawlinson and Robertson began meeting for breakfast, brainstorming about things center staff could do to interest youth and families in outdoor skills, particularly shooting sports. The first facility of its kind in the state, the Outdoor Education Center features both indoor and outdoor archery ranges, as well as an indoor firearm range and classrooms. The center is open to anyone, but its focus is youth and families, and the environment more closely resembles a rec center than a shooting range. It's the type of place that offers youth classes, day camps and even birthday parties. Outdoor Education Center staff members are both avid outdoorsmen and women and veteran instructors. Their goal is to ensure that Nebraska's outdoor heritage is passed down from generation to generation, even to children whose parents may never have hunted or shot a bow and arrow. Archery is a gateway for hunting and fishing, Rawlinson said. But archery students who don't go on to become hunters and anglers still gain important skills. Among other benefits, the sport helps youth to develop focus and self- confidence. "We know (archery) programs are absolutely good for people's lives," Rawlinson said. At those breakfast meetings, Rawlinson and Robertson discussed a wide array of issues, including how to reach youth who were beginners. Robertson urged Rawlinson to offer JOAD. This national program teaches archery to young people, provides opportunities for awarding achievement, and helps archers to enjoy the sport recreationally, learn the skills they need to begin bowhunting or to enter the world of competitive archery shooting. Now JOAD is a cornerstone of the Outdoor Education Center's programming, and Robertson is at its helm. "To be a really good archer, you don't have to be a really good athlete, you don't have to be a really good student," Robertson said. "You just have to learn to shoot a bow and then be dedicated to it." To Robertson, it's rewarding to watch a new shooter improve. And he believes the reward of archery extends far beyond the thrill of hitting the target. "Anytime you have success, it builds confidence and self-image is improved. Not everyone needs that, but some kids do." Robertson himself didn't become interested in archery until he was an adult. He bowhunted in the 1960s and 1970s, and then, in the 1990s, began taking his stepsons to 3-D archery tournaments after a television program about an archery exhibition shooter inspired Robertson to dust off his old equipment. "It happens to a lot of people," he said. "You just shoot a few arrows. I got out my old stuff and thought I'd go to the range and shoot for an hour or so, and I was there all day." Robertson's stepsons eventually moved on to baseball, but Robertson continued to travel to regional 3-D tournaments, where he often placed and sometimes won. In the early 2000s, he began shooting in bulls-eye tournaments as well. Not long after, he also volunteered as a coach for the National Archery in the Schools program (NASP). Through NASP, Robertson got his first taste of teaching, and he was hooked. Around the same time, he received a book written by KiSik Lee, the U.S. Archery head coach. Robertson was intrigued by Lee's approach, which was strict, disciplined and scientific. He found an instructor in Kansas who had studied under Lee and began the process of becoming a U.S. Archery certified instructor. Robertson worked his way through One-of-a-Kind Coach An expert aims to assist youth as a volunteer at the Nebraska Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln By Cara Pesek 52 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2015