Narsi Logo
NATIVE AMERICAN
RECREATION & SPORT INSTITUTE
(NARSI)
Indianapolis, Indiana: The Native American Recreation & Sport Institute (NARSI) offers the best youth recreation and sport directors and coaches training programs in America. The emphasis is on training adults to work with children ages 5 - 14 and the overall well-being of these youths. The emotional, physical, spiritual, and cultural development of the children is of prime concern. The classes are recommended for personnel of recreation, youth, drug elimination, housing, health, wellness, and health departments. Tribal Council Members who oversee these departments are encouraged to participate.

 
The origin of NARSI is rooted in the recreation directors education conference programs planned and produced by Judith G. Shepherd in Indianapolis in 1994 and 1995.  The ongoing development is due to the popularity and growth of those conferences.

 
Native American Youth Recreation and Sport Administration (NAYRSA) is appropriate for recreation administrators and directors, assistant directors, and financial officers of recreation departments. The session of Level I is a full eight hours of training. The fee includes an inclusive guide, textbooks, and meals. This is a program which gives details on the "how-tos" and the "whys" of each step necessary in the development and advancement of an excellent recreation department.  To be able to direct a recreation program, the administrator needs to know the details of the youth coach program of study, therefore, NARSI requires the administrators/directors to take the Native American Youth Recreation and Sport Coach classes (NAYRSC).

 
The NAYRSC classes for youth coaches are in-depth studies on coaching the young athlete, and how to deal with problem parents. By attending all of the conference sessions, a giant step towards the completion of the basic program of study will be achieved.  NARSI requires that every director and every coach complete a recognized First Aid Course and CPR training as part of the course of study.

 
NARSI also presents youth coach clinics for a variety of sports including basketball, lacrosse, golf, volleyball, baseball, softball, football, soccer, and others. The clinics are either in conjunction with the annual conference or a clinic can be arranged by contacting the ARREC office at 317-462-4245.

 

 
Indianapolis Mayoral Proclamation

 
 

 Numerous Tribes Enroll Members in NARSI

     
  • Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Acoma Sky City School
  • Colorado River Indian Tribes
  • Forest County Potawatomi Community
  • Jicarilla Apache Tribe
  • Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
  • Miccosukee Tribe of Florida
  • Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
  • Pueblo of Isleta
  • Pueblo of Santa Clara
  • White Mountain Apache Tribe
  • Pueblo of Acoma
  • Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
  • Tohono O'odham Nation
     
  • Oneida Indian Nation of New York
  • Pueblo of Laguna
  • Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
  • Red Lake Ojibwe
  • Reno Sparks Indian Colony
  • Seminole Tribe of Florida
  • Southern Ute Tribe 
  • Turtle Mountain Chippewa
  • Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
  • Gila River Indian Community
  • Mescalero Apache Tribe
  • Navajo Nation
  • Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin
  • Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Classes include valuable information which can be easily translated into action by a program director or youth coach. It has been proven repeatedly that youth recreation is not a frill. It is an intregal part of the well-being of children including a child's self-esteem and physical fitness. The ability to present the community with well-trained personnel and volunteers to oversee the needs of the children translates into higher quality programs in a safer environment. It has been shown that departments which have well-trained leadership have a greater percentage of the children participating in organized, adult-supervised activities. The expenditures to enhance the knowledge of personnel working with children are a small expense in comparison to the costs of gang violence, alcohol and drug abuse, school drop-outs, teen suicide, diabetes, and other diseases.
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Some of the Topics Covered in the Basic NARSI Curriculum