Value of the USFCA / Coaches College

[Schiavona]

It could be argued that the USFA coaches college and USFCA are now pointless since coaches with a specialist university education in fencing may now be imported from overseas - do we really need to keep these antiquated industries when it would be easier to outsource the work?

I would counter-argue that the vast majority of fencing instruction in the USA is done by volunteer coaches who will never become 'professional coaches'. Very few clubs could afford to import a coach even if they wanted to. On another track, is it wise to rely on importing knowlege/skills into the country instead of developing the knowlege 'at home'?

Outside of the USFA's Coaches College there is no mainstream training program for fencing coaches. I would like the USFCA to step boldly into this void. Of course, I have no idea what the USFCA thinks of this.

This is the weakest point in American fencing. The lack of training infrastructure. The FOC is continuing to train and certify referees, in 10 years every division should have all the rated referees they need. We really only have the Coaches College for 3 weeks a year training fencing coaches.

[keith]

just for clarity the outsourcing bit was a joke - I do wonder if the poor feedback in the poll represents a bias against US trained (USFCA or USFA) coaches versus the more formally trained imports.

Outside of the USFA's Coaches College there is no mainstream training program for fencing coaches. I would like the USFCA to step boldly into this void. Of course, I have no idea what the USFCA thinks of this.

This is the weakest point in American fencing. The lack of training infrastructure. The FOC is continuing to train and certify referees, in 10 years every division should have all the rated referees they need. We really only have the Coaches College for 3 weeks a year training fencing coaches.

.... sadly I don't think this is necessarily the fault of the USFCA as an organisation - more perhaps a comment on the priorities of its members. It only takes one or two 'masters' to take coaches training seriously to get it up and running, as has been commented on, this seems to happen in certain areas. Unfortunately not the one I am in - so I am probably attempting to get to the USFA coaches college this summer.