This post is here because Chris gave me an awesome idea for something to write about.
*Breathes in*
Coaching certifications are a tricksy subject just like rings of ultimate power & hobbitses. I will readily admit that having a body in charge of coaching like the USFCA brings more good to the table than bad.
I do NOT have any certifications from the USFCA to coach any students. I have never attended a coaches camp of any sort. I have no formal training to coach students. This has been held over my head before as you can imagine.
People tend to back down really quick when I get on my hind legs and inform them that I took lessons for 6 years from a former student of Santelli. He fenced saber in New York for I don't know how long before moving out to Minnesota. He is a proven coach that has sent more than a few kids to decent scholarships at schools like: Harvard, Penn State, & Ohio State. In fact, I don't think there has been a time in the last ten years where someone from MSC was not fencing for Penn State.
Ah, but I can hear some of you saying "Gee AJ, you seem to be hiding behind your instructor." Truth be told, I AM hiding behind my instructor. The same way the rest of you hide behind your certs or your own decent instructor. We all have a past we would rather be proud of than angry with.
The bottom line is that I am an unproven coach. But so is every fencing enthusiast that the USFCA spits out. Some of them might be amazing coaches who send kids to colleges and produce several champions. Some of them will never be any good no matter how many times they waggle their coaches card in your face. As the parent of a fencer or whatever; you have to make a judgment call on your coach. It is your responsibility, not ours.
I don't judge other coaches based on what certs they have, I judge them based on what kind of students they produce & what kind of methods they use to teach people how to fence. What makes a good coach isn't the coach behind them, or the certifications they earned through the USFCA, it is based on how well they can teach. Some can, & some can't.
The scariest part of coaching is that you really don't know if you're any good at it. It is so hard to gauge how much credit is due to the individual fencer in comparison to the coach as it relates to the student's skills. Some people will be good at this regardless of how awesome their coach is, and that sucks to admit. Some people are naturally terrible at the sport (More so that usual). It's usually a waste of your time trying to figure out which extreme a given student fits on, your job as the coach is to keep up their skill level and facilitate growth regardless of how naturally athletic or smart they are.
As to the USFCA, their cert process sounds rather weak. The governing body of fencing has been under enough fire for being a corrupt, inefficient, bureaucratic freak show to convince me that I don't need their go ahead to teach. Plus they don't need anymore of my money, which is a sentiment that I'm sure many can agree with. Honestly I would like to attend a coaches camp to get a few more drill ideas and other fine tuning for my instruction techniques, but I would only be doing so that I looked good on paper.
Ah, but I can hear some of you saying "This is easy for you to say, you are one of few fencers in Montana who has tons of experience, training, & the drive to design a program. It's not that easy in dense population areas with many fencers & an existing political environment to contend with."
My response: So? At a certain point I accept that I am essentially a fascist/despot who operates with an iron fist to get my policies accepted as the norm in Missoula. If you want to come out here or move to a rural area near you and shape/start a fencing club then go for it. The advantage of having a unique skill set in a smaller area is that you naturally have more power. I am taking a tip from the robber barons that came before me: You have power, use it or lose it.
I am not motivated by cronyism, I am motivated to teach people to fence. I am not here to take resources and laugh maniacally as I oppress people. So naturally I oppose the USFCA because they are a regulatory body with no authority or power out here. Chances are good that I'm not going to change the status quo as it benefits (really) all fencers in the area.
*breaths out*
I agree...somewhat. From what I've researched, the first few levels of cert. seem rather easy. I've thought about going through and "testing" and with a little prep, I have no doubt I could pass. To me, considering how new I am at this whole fencing thing, let alone coaching thing, I shouldn't feel so confident. But I think this issue could be remedied rather easily.
ReplyDeleteThe advantage to such an organization/program is that right now, anyone can call themselves a fencing coach, but with certification, a standard is created. But I would also agree that observing a "coaches" students and their competitive results says more about a coach than a piece of paper. Even if the cert. exams were more rigorous, I still think it takes a balance of student results and the exams to consider yourself a competent coach. You need both practical and theoretical.
Me, for now, I'm just an instructor. And I'm happy to hide behind my coach. But give me a couple years... :o)