USA Cycling Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Policy Continuing Education Policy Purpose: The purpose of the continuing education policy is to encourage USA Cycling licensed coaches to stay abreast of evolving knowledge and skills related to being a cycling coach. Continuing education promotes the competency of the coach. FAQ section at the end. IMPORTANT NOTES The ability to count academic degrees has been removed; you can still count individual college courses that you have taken that apply to coaching cyclists or being a professional cycling coach. LAPSED LICENSES Please see the Renewal Procedures page for information on reinstating a lapsed coaching license. All coaches will be required to submit a CEU summary when the criminal background check (CBC) is due. USAC will publish on its website a list of when coaches have CEU and the CBC is due. Each coach is responsible for maintaining a record of his/her CEU activities. USA Cycling cannot track activities outside of USA Cycling seminars or clinics. For instance, you attend a personal training certification course, USAC would have no way of knowing about it. The coach is also responsible for maintaining a record of USAC seminars and clinics attended. Updates/Clarifications/New Stuff Please note that USA Cycling has plans for a new online program for the CEU report form that would also allow for payment of all fees online. The update to the program changes the way USA Cycling assigns values to continuing education opportunities. It has no real effect upon the requirements, but the first couple of years will require a conversion. Previously, USA Cycling used (in general) a value of 0.1 CEU for 1 contact hour and required 4.0 CEUs every two years. Effective for those renewing/re-certifying for 2012, USA Cycling will count (in general) each approved contact hour as 1 CEU. The requirement will be moved to 40 CEUs every 2 years. Since 2012 will be a transition year, if you have an activity approved for 0.1 CEU, you can convert that to 1.0 CEU when it is time to report. Basically, take the CEU value and multiply by 10. For level 2 and level 1 coaches, the recertification fee will be scaled so that if you have 20 CEUs, you will pay a reduced recertification fee. Please keep in mind that the annual coaching license fee is still required and 1
is a separate fee. With this change, the recertification fee will no longer be payable online through your MYUSACYCLING account. Coaching Level 40+ CEUs 20-39 CEUs 0-19 CEUs Level 3 No recertification fee $20+reexamination $35+reexamination Level 2 No recertification fee $79 $149+reexamination Level 1 No recertification fee $129 $249 Criminal Background Checks In the past the criminal background check (CBC) and the CEU requirement were linked. When one was due so was the other. Going forward, they may not be linked for everyone. There will be some situations where your criminal background check is due at a different time from you CEU report. As in the past, about midway through the year, a report will show who has what due and when. Program Overview In order to maintain your coaching certification through USA Cycling, each coach is required to complete 40 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over a two-year cycle. The CEUs are required to be submitted for recertification every two (2) years based on the first year in which the coach earned a coaching license. Upgrading a coaching license does NOT re-start the CEU clock. USA Cycling publishes a yearly list of coaches that must submit the CEU report form (along with the criminal background check). In general one (1) contact hour is equivalent to one (1) CEU. A contact hour can be considered 1 hour of lecture or seminar attendance. However, USA Cycling reserves the right to value an activity as it sees fit. For instance, working at a USA Cycling Development Camp earns CEUs, but not at a rate of 1 CEU for each hour worked. Along those lines, USA Cycling may not assign the same value to an activity that another organization assigns. USA Cycling bases the CEU value on the applicability to coaching cyclists. See the FAQ for some specific examples. Prior to this policy, CEUs were issued at a value of 0.1 CEU per contact hour. If you earned CEUs under that system, multiply the old value by 10 to convert to the new value. With Distinction USA Cycling wants to recognize the coaches who maintain their coaching certifications through continuing education. Beginning in March 2010, the *D or With Distinction category was added. If a coach earns the requisite CEUs to recertify, the coach will have the *D designation on the FIND A COACH page and his/her coaching certificate will also include With Distinction. The *D designation is available only when CEUs are due; the designation cannot be attained during a CEU cycle. 2
Performance Conditioning Cycling Self-Tests Another change has been made to the Performance Conditioning Cycling (PCC) self-tests to make the process easier (hopefully!). The entire self-test process can now be completed through your MYUSACYCLING account from taking the test to paying for the test. The self-tests are listed under VIEW AVAILABLE CLINICS. The cost for the online test is $15/test ($25 per test for mail in tests). With this change PCC selftests will be credited in the year in which the test is paid for. Non-USA Cycling seminars/conferences It is important that you understand that USA Cycling will assign a CEU value to activities. Please do not assume that because another organization has approved the activity for continuing education that USA Cycling will do so. By the same token, do not assume that USA Cycling will assign the same value to an activity. For one thing, different organizations count contact hours (e.g., the hours spent in class) differently. USA Triathlon and others count each hour as one (1) CEU/CEC whereas USA Cycling counts each hour as 0.1 CEU. Along those lines, USA Cycling only counts the hours that are connected to coaching cyclists. So you may attend a USA Triathlon conference where some time is spent on running, swimming, cycling, nutrition, etc. The hours spent on running and swimming would not count. Topics that cut across all sports like nutrition or periodization or sport psychology often will be counted. In addition, different organizations count CEUs (or CECs) in different ways. For instance, USA Triathlon and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) count each contact hour as 1 CEU. USA Cycling counts each contact hour as 0.1 CEU. Approved conferences/seminars are listed at the USA Cycling website. If you are interested in attending a seminar or conference that is not listed at the above site, your best