Big Time. Even though I have Big Ideas and Big Plans.
But each day I fail at accomplishing anything toward those plans and ideas. I wake up full of optimism. The day is before me! I want to work on this and THis and THIS! But then I don't get anything done and by the end of the day I'm totally grouchy and defeated.
There are contributing factors to this problem:
First, it's December--and in December I must prepare for Christmas, which can be an overwhelming holiday when you have little kids. Also, there are holiday get-togethers galore that are fun, but suck up time.
Second, the needs of those little kiddos just suck up time, too. A good portion of last week, for example, was devoted to my youngest's opthalmologic needs... the end result being this:
Finally, I have been wasting time trying to get into things like the USA Trialthon Level 1 coaching clinic. Ange and I were going to go to North Carolina in Feburary to do this, but we didn't get in, despite the fact that we clicked to sign up for nearly two hours straight starting at the exact correct time yesterday.
That. made. me. really. really. mad.
But I'm over it now. Really. I really am.
(Get ready for the rant!)
I realize, in retrospect, that there are some good things about being denied entrance by virtue of not having good enough luck. First of all, it will save me about $1000--maybe more. Second, it means I will be home for three days during my kids' February vacation that I may have missed. Third, being denied made me so pissed that I have come up with excellent reasons to say FUCK YOU, MAN! I DON'T NEED YOU! to USA Triathlon and their coaching certification clinic.
I think its important, though, to give credit to USA Triathlon--because really LUCK is an excellent way to determine who gets certified and who doesn't. LUCK really separates out the wheat from the chaff, the talented from the inept, the intelligent from the dumb-fucks. It's really a great way to decide who gets certified and who doesn't.
According the USAT the problem is being worked on. I'm sure it is.You work on it, USAT. You work on continuing to find a way to monopolize the entire triathlon certification routine so that suckers like me pay your outrageous clinic fee and fly to any part of the country to take your course, just so we can stick a little USA Triathlon Certified Coach emblem on our websites. You work on that.
All right, I'll stop with the sarcasm.
The whole experience really made me think, though. First, it really did make me realize that USA Triathlon has the monopoly on certification at this point. But why? You attend for one weekend and pass a test, and shabang! You can brag you are a certified coach. This is rather ridiculous if you think about it. A weekend? A 100 question multiple choice test? Shouldn't a future coach be required to do something a bit more comprehensive before she gets "certified"? Isn't it kind of bullshit to separate those who are qualified from those who are not by their attendance (or not) at a $525 weekend workshop? (yes.)
So, after having the door slammed in my face yesterday I decided to see if there are other triathlon coaching certification programs. And you know what? There are. And you know what? They are way more comprehensive than that of USAT. And you know what? I don't have to leave my house in order to get certified--I can actually take sixteen weeks of courses and then take a test to get certified, without having to fly anywhere.
IMAGINE THAT.
I have decided to view the USAT certification as a designer label. Does having acquired the label make me a better coach? No. Does actually investing serious time and energy into the study of triathlon coaching make me a better coach? Yes, likely--even if I don't get the designer label as a result. The frustrating thing is that we get caught up in these labels--you know? For example--to site one from our field--it's not good enough to do a race that is 140.6. People want to do IRONMAN. They want the M-Dot. The label. The symbol. It's dumb. This from the girl who has a modified M-Dot tattooed on her ankle...
So, in short, I'm probably NOT going to get certified by USAT any time soon. Maybe not ever. I will get certified by the I.T.C.A , however, which offers a 16 week course that covers a huge amount of ground--far more ground than can be covered in any weekend clinic. And when and if I am ever asked by a potential client why I am not certified by USAT I will simply say that I chose to be certified by an organization that provided me a more comprehensive learning experience than that offered by USAT. And that would be the truth.
And if you are thinking about becoming a coach, I suggest you do the same.
:)
22 comments:
Ya! what she said. :o)
But seriously, I knew you were going to write about this. My headache is Almost gone. But not quite. I'm ticked. It's utterly ridiculous...we will be smart & effective coaches because we know our stuff not because it says USAT on the sidebar.
oh and Lara looks adorable in her glases.
I have been Very unproductive lately. Attending useless conferences for two days, a flu infected home, holidays and now A SNOW DAY!! ahh...Somehow I will prepare for the big bday on Sunday And Christmas. Not sure how though.
Mary! This is a very hot topic, of course. I have been USAT certified for so long, we brought USAT to Chicago to certify us in the late 90s! I am not kidding. BUT let me say this:
Would you have hired me if I was NOT USAT level xx certified?
And, that IS your answer.
I feel like I do not need it.I think it helped back in the day - when USAT was "IT" but not anymore...Level 2 was good and informational, but Level 1. NOTSOMUCH, just ask anyone.
