Continuing Ed Requirements for SS Coaches

[bjbrookz]

What is the current life of the SSC certificate? Any requirements for CE or refreshers to maintain it?

[Note: this post and followups were moved from an existing thread into this new one by admin -s]

[Steve Hill]

Currently there is none; however, if you watched Dr. Sullivan's lecture (from the 1st annual SSCA conference), it was suggested that some type of CE was needed. This is still being discussed. One thing I do is offer current holders of the SSC cert to intern at my camps. Since I'm coaching a platform 6-10 times a year, I stay pretty current, and try to help others stay so. Other mechanisms are under consideration.

[Brian Harlin]

How about a coaching quiz thread once a week wherein a form check is posted in the morning, people comment throughout the day, and the answer (prioritized errors and appropriate cues) is given by an SSC at the end of the day...I mean I know that you guys have absolutely nothing better to do! It would be kinda cool though.

Also do you ever have people take their shoes off to deadlift at seminars? How is that viewed, totally unacceptable?

[Tom Campitelli]

How about a coaching quiz thread once a week wherein a form check is posted in the morning, people comment throughout the day, and the answer (prioritized errors and appropriate cues) is given by an SSC at the end of the day...I mean I know that you guys have absolutely nothing better to do! It would be kinda cool though.

A lot of Starting Strength Coaches comment on the form checks that continually pop up in the technique session. While it is not quite the same as your suggestion, I think that kind of happens already, although in a less formalized fashion.

Also do you ever have people take their shoes off to deadlift at seminars? How is that viewed, totally unacceptable?

I haven't been to all the seminars, but it has not occurred at any where I was a platform coach and I would be quite surprised if it happened at the ones I did not attend. Weightlifting shoes really are useful pieces of equipment for all the lifts. We're not paid to say this by shoe companies, or anything. They clean up a lot of variability and form problems. Almost everyone that tries them tends to like them an awful lot.

[Brian Harlin]

A lot of Starting Strength Coaches comment on the form checks that continually pop up in the technique session. While it is not quite the same as your suggestion, I think that kind of happens already, although in a less formalized fashion.

I agree that this already happens. One of the issues with this is you have someone that is honestly seeking help. I feel a little uncomfortable critiquing their form because I have seen a lot of shitty advice on form checks and I don't want to contribute to that. I don't feel that I give shitty advice, but I doubt that most Forum members do, yet shitty advice happens. Granted it's much better now that the SSCs have their titles on the forum so that the check seekers can filter by that (a very welcome improvement).

[Karl Schudt]

How about a coaching quiz thread once a week wherein a form check is posted in the morning, people comment throughout the day, and the answer (prioritized errors and appropriate cues) is given by an SSC at the end of the day...I mean I know that you guys have absolutely nothing better to do! It would be kinda cool though.

I did something like this quite a bit in preparation for the seminar. I would look at the video and try to figure out what Rip would say, then scroll down to see if I was right. I learned a lot, and was therefore much less stupid than I would have been at the seminar.

[Brian Harlin]

I did something like this quite a bit in preparation for the seminar. I would look at the video and try to figure out what Rip would say, then scroll down to see if I was right. I learned a lot, and was therefore much less stupid than I would have been at the seminar.

Agreed, I do this too. though Rip doesn't seem to do as many form checks personally as he used to. I suspect that was a decision made to reduce both the time demand on him and to increase participation of the SSCs (just a hunch because it seemed to transition following the coaches conference along with the titles and real names). There has been an occasion or two where I didn't agree with the SSCs advice to the form check seeker. On those occasions, part of me would like to hash out the difference so that I can see what they are seeing or perhaps the other way around. I refrain from this though because the poor guy seeking help for his lift probably doesn't want to be the catalyst for that discussion.

Really there has only been 1 or 2 occasions where my suggestion was the opposite of the SSCs, so it's not that big of a deal. The other stuff that clouds up the form check requests is more related to prioritization, not how to correct an error.

[Steve Hill]

One of the nice things about building an Empire is you get to have Minions...

[Michael Wolf]

Agreed, I do this too. though Rip doesn't seem to do as many form checks personally as he used to. I suspect that was a decision made to reduce both the time demand on him and to increase participation of the SSCs (just a hunch because it seemed to transition following the coaches conference along with the titles and real names).

Yes.

There has been an occasion or two where I didn't agree with the SSCs advice to the form check seeker. On those occasions, part of me would like to hash out the difference so that I can see what they are seeing or perhaps the other way around. I refrain from this though because the poor guy seeking help for his lift probably doesn't want to be the catalyst for that discussion.

Since the SSC certificate is difficult to obtain and requires a strong demonstration of proficiency in order to do so, the SSC form checks have upped the accuracy (and precision) of feedback on the technique forum exactly as we hoped they would. However, we're not under any sort of impression that we're infallible and will always be correct 100% of the time. Hopefully if an SSC watches a video and comments on it, he is confident about what he saw and the proper corrections to give and prioritize. And if not, watches it over until he is. But mistakes are going to happen every so often. Maybe on your part, maybe on the SSC's. A PM to the SSC in those occasional cases where you saw something different, in order to hash out the differences, would accomplish your objective without muddying the waters and subjecting the OP to that discussion on his thread.

One of the nice things about building an Empire is you get to have Minions...

Indeed.

[Brian Harlin]

One of the nice things about building an Empire is you get to have Minions...

I'm suddenly picturing SSCs as a group of short yellow bean shaped guys with goggles and overalls...