Just a thought here, and maybe it is already available, but why not have an online certification course to allow coaches to get their Bronze card? Coaches could pay the same money it takes to travel somewhere to do the training (less travel time - time away from home on a weekend which we cherish to be with our families, expense of travel, etc). Surely, someone could make an interactive video that gives you the information you need to know to coach youth sports, has interactive scenarios where you test your knowledge of the information you have been given, and take a final exam to pass the course.

Back in the late '80s, I took an all day training course of how to coach youth sports at KU. I was a volunteer coach of the local Kids' Wrestling program and the club director asked me to go to it. As far as I know, it was a relatively new concept in coaching youth sports at the time. I have been in the National Guard for over twenty years, and the military has recently gone to many online interactive training certifications (annual or otherwise) to save time that could be better spent doing hands on training during our once a month weekend drills. These are training certifications that you can do from your home, or at the local library if you are not set up with a computer and internet access at home.

As for the money paid to get a Bronze card, and I have no idea what this money goes to, maybe it could be used to promote something good within the Kansas Kids' Wrestling Federation.

hold on a sec ill have someinfo for u

contact "Sam Barber" <sbarber@USAWrestling.org> he is holding an online clinic, april 29th,, its a really good clinic,, its setup like a teleconferance for 2-3 hours like from 6:30-9:00 2 days in a row,, he thens sends u the info totake ur test, it costs like 70.00 i think,,

i got my bronze online. i have the info as well. but it probably wont happen again until next year

april 29th is the next one

I kind of figured that it had to be an option, especially in today's internet everything world. Thank you for the information. I still think that USAWKS should promote this and use the funds to promote something good within the organization. If they do, I apologize for not knowing (heck, I thought that wrestling started at 9am on Saturday and we almost missed my son's first match). I think the year I was gone led to a lot of memory lapses. When we went to the Mill Valley Tournament, I was out off I435 and Shawnee Mission Parkway looking for the high school. Again, thanks for the input.

but randy is the bomb!! he mnade the coaches clinic fun and interesting!!! i learned more from randy then from any book on the subject!!! i learned lots from him and just not about wrestling!!! if u want to take it online so be it!! but idf u want to learn lots more go to randys clinics!!!

randys clinic would for sure offer more it being 8 hours and alot less peoplein it,,

theonline one your on the phonewith 100 people,, however sam does doa good job, on instructing that there is alotmore than just coaching mat side,,

the online course is thru usawrestling which kansas wrestling is part of,,
,, if that helps u out at all

the online clinic was a life savor for me. i didnt have to drive to salina or pay for gas. or worry about a sunday i dont have no more.it was 70 bucks and computer.....sam barber and usa wrestling made it easy

That sounds great, and I am all for an intelligent, creative, energized, in tuned, down to earth, knowledge driven individual to learn from. I think he should be the one to create this online training for USAWKS. I am serious. I have been in the presence of a number of great speakers, and I know that this might rub some of our wrestling fanatics a little wrong, but I had a chance to meet Jim Valvano years ago. You talk about a man who could motivate anyone who had no motivation. Remember his "Don't give up...Don't ever give up!" speech. It is true in basketball, wrestling, and life in general.

Now, to get the wrestling community back on my side, I also had the fortunate opportunity to meet Dan Gable in Atlanta at a trade show years back. I asked him if I could have my picture taken with him, and he graciously replied "yes". He was still coaching at the time and had one of his college wrestlers with him in the booth. Then I asked if I could have a picture of me pinning him. He replied, "no one has a picture like that", to which the wrestler replied, "oh heck, I have a whole bunch of them with me pinning him at my apartment". I remember thinking how I pulled off a funny without getting my a_ _ handed to me.

just give him a call Lee. I can get you the number.

i dont care what sport you are in or life in general, jim valvanos espy speech is one of the all-time great speeches!!! it is so true in all aspects of life !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and for the dan gable story thats to funny!!!!

Thanks. I will never forget either encounter. The part I left out was that when I met Coach Valvano, I told him that I was a KU student. He went on to resight the Rock Chalk chant and signed his picture, "Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Rock Chalk Jayhawk, KU!, Jim Valvano".

Yes, the Bronze is available on a limited basis.

In Kansas, clinicians conducted 12 clinics State wide and certified around 400 coaches, this season!

Thanks, to those that suggest, attending our clinics in-person has some value beyond the $60.00 for the clinic fee. Perhaps this Internet stuff and webinars will be the wave of the future. I have misgivings though ... you lose the personal touch and the camaraderie that can be gained in a classroom!

If you're all about saving money ... take the on-line Copper!!

However, the State board is looking to make the Bronze as the minimal accepted certification.

An interesting sidelight! I read on our forums a few weeks ago an attitude that I found completely opposed to what was in the best interest of kids. I did some research and found he was a Bronze certified coach. I thought, Man, this guy just didn't get it!! I did some more research and found he took his Bronze ... on-line!

Now perhaps he has going to have his warped since of priorities anyway! But it does make me wonder! I've had many say the lessons they learned attending a Bronze clinic were extremely valuable!

There is no way you get as much out of the online class. 100 people, half of them are probably sleeping. Instant Gratification...PAY your money and get your card NOW. They aren't certifying COACHES...the are letting DADS pay to get on the floor. Sounds like a great money maker for USAWrestling and a diservice to good coaches.

I kind of like this Beeson guy!

i think beeson and the old guy in your picture should wrestle each other for talk forum supremacy.

I agree, go to a live clinic w/ Randy or one of the other top notched guys. Can't beat the discussion and topics that are worked through during that time. Some things should not be taken lightly and this is one of them.

Beeson,

I said something to you on another post about the two things that I think of when I here Ark City, Darren Daulton and great wrestling, and not in that particular order. I honestly respect your feedback on many of the things that you post on this forum, and I think Randy is one of those diamonds in the ruff when it comes to someone who exemplifies all that good about taking care of these kids while coaching and mentoring them to make them better adults/dads/moms/coaches in the future.

Personally, I understand the issue of dad/mom coaching at the side of the mat, especially when it is their kid on the mat. How many of us aren't a parent of a wrestler. I volunteered my time for three years to coaching youth in wrestling while I was in college, before I met my wife and well before we had our oldest son. I have volunteered my time for seven years coaching the two clubs that my sons have wrestled for. I have always enjoyed coaching/teaching kids in practice much more than I do during a tournament. I have tried to steer away from being by the side of the mat when my son is wrestling. I think it is in both of our best interests.

Randy mentioned the camaraderie and personal touch of going to the live clinic. Camaraderie is a great thing, and I had my fill of it being deployed for a year and missing an entire wrestling season. I do subscribe the the seven Army values as they pertain to leadership:

Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity
Personal Courage

If coaches/parents/referees kept these values in mind before they step to the side of the mat, maybe we wouldn't see threads like Coaches/Unsportsmanlike/Flagrant Misconduct and HARD KNOX Coaches.

Randy, are they confusing a bronze card with the copper card that can be obtained online? We have been told over and over you cannot get a bronze card online only a copper. Is this not true?