I spent this last weekend re-certifying my coaching license with USA Rugby. I will be honest, I was not very excited about retaking a course I had already demonstrated competency in. Whenever you have to give up a weekend (which by the way is all the time if you are a rugby coach, player, or referee), you do a cost-benefit analysis. Was spending my weekend out in the cold and the rain worth it? The cost in this analysis is easy to measure - time away from my family and home (something hugely important to me) is always bad. So what is or are the benefits?
Rugby in the United States has made tremendous strides since I began my involvement in 1984. We have grown from a largely recreational/alcohol past time, to a serious sport that has involvement from youth to national team. While the governing body (United States of America Rugby Football Union) is a source of constant (and often justified) complaints among its constituents, it has done a great deal to improve the game in America. I believe that the coaching certification program is one of those positives.
The coaching certification program has aligned USA rugby with the other members of the IRB (International Rugby Board) and has provided a system of accountability and a benchmark for competency. One of the factors which defines legitimacy for any organization is the process by which it qualifies its members. The new USA coaching certification program clearly provides such legitimacy. Every team in the country must have at least one USA certified coach. This provides for some type of standardization of basic safety and tactical/skill knowledge for all coaches who are working daily with players. Currently there are three levels of certification (Introduction, Developing skills, and Advanced), which build on the processes and methods established in each of the earlier courses.
While it is never convenient to spend a weekend getting a certification, there is a practical and intrinsic value in receiving that certification. Coaches know they have the basic skills required to their job and while education is a continuum, they have a foundation which is similar to their colleagues. The intrinsic comes from the satisfaction that you had to earn your coaching credentials. No other sport (that I am aware of) in Texas, other than soccer, requires you to get a license and demonstrate competency. I coached football for a long time and can assure you that there are no requirements to coach it. The first coach I ever worked for asked me if I had any experience, and when I said no, he replied, "you look like a smart enough guy, you will pick it up..." Apparently I looked a lot smarter then than I do now. I would suggest that this is probably not the best way to get the most competent and capable coaches. Just because a guy played does not make him a coach - and that is true for rugby or any sport. By getting certified you must prove that you are knowledgeable and have demonstrated competency before multiple evaluators.
In the end, the benefits are valuable enough to sacrifice time away from my family. I believe the process and the way it is taught and has value - the most important being it makes coaches become introspective about their knowledge, skills, demeanor, and how they coach. While I find the courses have value, I do have some issues (you knew the other shoe would drop). The first is the recertification process. We are required to take the exact some course as before, it would be far more productive to have different courses which expand on the core competencies. The second issue is the CE (continuing education) credits that coaches can get to extend their three year certification. The staff at USA is not very responsive to requests or inquiries and sometimes do not answer you at all. Finally, the Advanced course is cost prohibitive for most coaches, so even if you want to get the certification, finances make it a non-starter. This is exclusive rather than inclusive and one hopes that will change in the future.
In sum, it is a good process and despite some weaknesses, it provides the American rugby coach with credibility. I applaud USA's efforts to put our coaches on an even keel with the rest of the rugby world. Although I lost time with my family, I will be a better coach for the effort.
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