What is strip coaching?

Strip coaching is when a coach accompanies a competitor to a tournament and provides advice during the actual bouts. A student will generally have anywhere from 3-12 bouts per event, and most events run for 1.5-2.5 hours). Strip coaching is incredibly important for successful competition. Often, in the moment, the competitor is unable to see why they are not getting points or are unable to take advantage of mistakes their opponent is making. The strip coach, watching from the outside, can see these things and guide the student during a match.

Strip coaching is most effective when there is a relationship between the coach and the student. This means that the student must have trained with the coach sufficiently that the coach knows how the student moves, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and understands their psychological state during a bout. While a coach can help out a student that s/he has had no interaction with, the results will not be much better than grabbing a random coach at a tournament and asking them to coach you. The coach and student must “speak the same language” for it to be a successful endeavor. For this reason, it is important for our competitive students to attend classes and training sessions regularly!

Additionally, by coaching a student during competition, the coach gains insight into what aspects of training they should focus on with their students.

Are there times when a student can’t be coached?

Occasionally, one student who is getting coached may fight another student who is also being coached by the same coach. If only one coach is available, then neither student is coached. If two coaches are available, they will often split the duties, with one coaching one student, and one coaching the other.

Sometimes, there are multiple students competing at the same time on different strips, and the coach can not be everywhere. Generally, the coach will prioritize coaching less experienced competitors in the round robin bouts, and prioritize the more experienced competitors in the DE rounds. Regional Team members may be prioritized over non-team members, depending on the event.

Can’t I just strip coach my child?

Parents (and fellow students) certainly have a role in coaching when the Coach is not present. However, when a coach is present, they are the one that should be directing the student. When a coach is present, the role of the parent is to provide encouragement and praise for the effort that their student is putting into the match. Try to avoid shouting out advice, as it may be at odds with what the coach is telling them to do, or it may overwhelm to the student by giving them too much to think about at once. By the rules, only ONE person may have access to the fencer during breaks between points. This is generally the coach, so if a coach is there, avoid stepping up to your student to provide water, advice, or assist in fixing gear.

How do I get strip coaching and how much does it cost?

Regional Team Members: Strip coaching is included in the membership cost for pre-specified “Team Tournaments.” If you are planning to compete at additional tournaments and would like strip coaching, please let one of the Coaches know at least 2 weeks in advance. Coaching at non-Team Tournaments will be charged to your account.

Non-Regional Team Members: If you are planning to compete in a tournament, please let us know! In many cases, we may already have a Coach attending the tournament. Request strip coaching at least 2 weeks in advance so that we can attempt to get additional coaches if necessary. Strip coaching is charged by the event, and will be charged to your account.

We do need to have a minimum number of people attending a tournament in order to provide coaching, so please request early so that we can coordinate with other students!

If you decide that you do NOT want strip coaching at an event that we have a coach at, please let us know. We endeavor to help ALL of our students, so our default is to coach WFA students when they are competing. If you’ve decided that YOU will coach your student and/or that you want to forego strip coaching entirely, please let us know ahead of time so that there won’t be confusion on the strip!

Local (Seattle area) Events: $35/event
Travel (Portland area) Events: $75/event