Explain 3

What is the NCDP?

The National Coaching Development Program (NCDP) is a result of the need for the United States fencing community to have a clear pathway for coaches to learn coaching skills and knowledge.

USFCA NCDP Curriculum Handbook
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The NCDP will provide coaches with a clear, well-defined path from novice to expert. This comprehensive program will create a strong, knowledgeable and well-educated coaching community in the U.S. The program will incentivize club, academic, private and public institutions to recruit, educate, certify and retain coaches for the sport of fencing. The NCDP is an excellent opportunity for fencing coaches to develop their skills, knowledge and opportunity in the U.S. fencing community.

The following is a description of a table that provides an overview of the National Coaching Development Program (NCDP). The table contains five rows, each representing a different level of coaching license within the NCDP. The first column lists the level of the coaching license, ranging from Level 2 to Level 5. The remaining columns describe the requirements for each level, including online coursework, coaching clinics, logged hours of instruction, assessments, and continuing education units (CEUs). For Level 5, the table shows that coaches are required to complete online coursework on a variety of topics related to exercise physiology, sports science, ethics, and program leadership, among others. They must also attend four 12-hour coaching clinics as a participant and complete 16 hours as a coach developer. Additionally, they must log a certain number of hours of group and individual instruction and complete both formative and summative assessments. Finally, they are required to obtain a to-be-announced (TBA) number of CEUs. For Level 4, the table shows that coaches must complete coursework on similar topics as Level 5, including exercise physiology, sports science, and ethics, among others. They must attend four 12-hour coaching clinics and log a certain number of hours of group and individual instruction. They must also complete formative and summative assessments and obtain a to-be-announced (TBA) number of CEUs. For Level 3, the table shows that coaches must complete coursework on principles of fencing injury prevention, coaching ethics, and program management, among others. They must attend a 12-hour clinic on principles of offensive actions and a 12-hour clinic on principles of defensive actions. They must also log a certain number of hours of group and individual instruction and complete a formative assessment. Finally, they are required to obtain a to-be-announced (TBA) number of CEUs. For Level 2, the table shows that coaches must complete coursework on developing a coaching career plan, fencing safety, and fencing instruction, among others. They must attend a 12-hour clinic on foundations of weapon instruction and log a certain number of hours of instruction. They must also complete a formative assessment and obtain a to-be-announced (TBA) number of CEUs. There is one row with a "TBA" entry in all columns, indicating that information for that level is to be announced at a later date. Overall, the table provides an overview of the requirements for each level of coaching license within the NCDP, including coursework, coaching clinics, logged hours of instruction, assessments, and CEUs.

 

In 2023, the USFCA begins piloting the National Coaching Development Program (NCDP) in-person clinics. The program comprises five progressive levels, each focusing on specific requirements that must be met in order to earn a coaching certification. Continuing Education will be required at all Levels to maintain a coaching license. (See above chart)

The NCDP is a work in progress at this time. The USFCA is piloting Level 2 (Assistant Moniteur) and Level 3 (Moniteur) face-to-face clinics between January and early May 2023. In Summer 2023, the USFCA launches three residency camps piloting three Level 3 and Level 4 training and certification. The USFCA will be transitioning from its current certification process to the new NCDP over the next three years. Any pilot clinic a coach takes during this transition will carry over and count toward their certification and licensing requirements in the future.

How Do I Get Certified?

Currently, an Assistant Moniteur and Moniteur Coaches can earn certification by following one of two pathways while we transition to a new system of certification.

At the start of the above-mentioned transition, Assistant Moniteurs (Level 2) and Moniteurs (Level 3) may choose either of two pathways outlined in the below chart. Level 4 and Level 5 transitional pathways to certification are currently under development and will be announced soon.

The following is a description of a table outlining the different pathways and requirements for certification in the National Coaching Development Program (NCDP) Level 2/3 offered by USFCA, the United States Fencing Coaches Association. The table consists of two columns and six rows. The first row indicates the name of the program, NCDP 2 Pathways Level 2/3. The second row provides a description of the program as the National Coaching Development Program. The remaining rows provide information about the two pathways available for assistant moniteur and moniteur coaches to earn certification. The first column of the table includes the name of the pathway, either Assistant Moniteur Pathway #1 or #2, or Moniteur Pathway #1 or #2. The second column lists the requirements for each pathway. For Assistant Moniteur Pathway #1, individuals must attend a Level 2 clinic and complete the skills check-off list, log 20 teaching hours with the USFCA, and pass the written Assistant Moniteur Exam. For Assistant Moniteur Pathway #2, individuals must attend a Level 2 NCDP clinic and complete the skills check-off list, log 20 teaching hours with the USFCA, and take four online USFCA Level 2 courses, which will become available in 2023-24. For Moniteur Pathway #1, individuals must attend both Levels 3A & 3B NCDP clinics and complete the skills check-off list, log 40 teaching hours with the USFCA, with 20 hours from Assistant Moniteur pathway counting towards the total, and pass the written Moniteur Exam. For Moniteur Pathway #2, individuals must attend both Levels 3A & 3B NCDP clinics and complete the skills check-off list, log 40 teaching hours with the USFCA, with 20 hours from Assistant Moniteur pathway counting towards the total, and take five online USFCA Level 3 courses, which will become available in Spring 2024. The table concludes by providing a note about the availability of NCDP pilot clinics and referring readers to the National Coaching Clinic webpage for further information.

 The first NCDP pilot clinics are scheduled - keep your eye on the National Coaching Clinic webpage: More information about NCDP clinics is available here.