Coaches College Applications?

[Allen Evans]

Were they available at JO's? They haven't appeared on usfacoaching.org yet, and I was curious about dates.

Allen

[oiuyt]

Things are still be worked out for gym space.

US Basketball apparently has gobbled up all available at the OTC. The OTC staff is currently helping look for other area options (plenty of dorm space is available during the time CC normally runs).

I'm sure news will be posted here once available.

-B

[TooLoftheDeviL]

The following message was posted today on the coaches college website:

Dates for the 2007 USFA Coaches College will be available in 2-3 weeks. USFA is still working with the Colorado Springs OTC to finalize the dates.

[TooLoftheDeviL]

Another posting, dated yesterday:

As of today - there are still no confirmed dates for the 2007 USFA Coaches College

The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs has still not confirmed gym space for the program.

We understand that people need these dates for planning, but this issue is out of our control. We appreciate you understanding.

[TooLoftheDeviL]

The following update is available on the main page of the USFA website:

*** Coaches College Update: We are very pleased to announce the approval of the 2007 Edition of Coaches College and Armorers College. Please bear with us a few more days as we finalize our course and Session schedules. In addition to the Coaches College and Armorer College courses, we will again be offering the 'Become A Fencing Instructor' for PE Teachers and the 'Wheelchair Coaching course'

[VorpalCat]

Thanks for the update! I'd've missed it entirely since I've just been keeping tabs on the USFACoaching.org site for updates, which still shows the 3/12 'we're working on it' message. (Note: This is not a dig at Andrea or anyone involved with the site or coaches college, I know they're all insanely busy.)

[tbryan]

Things are still be worked out for gym space.

Now that the schedule and applications are posted, I had one related question. I was once told that Coaches College is not held during Olympic years, like 2004, because of OTC use for athlete training. Is that true? Will there be no Coaches College in 2008?

I thought that I had heard that information from someone reliable, but I cannot find anything documenting it as a policy.

[Allen Evans]

I'm not sure it's a formal policy, but I think it's pretty safe to say that there will be no Coaches College next year. The OTC, as you can imagine, is pretty booked up the months before the games.

You can always just ask Alex this summer. :-)

Allen

[tbryan]

You can always just ask Alex this summer. :-)

Right, but I was asking for those trying to decide about this year. The absence of Coaches College in 2008 adds incentive to attend in 2007. For example, if someone planned to do a level 2 class in 2009, they cannot plan to take a level 1 this year and another level 1 next year. They'll need to stack two weeks of Coaches College into 2007 or 2009.

[cardinalflyer]

Elizabeth Beguinot told me there would be no coaches college summer of 2008 due to the Olympics.
I've got my application submitted for Epee 1. Unfortunately have to wait until May 25 to hear if accepted.
Bob Patterson

[jfarmer]

I'm not sure it's a formal policy, but I think it's pretty safe to say that there will be no Coaches College next year. The OTC, as you can imagine, is pretty booked up the months before the games.

You can always just ask Alex this summer. :-)

Allen

Has there ever been any consideration given to holding the programs (Coach's College and Armorer's College) at other locations? I would think that within the Colorado Springs area there would be venues available that would be suitable. It would seem that the other "more important" Olympic sports are beginning to preempt us out of the space in off years as well as during the Olympic years.

Hmmm, I wonder if attendance would go up if the Colleges were done similarly to the Summer Nationals? This year in the Northwest, next year in the Southeast, then the Southwest, then Northeast...

Either possibly of course assumes the availability of the instructors...

John Farmer
Coach, Oak Ridge Fencers Club

[oiuyt]

Note that the OTC offers not only gym space but very cheap (subsidized) lodging and board.

Space at the OTC is in demand at all times. I think it's rather good that we get a quite decent allocation for a month each (non-Olympic) summer as it is. Other locations would add considerable additional costs to all participants. I'd prefer we lose one year in four to tripling the costs incurred.

I additionally don't think that increasing the numbers is a high priority. The lower levels are already at or above capacity, the higher levels almost certainly aren't small due to location.

-B