Students competing against each other - who to coach?

[Belegur]

I think the title is fairly self-explanatory, but if an instance occurred where two students you were coaching ended up competing against each other in a tournament (at whatever level), which one do you coach? Or do you remain neutral?

I ask this because I was in this situation last year, where my coach, during one of my DE bouts against another of his students, ended up talking to him during the 1 minute breaks. I didn't say anything at the time, as I had quite a bit more experience than the other student, but I thought it was a little askew.

Note that I don't wish to dredge up old quarrels about certain high level coaches here. I'd just like to know what the general consensus is of the proper procedure in a tournament environment.

[Allen Evans]

I do not coach either student when my students meet each other in competition.

AE

[Goldgar]

Neither.

[TwoPassions]

When this happend to a clubmate and I, my coach smiled and said we're on our own. After our bout, he took us aside and we hashed out what we both did wrong.

[oiuyt]

Really there are two options.

1) Coach the one you like more and are rooting for to win.
B) Hold a little impromptu auction for your services. Coach the fencer who pays you more. Or whose parents pay you more.

Really nothing can go wrong if you take either of those approaches, so it's completely up to you which you choose.

-B

[Tomas N]

Really there are two options.

1) Coach the one you like more and are rooting for to win.
B) Hold a little impromptu auction for your services. Coach the fencer who pays you more. Or whose parents pay you more.

Really nothing can go wrong if you take either of those approaches, so it's completely up to you which you choose.

-B

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[prototoast]

You either coach neither, or coach the one who is going to lose if the outcome will be obvious.

[RITFencing]

Ditto. Don't coach either one.

[telkanuru]

I didn't think anyone would be dumb enough to make this an actual question...

[stillchris]

I didn't think anyone would be dumb enough to make this an actual question...

Just like you wouldn't think a coach would coach one student over another.

I think sometimes something can be over thought, by thinking I mean.

[telkanuru]

Just like you wouldn't think a coach would coach one student over another.

That's kinda exactly what I meant. Thanks for restating it, I guess?

[catwood1]

Depends on the event. It the bout is likely to finish closer than 15-5, then I don't say a word to either. If its that 1 sided, I will sometimes coach the fencer who is going to lose, although its just a few words here and there, not the same as I would normally.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Really there are two options.

1) Coach the one you like more and are rooting for to win.
B) Hold a little impromptu auction for your services. Coach the fencer who pays you more. Or whose parents pay you more.
-B

tri) Coach the student with a higher MILH coefficient

Really, these are all quite obvious...

[LordShout]

the only time I would coach is if their was an extreme unbalance, like a newbie at his first USFA against a 3-4 year travel veteran, and I would first explain to the vet that I was going to coach the newbie to make the experiance more gentle.

[Craig]

Neither one.

[acaba]

... which one do you coach? Or do you remain neutral?

That really depends on what your goals are. If you want to improve your fencers, keep a good, fair, and ballanced atmosphere at the club, you coach neither.

If that is not your goal, there are many more options. When I was in college, my male friend would coach whichever one he wanted to 'date'. But one of the female fencers at the club was attracted to really negative treatment, so my friend would usually coach her opponent.

So, you have to determine what your goals are so you can achieve them.

Aaron

[Jason]

So, you have to determine what your goals are so you can achieve them.

Preach it.

[telkanuru]

Can you please convince the start-up I'm working for, now?