USA Triathlon and IRONMAN U have announced a ‘first-of-its-kind partnership that will enable multisport coaches in the USA Triathlon Coaching Certification Program to earn USA Triathlon Approved Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by completing the IRONMAN U online coach certification course.’
Originally launched in 2015, IRONMAN U (formerly IRONMAN University) is an online, interactive 11-module course. As IRONMAN’s proprietary online education and coaching certification platform, it offers instruction for coaches and endurance athletes. The IRONMAN U course covers topics such as:
- IRONMAN history and coaching philosophy;
- Principles of exercise science;
- The science of swimming, cycling and running;
- Sports nutrition;
- Strength and conditioning;
- Developing training plans;
- The art of coaching;
- Event preparation and execution; and
- Coaching business.
The USA Triathlon Coaching Certification Program was established in order to provide aspiring coaches with the tools to develop athletes effectively, help them set and reach their goals in multisport, and maintain safe environments for training and racing.
The USAT program also enables coaches nationwide across the US to network and share best practices through in-person and online clinics and educational events. The USA Triathlon coach development pathway starts with an online learning course. This is called Foundations of USA Triathlon Coaching. The USAT course then progresses through increasingly advanced coach certifications to educate and support triathlon coaches of all levels.
“USA Triathlon is proud to collaborate with IRONMAN U to offer a variety of coaching education pathways and expand the collective knowledge and expertise of coaches across multisport,” said Tim Yount, USA Triathlon Chief Sport Development Officer.
“Through this partnership, coaches will be better able to earn recognition and credit for the time and investment they have put into their professional development. We are always looking for ways to provide our certified coaches with more opportunities to learn and grow to better serve their athletes and the broader triathlon community.”
The IRONMAN U certification will be worth 10 USA Triathlon Approved CEUs for USA Triathlon-certified coaches. Coaches recertify every two years. CEU requirements for USA Triathlon coaches vary based on certification level (I, II or III). For Level I coaches, the requirement is 15 CEUs per two-year recertification cycle.
“The most valuable asset a coach has is their knowledge of the sport,” said Earl Walton, Global Director of Coaching and Training at The IRONMAN Group. “Working with USA Triathlon to create more opportunities for coaches to learn is critical to the success of our sport at every level.
“This is the first part of a more unified focus from USA Triathlon and IRONMAN to collaborate to build great coaching programs for triathlon coaches.”
USA Triathlon and IRONMAN are ‘exploring a more expanded coaching education collaboration in the future, with an emphasis on providing mutual benefits for coaches across both platforms.’
u.ironman.com/courses/ironman-coaching-certification
www.usatriathlon.org/findacoach
