New Online Courses Mark a Continued Investment in Coach Education
Original release July 2, 2024 – Updated December 2, 2024 – Boulder, Colorado, USA – USA Cycling and Fast Talk Laboratories have partnered to launch two new Continuing Education Unit (CEU) courses for USA Cycling coaches. Focused on developing communication skills and building more effective training plans, these two courses can help coaches meet USA Cycling’s reinstated CEU requirement for coaching license renewal in 2024. Coaches can explore these courses and enroll through learn.usacycling.org.
Each new CEU course draws content from The Craft of Coaching with Joe Friel, plus new guidance from veteran coaches. In “Coach-Athlete Communication,” veteran coaches offer helpful guidance focused on communication basics and specific, situational tactics that coaches can put into practice immediately. “The Art & Science of Training Plan Creation” taps expert coaches like Joe Friel, Dean Golich, Jim Miller, Houshang Amiri, Trevor Connor, Adam Pulford, Ryan Kohler, and Dave Schell to demonstrate how these expert coaches develop effective training plans for a variety of athlete needs.
In April, USA Cycling announced that it would resume its coach education CEU program this summer. The program had been paused during COVID to accommodate the many challenges coaches faced while racing was suspended. Under the reinstated program, USA Cycling coaches are required to earn 6 credits by the end of 2024 to maintain their coaching license. To ensure all USA Cycling coaches are adhering to industry best practices, these 6 credits must include at least one of the CEU courses: Coach-Athlete Communication or The Art & Science of Training Plan Creation. These courses are available exclusively from the Fast Talk Labs platform and each course will take about 4 hours. Each course is worth 4 CEUs upon successful completion.
Coaches can also earn CEUs through monthly live events worth 1 CEU each. Fast Talk Labs will host these events, which will complement the CEU courses. These events are scheduled for:
- Thursday, August 15 at 11 am Mountain Time: Mastering Coach-Athlete Communication
- Wednesday, September 18 (Time TBD): Mastering the Art and Science of Training Plan Creation
- Tuesday, October 8 (Time TBD): Mastering Coach-Athlete Communication
- Wednesday, November 13 (Time TBD): Mastering the Art and Science of Training Plan Creation
“Coaching education is critical to meeting the evolving needs of all types of athletes,” said Suzy Sanchez, Director of DEI and Membership Programs for USA Cycling. “By investing in new courses and online events, USA Cycling is ensuring the best coaching experience for riders while demonstrating the rigor and quality of our coaching certification program.”
“Since 2022, Fast Talk Labs has been a key partner supporting USA Cycling coaching education, offering free coach memberships to our online education platform,” added Trevor Connor, CEO of Fast Talk Laboratories. “We are thrilled to help USA Cycling spearhead this near-term coach education effort and to collaborate with USA Cycling to develop its new coach education and license upgrade program for 2025.”
About USA Cycling
USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States at all levels and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists from enthusiasts just beginning in the sport to seasoned professionals. Learn more at usacycling.org.
About Fast Talk Laboratories
Fast Talk Laboratories is a new and fast-growing training knowledge base for cyclists, triathletes, runners, and coaches. We tap the most engaging experts in sports, sport science, and related fields to share knowledge and experience with our members through comprehensive deep dives, online events, and a dynamic Forum and social community. We are the home of The Craft of Coaching with Joe Friel and a coaching development and education collaborator of USA Cycling, USA Triathlon, and TrainingPeaks. Learn more and join for free at fasttalklabs.com.
Reach Our Coaches: coaches@fasttalklabs.com
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