Referee exam vs Coach exam

[MdA]

At some point, someone needs to catalog the ideas generated in brainstorming, ....
At some point, the discussions need to move off of fencing.net,.... One thing that the USFCA may be able to provide is a little structure so that it's not just a bunch of random coaches having a chat.
... I think that his idea sounds challenging but possible for the USFCA to accomplish. ...
I'd love to see the USFCA push forward with something concrete like that and maybe have a moniteur training program that they could actually start offering next year.

Just a little update. I have already forwarded these ideas to the USFCA executive committee...or directed them to the threads here. The new USFCA President Abdel Salem and I have had several phone conversations this week. Training and Education is his top priority for this year.

He has tasked me to put together guidelines for Moniteur training clinics to be given in all regions of the country this year. I will deliver the guidelines to him before our Annual conference next week at Bucks County Fencing Academy in NJ.

The USFCA is putting our best experts on this issue. Thanks for the frank discussion and your ideas.

[kuroutesshin]

Thank you for being available and receptive to the ideas given. We may all have differing opinions and backgrounds, but the development of fencing coaches is a top priority.

I am happy that the suggestions and ideas made are being talked about, even if they are ultimately rejected. It's good for our sport.

[MdA]

....I'd love to see the USFCA push forward with something concrete like that and maybe have a moniteur training program that they could actually start offering next year.

The USFCA will push forward with a series of Regional Coaching Clinics this coming season.

If you are an amateur coach who is interested in attending one of these clinics there are things you should do in advance to get the most from these clinics.

Look over the Moniteur Exam Study Guide

Earn a USFA referee’s rating (Moniteurs are encouraged to learn to referee and to take the USFA referee test:

This will help you prepare for the online Moniteur exam. It also has some suggested reading and an outline of what will be taught at the clinics.

We will follow the list of terms, footwork, bladework, and tactics listed in the study guide at the clinics. If you show mastery of these techniques at the clinic, we can go on to more advanced material. This will help you get the most out of the clinics.

[MdA]

tbryan. Yes, I would love some training to become a better coach but I do not expect anything for free. However, it would be nice if USFCA had a larger membership or was more widespread so that perhaps there might be a clinic/workshop a little closer to me.
I think everyone would benefit from training to be a coach and a referee. I don't see any downside to learning. If more people join USFCA and get certified, those people can certify others, who can certify others until we eventually have a good spread of certified coaches across the country and people like myself might then have less distance to travel to receive assistance/training to be better coaches.

Exactly...this is exactly the point!!! Thanks

The USFCA operates primarily on the income from membership dues and exam fees. With only 350 members in a country the size of the US, that doesn't go very far towards outreach.

Many fencers and coaches in the USA think that we get some kind of government funding....but this is not the case. Our AAI and NCAA affiliations actually cost us membership fees to those organizations.

I think we do a good job of spending our members money carefully. We do most of the work by teleconference and email...which has improved things tremendously over the past few years.

[MdA]

This is a good seminar for coaches and referees.

referee seminar- 9/28 - maplewood, nj

[MdA]

What exactly would you be giving them? Any coach who ignores the USFCA would not possibly see an honorary membership (or honorary certification) as having any value. It's just a piece of paper from some weirdos. The idea that giving a coach certification or a membership will get him to be more involved is shockingly stupid. It is the coach who would be giving something for nothing. Until the USFCA has something of actual value to offer, disinterested coaches will remain disinterested.

The problem is that most of the best coaches in the USA are not interested in teaching other coaches. Until this activity can be made profitable, I am afraid the USFCA will have nothing to offer them.

[RITFencing]

The problem is that most of the best coaches in the USA are not interested in teaching other coaches. Until this activity can be made profitable, I am afraid the USFCA will have nothing to offer them.

Then you already have the next big question to be answered by your organization right there.

[Adler]

The problem is that most of the best coaches in the USA are not interested in teaching other coaches. Until this activity can be made profitable, I am afraid the USFCA will have nothing to offer them.

This seems to be a theme that the USFCA and the BAF have in common.

[MdA]

Then you already have the next big question to be answered by your organization right there.

We are answering this question by trying to make the weekend Regional coaching clinics profitable for host coaches/clubs.

The new President has appointed a regional coaching clinic committee. We have received feedback from members that they like the shorter weekend format...closer to home. We have developed a set of guidelines for hosting these weekend clinics that has been sent to your regional VP and will soon be available on the new website.

We have established a core goup of fencing coach educators who will develop curriculumn and work to set up these clinics. We can then bring in some of the top coaches to come into the clinics and fall in on the written material. Some are too busy developing fencers to work on developing material or schedule clinics.

The core group will do the paperwork (computerwork) and the top coaches will be the guest instructors.

It is important to remember that these regional clinics must be well attended in order to make them profitable. The new guidelines include steps for advanced scheduling, publicity, posting them on forums...like f.net.

[kuroutesshin]

Something that just popped into my head- our club relies a lot upon alumni fencers to come back and help us run practices, but for the most part teaching and coaching fall son the team captains and squad leaders. We have assistant coaches (one of whom attended M. Schiller's seminar last weekend), but for the most part the education falls on the shoulders of other students like myself.

Now, most of us don't know how to teach other than what we know how to do- I've tried to spread around some of the USFCA and Canadian coach's manuals to help the coaches, but we lack a centralized coach.

My question is this- would it be profitable for clubs themselves to belong to the USFCA, and then receive Swordmaster mailing and other information? It might help to organize your coaches, too, if you know who is registered where and which clubs are involved with the teaching.

Just an idea, don't know where I was really going with it. Not every club has a strong central leadership position in a coach, sometimes they move from instructor to instructor depending on money and circumstances. Having a club membership or associate thing would be good to help with education.

Do with it what you will.

[MdA]

.....
My question is this- would it be profitable for clubs themselves to belong to the USFCA, and then receive Swordmaster mailing and other information? It might help to organize your coaches, too, if you know who is registered where and which clubs are involved with the teaching.....

Any coach or officer in your club can join the USFCA as an "associate" for $35. You will receive all materials sent to members and have access to the website...with one login ID and password. Your club data will be recorded in the membership database. We don't have a "club" membership like the USFA. We do have a Guild Academy program for clubs to be certified as a "USFCA Guild Academy" but this requires all your club coaches to be members. See website under benefits for more details on Guild Academy.

[MdA]

...
The USFCA is applying for another grant this year and hopes to expand this program.

I just found out that the USFCA has been awarded the grant mentioned above...for several thousand dollars (larger than the last grant) to conduct another Women and Minorities Coaching Clinic this year. This program is expanding due to the efforts of our Past President Arnold Mercado. As soon as we set the dates and location for the clinic, it will be posted on www.USFCA.org ,in the Swordmaster, American Fencing, the new "Point-in Line" USFCA newsletter, and in this forum...and sent to USFCA members by email.

There apparently is real value $$,$$$, for American coaches, in maintaining a relationship with the NCAA. It appears to be obvious that NCAA will award grants to an association that represents fencing coaches and is dedicated to raising coaching standards in the USA.