I know this is a hot button for a lot and if you get me going I will say that I do not agree that "anyone" can sign up for Level 1 certification, I think it should be a qualification process....SOME experience with beginners or groups or something....I am sure plenty of people will disagree with me and that IS FINE. All I am saying is that THERE must be a better way. It is more stressful than trying to get into the IM...which is another blog topic. lol
A Long long time ago ( 10+ years) in a land far far away ( MN) I was certified as a level 1 USAT coach. Funny bc I was teaching tennis at the time, but wanted to take the course bc it was here and I knew some other people doing it. I got alot out of it, but then i had people calling me to coach them. My resume read like this: Ages 0-present, TENNIS. and some more TENNIS. "Sure hire me."
So I had to tell these people that I was not who they thought i was! And other than taking that class and doing some reading i wasnt even racing.
Now to belabor the point, and I am agreeing with you..I have taught alot of tennis. I have ALOT of experience and luckily an ability to coach and to teach. But I have never been USPTA certified. It never took away from who wanted to take lessons from me and tho I may not have had the backing of a big teaching organization ( as i never wanted that as a career) I still felt capable, learned, helped people, and had a rewarding time doing it.
Ok blahblahlblah. Good for you. Good post!
I am excited that you were able to find something else to get your certified. I am sorry that things did not go as planned. I hope that you have a great week!
email me if you ant more info re: ITCA. I just finished the course and am going to take the test today! :)
michelle.simmons08@yahoo.com
Same thing as you- shut out of USAT clinic b/c I tried to register 20 minutes after it opened.
Snap! Seriously, though, WTF? I love indignation. It's my favorite feeling.
(Cute pic of the little one)
would it make sense to be certified at both? The ITCA looks so much more comprehensive and actually the content and layout of the course is awesome. Just wondering if it makes sense? Thoughts?
So there! Actually, I agree with everything you said (says me who couldn't coach a turd out of an asshole).
I am sure you will be better qualified and more knowledgeable through this program, but after reading the comments, it's a shame that the USAT carries so much weight.Damn them all!
good luck!
Oh, this sucks! But you are making the best out of it. The new course sounds so much better. And I would not worry about not getting clients bc of not having the USAT on the sidebar. Word of mouth, client testimonials, and your winning personality are going to lead to waitlists for you. No worries!
Very interesting !
There are much bigger issues when selecting a coach...and that certification is not one of them. You have better and higher places to go on this journey, move on and keep at it!
Your little one's glasses are so cute her!
Sorry to hear about your problem with the USAT. We look forward to having your fun energy in Boston this weekend. -It's all about ME!
Good luck with Lara's glasses and eye. And have fun at the big swimmmeet. I have always thought it was odd that anyone who wanted to could get into a USAT course without them requiring any previous experience in sports, education, or coaching.
i had to read what jen wrote too, and you know what? i would have hired you w/o those stupid usat initials, just so you know mary. why didn't you get in? was it a lottery? sold out? what?
Keep in mind that one of the most important things USAT provides is not the information - it's the waiver of insurance that protects you when you coach any USAT member. Liability and risk management is huge when you are telling people to ride their bikes....so it might be frustrating to get into their clinic but keep trying. Also, I would not spend $$ on other certifications. It's the governing body that you want the certification from not for the info but for the protection. I also got my cert with USAT because it supports the governing body that supports our sport. I might not agree with everything they say but they are a driving force in our sport and it pays to support them and encourage your athletes to become members (and it also covers you when they do!).
GOOD LUCK at my alma mater this weekend! Their pool/gym is sweet!
And you should celebrate after with beers at Sunset Grill ;)
I'd be curious to hear if anyone ever asks you about the USAT cert. My guess is it'll never happen. It's not something I particularly cared about when I was looking for a coach. While Will is USAT certified, I cared much more about his educational background, how he contributes to the field, and personal recommendations. For the most part, any schmo can attend a weekend clinic or take a course and take a test. That'll weed out the total losers, but that's about it. It's the other stuff that really matters.
Great rant. i have friends who oppose USAT as well. I'm a fan, but I;m dating one of their bike mechanics. ha. But as far as coaching goes, my coach isn't USAT certified. He's just good. I think results are what we look for when selecting. ANd if someone wouldn't choose you because you don't have those letters, do you really want to coach them anyway? i'd think they'd be WAY too difficult to train...
Hey, my girlfriend just got in off the wait list for NC USAT, are you on?
Laura is looking more like Andy. She has changed so much. That's crazy about her eye.
USAT should be ashamed of themselves for such lame requirements.
In all honesty, I don't even know if my own coach (QT2) is USAT certified. I hired him because he gets results form his athletes and he's a good coach!
www.qt2
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