Hello to all Samson Dubina Table Tennis Academy Members,
 
The Academy is hosting an ITTF-PPT Level 1 Coaching Course from July 28 through August 1st.  The Course will be held at the The House of the Lord Gymnasium  -  1650 Diagonal Rd Akron, Ohio.
There will be 30 hours of instruction given over 5 days with two sessions planned each day, 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. 
Course Conductor:
Richard McAfee, will be serving as the course conductor.  Coach McAfee has been conducting ITTF Courses since 1998 and during that time he has taught more than 800 coaches on four Continents.  He is the only ITTF Certified Trainer in North America.
Information about the ITTF Coaching Certification System:
For many years the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has conducted a wide variety of educational courses for coaches/umpires/athletes in almost every country in the world.  In the early 2000’s it became apparent to the ITTF that many countries around the world did not have adequate resources to create their own coaching education programs.  In 2004 the ITTF introduced its own standardize coaching education and certification program.  There are currently two levels of courses available in the USA, (Level 1 + 2) and Level 3 will be introduced later this year.  In total there will be four levels of ITTF Certification.  The ITTF has created two excellent coaching manuals to support these courses and trained a number of ITTF Course Conductors to teach these courses.  (Please see attached ITTF Coaching System Document)
USATT began offering ITTF Level 1 Courses on a regional level in 2011.  So far, 172 USA coaches have finished all their requirements and become ITTF Certified Coaches.  USATT introduced the ITTF Level 2 Courses in 2013 and currently there are 30 ITTF Level 2 Coaches in the USA.  The first Level 3 Course will be held during 2014.
The Advantages of the ITTF System:
·         Since 2004, hundreds of the Level 1 Courses have been given around the World and the course has been constantly refined and improved.  The standardization of these courses around the World ensures that every coach going through an ITTF Course is receiving the same excellent education.  The course you will receive is exactly the same as taught in every country.
·         All ITTF Courses require a coach to pass a short practical exam and to also coach a number of hours in their local community with this work supervised and graded. 
·         ITTF Certification is recognized world-wide and all ITTF Coaches are listed on the ITTF Coaches Data-base, on-line at the ITTF Website. 
·         There is no “grandfathering” any coach into the ITTF System.  All coaches must start at Level 1 and work their way up. 
Who Should Attend An ITTF-PPT Level 1 Course?
The short answer is anyone who is coaching children!  The ITTF Level 1 Course has at its focus, how to coach juniors and how to conduct group trainings.  This also makes the Level 1 Course a perfect first course for anyone wishing to enter the coaching profession.  Of course, higher level coaches who wish to take the higher ITTF Level Courses that focus more on elite athletes also need to take the Level 1 Course as well.  Many of the USATT National Coaches have taken the Level 1 Course in the last year and I can tell you that even the most experience coaches found the material in the Level 1 Course interesting and challenging.
Parents of juniors competing in tournaments will also find this course very useful in helping their own children reach their full potential.  Coach McAfee will be adding a number of documents developed especially to assist parents/coaches in fast tracking the development of the Junior Athlete. 
Finally, while the ITTF-PTT Level 1 Course is a course on how to teach the sport, course participants often find their own playing skills improved.  You have to really understand a technique in order to be able to teach it well.
What to Expect During the Course:
There will be two three hour sessions each day.  The course is divided about equally between classroom work and on-table exercises.  The course is very active and fun.  The ITTF Level 1 Course takes four days.  On the fifth day, the Para training takes place which includes education on understanding the “classes” of the Para athletes, and how to effectively coach a Para athlete.  From my own personal experience as a course conductor, I have found the Para training to always be the most interesting part of the course.
Finally, I want to thank the Samson Dubina Table Tennis Academy for hosting an ITTF-PPT Level 1 Course.  Coaches are the “backbone” of our sport.  We need inspired and educated coaches at all levels in order to grow our sport. 
If you are currently coaching table tennis or have ever thought about becoming a coach, I urge you to join this course. 
 
See you soon,
Richard McAfee, ITTF Course Conductor/Trainer
USATT National Coach
 
If you have questions regarding the course, please e-mail e-mail Samson Dubina tt@samsondubina.com