Paralympic Coach Q & A
Inside the Rise of USA Shooting’s Paralympic Program: Q & A with Coach Bob Foth
With the biggest World
Championships in Paralym- pic Shooting history set to get underway in Suhl, Ger- many, we sat down with Paralympic National Team coach and 1992 Olympic Silver medalist Bob Foth to get his thoughts on his rising Paralympic program.
What are the biggest challenges facing the Paralympic
Shooting
program? Funding is inadequate
even for the small program we had in the past. As we grow the program and as athletes increase their skill levels, (needing more match opportunities) the need is extreme. Fortunately, do- nors to the USAS 501(c)3 can specify “Paralympic” in the memo line of their checks to get tax deductible donations directed toward these inspiring athletes.
What programs/oppor- tunities are in place cur- rently within the USOC, USA Shooting and oth- er organizations (i.e. Wounded Warriors, etc.) to recruit talent to the program? Numerous
organiza-
tions provide entry-level programs, but many lack coaching support and are focused on narrow popula- tions. I strongly encourage ALL shooting clubs to active- ly recruit disabled athletes
into their programs. I have heard several reports of the tremendous impact that has on everyone at the club. Coaches report that their other club shooters com- plain less, work harder and draw together to support each other and the athlete with a disability. As soon as you get be-
yond fi nding a way to deal with the adaptive needs, nearly everything else is al- most exactly the same as for able-bodied athletes. If you have junior programs, your shooters probably meet kids with disabilities in school or socially and should invite them to try the sport. Ad- ditionally, I have some grant money that can be used for programs helping disabled veterans. Contact me if in- terested in learning more.
What steps do USA Shooting and USOC have to take to ensure overall program quality?
32 USA Shooting News | July 2014 Bringing in athletes
through existing programs with coaching expertise and then supporting those athletes as they progress. With signifi cantly less depth, disabled athletes are more likely to get early opportu- nities for National (some- times International) level camps and competitions. We also hope to continue to integrate more information about working with disabled athletes into Coach Educa- tion programs.
Being head of the Para- lympic Program requires all parts patience and creativity, talk about what parts of this process of growing a Paralympic program from ground up are most satisfying. It has been a great learn-
ing experience for me. I love working with these ath- letes who have overcome so much just to be here. It is very rewarding to be part of shifting the focus from what
Bob Foth (back row, right) with Na- tional & Developmental Team mem- bers named at the 2013 USA Shooting National Championships.
a person can’t do toward what they can do. Numer- ous match offi cials and oth- er coaches comment on the different perspective these athletes bring to the range and how special it is to work with them. Each person has a different set of abilities and challenges, so I never get bored with the variety of things we can try to help drive performance.
What has the start of the USAMU Paralympic Division meant for the growth of the Paralympic program and what seems to be its potential future impact? The USAMU support of
their athletes allows them to progress before they are at a level that USA Shooting could do as much for them. Obviously they have excel- lent support with equipment, ammo, gunsmithing, ranges and training, etc. The addi- tion of former National Team member Armando Ayala as head coach boosted the program even more. John Joss has already won IPC medals in rifl e events with Josh Budd right behind him. Shaun Tichenor, Eric True-
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