How to Host a National Coaching Development Program Clinic
NCDP
NCDP Development Process
The USFCA has been working on the NCDP Curriculum since early 2022. The first NCDP clinics were piloted beginning in January 2023.
NCDP clinics are a series of clinics designed to take an entry-level coach from Assistant Moniteur (Level 2) to Fencing Master (Level 5). All NCDP clinics must follow a specified curriculum as well as meet the National Standards for Fencing Coaching Clinics and all instructor(s) must be USFCA-certified Coach Developers.
The program continues to evolve and improve, and some of the requirements may change as we learn to serve our community better. Please contact the USFCA office (contact information below) as you begin organizing your NCDP Clinic.
NCDP in a Box
Step One: Contact the USFCA office atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 817-995-2535. We will provide you with:
Step Two: Conduct the clinic, send in the Host Evaluation Form, and get paid!
Steps to Organizing a NCDP Clinic
- Contact USFCA staff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 817-995-2535 for coordination and assistance. We will provide the following for you:
- Help you choose the right Level NCDP Clinic, weapon, Coach Developer, and date that would best serve your fencing community
- Provide standardized NCDP Syllabus
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be provided to you by the USFCA office. Review it, sign it, and send it back to the USFCA office along with your organization’s logo.
- We will create an official joint NCDP/Host marketing graphic to be used for marketing your clinic
- We will fill-out the NCDP Clinic Application for you.
- We will conduct the Participant Evaluation survey for you.
- The host/organizer:
- Conducts the clinic
- Turns-in the Host Evaluation Form (the Coach Developer is responsible for turning-in Skills Check-off Lists)
- Gets paid!
NCDP Clinic Requirements and Standards
The host must make sure the facility is open on time, set-up appropriately, and the environment is learning friendly. The host/organizer must align with the appropriate National Standards for Fencing Coaching Clinics
Coach Developers
Coach Developers must go through the USFCA Coach Developer Training and be certified as NCDP Coach Developers. The training is approximately 2 hours long. It will be live training on zoom and participants receive 2 CEUs. Additional outside reading resources may be required.
NCDP Curriculum
The USFCA has developed the curriculum for the NCDP Level 2-5 in each weapon (Assistant Moniteur through Fencing Master in foil, epee, and saber). The program is designed to put an entry level coach into an organized, sequential series of face-to-face clinics and online courses leading to the highest level of certification.
Standardized syllabi are required for NCDP in person clinics but individual information will be supplied by the host and incorporated into the syllabus. Contact the USFCA staff for copies of the NCDP Syllabi.
Face-to-face clinics are designed to be delivered in 12 hour units
National Standards
Everyone involved in organizing and teaching an NCDP Clinic should follow the relevant
National Standards for Sport Coaches and the National Standards for Fencing Coaching Clinics
Practical exams for certification
If the host organizer wants to offer practical exams during the transition from our current certification system to the NCDP certification process, they must be offered in the evenings or times when the clinic is not in session. All Prevot and Master exams must be pre-approved by the USFCA Certification and Accreditation Board and all examiners must be USFCA certified examiners. Examiners can get their certification by taking the course on the USFCA website. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for assistance setting up Prevot or Master level exams.
Instructor-to-student ratios: 1:12
There must be a maximum ratio of one coach developer to every twelve student-coaches enrolled in the clinic.
USFCA ensures quality
To ensure the quality of all USFCA clinics there are three evaluative processes in place. The first is the participant evaluation which all student-coaches should fill out at the end of each clinic. The second is the Host Evaluation which is required at the end of the clinic. The final form of evaluation is the in-person classroom observation. In coordination with the host, coach developers and the USFCA a classroom observer may be assigned to a NCDP clinic at USFCA’s expense. The purpose of the observer is to help the Coach Developer strengthen their instructional abilities, to ensure that the NCDP curriculum is being implemented, and to ensure that the overall quality of clinic meets USFCA National Fencing Coaching Clinic Standards.
Collection and Distribution of Clinic Fees and Costs
The USFCA will collect and distribute all NCDP clinic funds. The USFCA will pay the coach developers’ fees, travel, lodging, and meals. The NCDP Coach Developer fees and clinic costs are standardized (See below). Additional guest speaker fees are the responsibility of the host organizer.
After all fees are collected and costs paid out, the remaining funds from registration fees will be split between USFCA and the host organizer: 40% to USFCA and 60% to the Host organizer. The USFCA will pay the coach developer fees and distribute the host organizer fees within 30 days of receiving the Host Evaluation form after the end of the NCDP clinic.
NCDP Clinic profit split with Host
40% to the USFCA
60% to the Host
Making sure the clinic is financially viable
The USFCA and the host organizer will work together to make sure there are enough people enrolled to at least break even. If not enough people are enrolled to break even the clinic will be canceled unless the host organizer chooses to cover the shortage. In order to serve the entire nation, it is the long term goal to train Coach Developers all over the country and reduce the cost of travel.
Example #1
One Coach Developer (Fencing Master) @ $75 x 12 hours = $900
No travel or per diem
No other costs
Minimum $ needed = $900
Minimum student-coaches needed for the clinic to “make”
A 12 hour clinic costs the student-coach $225
6 student-coaches x $225 = $1350
5 student-coaches x $225 = $1125
4 student-coaches x $225 = $900
USFCA and Host split
$1125 - $900 = $225
60% to Host = $135
40% to USFCA = $90
Example #2
One Coach Developer (Fencing Master) @ $75 x 12 hours = $900
Travel, lodging, and food = $1500 (example)
No other costs
Minimum $ needed = $2400
Minimum student-coaches needed for the clinic to “make”
A 12 hour clinic costs the student-coach $225
12 student-coaches x $225 = $2700
USFCA and Host split
$2700 - $2400 = $300
60% to Host = $180
40% to USFCA = $120
What if the clinic does not have enough enrollment?
Two weeks before the clinic is scheduled the USFCA office will contact the host to finalize plans for the upcoming clinic. If the clinic enrollment is low, the USFCA staff will coordinate and negotiate with the host to adjust the distribution of fees or cancel the clinic. If a clinic is canceled the USFCA will notify all enrolled participants and enrollment fees will be refunded.
Contact the USFCA Office
Executive Director: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 817-995-2535
Education Manager: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 214-394-9106