Coaches College/Armourer's College

[El Chucko]

I just got back from coaches' college in Colorado Springs. I took the Epee 1 class. Had fun, learned alot. Anyone else want to share their experience?

(I would bet dollars-to-donuts that I probably met more than a few of you there... I wish I had the usernames to match with the people!)

[oiuyt]

I just arrived in Colorado (Saber 3).

-B :)

[Purple Fencer]

I'll be there next week (Armorer...session 3). Just look for the short balding guy with drum corps t-shirts...

[hpfencing]

I could not go because of my work schedule! How was L1 Epee, htat is where I would have been!

[El Chucko]

It was alot of work, but enjoyable and very, very informative/helpful. Epee 1 had somewhere between 30-35 students in it. We went to the gym for 3-4 hours every morning, and then again after lunch for 3-4 hours. Plus, there were classes/seminars in Sports Safety, CPR/AED/First Aid, USFA Rules, etc.

The gym sessions involved practice coaching and drilling with each other, under the guidance of (former Temple Univ. coach) Zoila Pelacio. Basically, you learned to coach, and be coached, too. So it was like getting dozens of private fencing lessons! Bonus!

Some of the coaches in training were excellent, too. Of course, some were just learning...

[reawl]

Yeah, the experience was very worthwhile, but I'd only suggest it to someone with at least a little bit of coaching experience under his/her belt. Even teaching one group class is enough, but you have to have lived it and know what questions to ask when you get to coaches college.

Level 1 focused on the technical aspect of Epee, like how to perform bladework and footwork, and not necessarily on WHEN to execute them in a bout situation. The "when" part comes in with the tactical lessons which I believe are part of the Level 2 classes.

This class was great for building cues and for gaining a high level of comfort in giving a private lesson. The strongest aspect was having 30 other coaches there to question and pull from their combined experiences.

(btw, this is Will)

[remise]

In a couple of years (when my kids are out of school) I want to attend the Armorer's College. Their tuition is sort of getting in the way right now........

[zackpav]

I just got back from Session 2, Level 1 Foil. What a blast. This was my first time out there and I'll make every effort to make sure it isn't my last. Everyone was so friendly and helpful, and just being at the Olympic Training Center was amazing. It was such an honor and privilege to receive instruction and critique from coaches like Alex Beguinet, Michael Marx and Kelly Williams and the rest of the wonderful staff. I couldn't begin to thank them enough for all the hard work and dedication they bring to the sport and to promoting coaching excellence.

Whew. I have to admit I'm a little worn out this evening. The after testing celebration at The Finish Line took it out of me, but was a whole lot of fun. Can't wait to do it all again in '09.

[Purple Fencer]

Whew. I have to admit I'm a little worn out this evening. The after testing celebration at The Finish Line took it out of me, but was a whole lot of fun. Can't wait to do it all again in '09.

Not the Walkabout?? Must not be hanging with the armoring class!

The most fun part sometimes was going from the dorms to the CPR classes....not because of the classes (which were booooring....Mergs asked where the snoring section was...got the evil eye from the instructors!), but because one time we came out and passed a group of tourists just outside the area where they weren;t allowed to go.

I;m talking shop with another armorer and see the looks we got as we passed..."are those Olympic athletes??"

Heh..good times....I;ll have to go back some day.

[Mauler]

I;m talking shop with another armorer and see the looks we got as we passed..."are those Olympic athletes??"

Currently sitting on a window seat on an American Airlines aircraft...

Staff at the OTC cafeteria have been warned of my arrival...

[zackpav]

Not the Walkabout?? Must not be hanging with the armoring class!

I think the original plan was to start at The Finish Line and end at the Walkabout (how backwards does that sound?), but once the karaoke got going the plan went out the window. Couple pitchers of beer and several white russians later, I hardly cared

[VorpalCat]

Bonus for going to the Walkabout last year: watching a classmate bodyslide through the sprinklers as we walked back to the side gate afterwards. (Can't remember now if he ever did find his other flip-flop, heh.) Lord it was pouring down rain that night. What fun!

[TooLoftheDeviL]

I think the original plan was to start at The Finish Line and end at the Walkabout (how backwards does that sound?), but once the karaoke got going the plan went out the window. Couple pitchers of beer and several white russians later, I hardly cared

The staff at the finish line was significantly friendlier than that of the walkabout, at least last year. They're good people.

[larkmaj]

Bonus for going to the Walkabout last year: watching a classmate bodyslide through the sprinklers as we walked back to the side gate afterwards. (Can't remember now if he ever did find his other flip-flop, heh.) Lord it was pouring down rain that night. What fun!

I think somebody picked it up. Indeed that was quite entertaining.

Good time, even though I was underage, didn't stop Dan from making me drink though (guess what drink).

[cmedalis]

Now I'm even more upset I didn't head out for drinks.
I actually spent the evening doing laundry and packing for my flight.

But it was well worth the trip. Learned a lot, worked with great people, nearly laughed myself onto the floor at the awards ceremony (foil1/session2)

The video replay system that was available was a great help. I never thought about using video to help the coaches coach, and not just to analyze the student!~

If/when people get some photos posted online, drop me a line, kthxbye

Oh and never play cards with Michael Marx, no good can come of that, especially when you end up as the Greater Peon....

[KD5MDK]

Ha, y'all were playing the Great Dalmuti?

[Purple Fencer]

I think somebody picked it up. Indeed that was quite entertaining.

Good time, even though I was underage, didn't stop Dan from making me drink though (guess what drink).

2 guesses....and the first 2 don't count!

The year i went, the party after the last exam has a table full of Guiness bottles and one glass of Mountain Dew (mine)!!

As for the karaoke at the Finish Line...*shudder.* Mergs and I went there the first day after checking in and had to endure the karaoke for a bit.

Keeping in mind that Mergs sings choir and I'm a brass musician...there were some notes being sung that i am positive do not exist on any scale in western music!! We both had to bail after a while!

[VorpalCat]

The staff at the finish line was significantly friendlier than that of the walkabout, at least last year. They're good people.

Yeah, the bartender at the Walkabout was a wee bit cranky (read: evidently had a head start on the drinking) the night Saber I hit. Didn't help that she was temporarily out of Guinness and of course, that's what just about every one of us asked for as we came in. But hey, we were there to hang out with each other, not with her. Speaking for myself, I had a great time that night.

I think somebody picked it up. Indeed that was quite entertaining.

Good time, even though I was underage, didn't stop Dan from making me drink though (guess what drink).

Suuuuuuure it was Dan's fault! And if my memory serves, Dan was the one who brought that lovely goodness called Tuaca to the table. (If my memory doesn't serve, it was Guinness, heh.)

Okay, I have a couple of 2006 Saber I names matched up with f.net names but only a couple. I've posted the class photo here and added a note to my face showing my name. Feel free, O Fellow Saber Survivors, to do the same for your own face! (Please do not add a note for anyone other than yourself without that person's express permission. Privacy and all that, yanno.)

[larkmaj]

Suuuuuuure it was Dan's fault!

Actually yeah, I was sitting next to RJ drinking water until Dan made me drink one.

[jjefferies]

The one negative thing that I remember about coaches college is that you weren't allowed to fence. Other than to be a student or a practicing coach. We had one day that a select few were invited over to the pentathlete's building and I had a chance to fence Cody Mattern, and Seth Kelsey. Cody was at Coaches College and Seth wanted to fence him (they get so few chances to encounter one another). But that almost made up for my fencing deprivation. And later I understand that there was a bit of consternation about our actually fencing.