The Rating
This is the fundamental entry level USPA Instructor rating. It will be the foundation that you will build upon while you obtain all of your other ratings. This course will give you the basic tools and understanding needed to instruct general skydiving concepts. This course also teaches coaches how to teach group freefall skills and teach new students how to build upon their newly developed skill sets.
The course focuses on adult learning principles, teaching techniques and understanding the ISP, as well as applying useful strategies to be successful in applying and teaching skydiving to novice students.
THE USPA COACH RATING ALLOWS YOU TO:
- Conduct training in the non-method-specific portions of the skydiving ground school:
(1) Equipment familiarization as it pertains to the first jump
(2) Basic canopy control
(3) Parachute emergency procedures
(4) Landings and landing emergencies (obstacles)
(5) Aircraft emergencies for students cleared to freefall self-supervision and who have completed the Category E aircraft briefing in the USPA Integrated Student Program - Teach the general portions of transition training for students changing from tandem to solo methods.
- Conduct group freefall and canopy skills training and jumps with students who have been cleared by a USPA Instructor.
- Make gripped exits with students during group freefall skills jumps.
- Supervise recurrency jumps with licensed skydivers.
- Supervise static-line and IAD students beginning in Category C after each student demonstrates a successful clear and pull:
(1) All ground training must be performed by an appropriately rated instructor.
(2) The student must be trained by an instructor to independently handle aircraft emergencies. - All student training and recurrency jumps with a USPA Coach are conducted under the supervision of a current and appropriately rated USPA Instructor.
How to Prepare
Prepare for the Ground Evaluation portion and the training section by reviewing the Coach Candidate Manual you receive after registration. Print the pages and bring them with you to the course or bring a tablet or laptop with the file. Make sure you have a SIM and IRM. Please familiarize yourself with these two important references. In order to facilitate that, you must have the Coach Test from the IRM completed BEFORE you show up for the course. You should also review SIM sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9. Here are some demo videos of teaching some of the lessons you should be familiar with:
CAT G1 GROUND
G1 - Introduction, setting up goals, demoing the jump (whole) (4:23)
G1 - Practicing the different sections and breaking down the skills (parts)
Floater Exit (6:48)
Examples of "Show me" (:27)
Forward Movement (4:37)
Docking (4:04)
Breakoff Sequence new skill (3:56)
Reverse Turns (1:22)
Landing Pattern review (:46)
G1 - Putting it all together for flow (whole) (7:18)
CAT G2 GROUND
G2 - Intro, goals, demo (whole) (3:35)
G2 - Practicing and breaking down skills (parts)
Diver Exit (7:11)
Levels (8:21)
Breakoff review (:47)
Flattest Glide (8:29)
Landing Pattern review (:46)
G2 - Putting it back together for flow (whole) 5:09
Prepare for the Air Evaluation portion of the course by doing 2 way relative work jumps with a friend, practicing flying close, laying a solid base, as well as making up distance. The air evals are not as high as standards for AFF Instructors, but you must be able to unconsciously fly your body well enough to observe a student in close proximity. Other peripheral freefall skills you may need to work on include fall rate, observation skills, and effective feedback.
CAT G AIR
Freefall G1
Freefall G2
Canopy
Pre-requisites
To participate in a USPA Coach Course you will need the following:
- Current USPA membership
- B-license
- Minimum of 100 jumps
- Have the required topics signed off on the Coach Proficiency Card or in USPA's online verification system prior to the course
- Have completed your exam (written or online)
- Have the USPA SIM and IRM - You need to have a current SIM and IRM for the course. (Within 24 months) Ordered from USPA
PROFICENCY CARD:
Have your Proficiency Card: You need to have this card filled out in all the required areas before showing up at the course. It is a good idea to attend as many FJC's and observe some of your seasoned instructors teach the ISP and see how they apply it. You can find this card in the back of the IRM or download it from the USPA, or have your supervising instructor mark these items completed in USPA's online verification system. Be sure to have the required areas done, most of the topics on the card will be covered by or signed by the Coach Course Director or evaluator.
THE EXAM:
Complete the pre-course exam online on the USPA website before you arrive. You need 80% to pass, and you can retake it as many times as you need. It's open book, so use the SIM, IRM and any other USPA resources. Your score is recorded on the USPA website.
Bring the most current SIM and IRM, printed or digital. Digital copies are free in the Downloads section of the USPA website, and printed copies can be ordered from Amazon.
The Course
The Course is three full days.
You must receive a satisfactory score in the following areas to complete the course:
- Satisfactorily conduct two training sessions from the assigned topics (FJC)
- Demonstrate the ability to teach topics from Categories F-H in the ISP
- Satisfactorily pass two ground evaluations (CAT G1 and G2)
- Satisfactorily conduct debrief and equipment checks
- Satisfactorily pass two air evaluations (CAT G1 and G2)
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