bet is to send the Coaching Education Manager information on the conference or activity BEFORE attending (or very soon after) so that a CEU value can be assigned. The information should include an agenda and list of presenters preferably with bios. Non-USA Cycling Certifications To streamline the CEU policy, certifications were removed from the document. They are now listed on the USA Cycling website. The list is not exhaustive. If there is a certification not listed, please contact the USA Cycling Coaching Education Manager. Please note that organizations such as USA Triathlon, USA Track and Field, USA Weightlifting, (and USA Cycling) are all part of the Olympic family and are NGBs National Governing Bodies---and are categorized as Other NGB Coaching Certifications if not listed individually. Calculating CEUs In general, CEUs are based on actual clock hours or contact hours undertaken to complete the activity or event. In general, one contact hour equals 1.0 CEU; thus, attending a 8 hour lecture will generally yield 8 CEUs. However, USA Cycling will assign a value for a seminar/clinic/conference based on its relevance to coaching cyclists. Healthcare providers may attend courses that might count for USA Cycling CEUs. The Coaching Education Manager will determine the CEU value, if any, for medical conferences. However, the determination will be made on the value of the course to you as a cycling coach not as a healthcare provider. For instance, a 3
course on knee placement therapy might not count as coaching CEUs. The course is aimed at rehab and not at coaching. Continuing education does NOT include the daily activities of a coach such as attending training, leading training rides, meeting with athletes, etc. USA Cycling seminars and clinics will each have a CEU value given to them. In general, 10 CEU will be offered for each day. Non-USAC courses will be assigned a CEU value by the Coaching Education Manager. Seminars and conferences are assigned values and will be listed on the USAC website. If you see a seminar/conference that you would like to attend that is not listed, send the Coaching Education manager the agenda or link to the conference agenda so a CEU value can be assigned. If you are putting on a conference/seminar, send the agenda or link to the agenda and the Coaching Education manager will assign a CEU value. In general, to be eligible for CEUs a seminar/conference must be applicable to coaching cyclists or performance improvement related to cycling. Courses taken in the same calendar year as you become a coach count toward that year. For instance, if you attend a conference that would earn CEUs in January but do not become a certified coach until March, the course in January will count toward that year s CEU. However, if you become a coach in January you cannot count a course taken in the previous calendar year as CEUs. Exception: if you become a certified coach on or after December 1, anything you do in December counts in that 2 year cycle. Essentially you have an extra month. For instance, Josie becomes a coach on December 2, 2010. She takes a USAC level 2 course on December 5-7, 2010. When she renews for 2012 she counts that December 2010 course in her 2010-2012 cycle. However, a seminar she attended in November 2010 would not count. What if I do not attain the required CEUs? If a coach does not meet the CEU requirement for the reporting period, his/her certification will not be renewed. A coach not meeting the CEU requirement may renew his/her 2011 coaching license if the coach pays a recertification fee: Level 3 coaches pay a recertification fee of $20. Level 2 coaches pay a re-certification fee of $149. Level 1 coaches may pay the re-certification fee of $249. NEW FOR 2012 RENEWAL Effective for renewals for 2012, the recertification fee will be scaled so that a coach who has accumulated 20 or more CEUs will pay a reduced recertification fee. Please keep in mind that the annual coaching license fee is still required and is a separate fee. With this change, the recertification fee will no longer be payable online through your MYUSACYCLING account. If you fall into this category, submit the CEU Report Form and include the proper recertification fee. 4
Coaching Level 40+ CEUs 20-39 CEUs 0-19 CEUs Level 3 No recertification fee $20+reexamination $35+reexamination Level 2 No recertification fee $79 $149 Level 1 No recertification fee $129 $249 Since the level 3 exam has been changed, a coach may wish to purchase Introduction to Coaching Cyclists although it is not required. The examination is based on that book along with USAC rules, UCI rules, and WADA/USADA anti-doping code. Procedures for the re-examination and payment of fees will be developed. What to Turn in? When it comes time to turn in the CEU information, all that needs to be completed and sent in is the CEU Report Form. This report form should only be sent in when it is time to report the CEUs. You should not turn in the CEU report form 1) when you reach 40 CEUs 2) or piece meal such as every time you complete a continuing education activity. Please only turn in the report form at the time it is due (the same year as the criminal background check is due with your renewal). When it comes time to complete the report, send only the report form. Do not send copies of certificates, receipts or other supporting documentation. If you are chosen for an audit, then you will need to make those available. Frequently Asked Questions Note: The following only deal with the CEU policy and not other factors related to coaching license renewal. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE VALUES BELOW REFLECT THE NEW CEU VALUATION SCHEME. Q: I first became a level 3 coach in early 2010 and then attended a level 2 clinic in late 2010. How many more CEUs do I need to renew for 2012? A: You earned 15 CEUs for the level 3 in 2010 and then 30 for attending the level 2 clinic in 2010. That is 45 CEUS. You have all the CEUs that you need to renew for 2012. Q: I first became a level 3 coach in early 2010 and then attended a level 2 clinic in late 2011. How many more CEUs do I need to renew for 2011? A: See above Q: I became a level 3 coach after December 1, 2010, how many CEUs do I earn? A: Effective December 1, 2009, the CEU value for the level 3 certification was increased to 20 CEU. 5
Q: Following up on the above question, I did not complete the level 2 exam in 2009. Does that mean I did not earn CEUs for the level 2 clinic? A: No. The CEUs are issued for the clinic, not the test. This is a change from an earlier policy. Q: I have been a level 2 coach for several years and will not have enough CEUs to renew. What do I do to renew for the upcoming year? A: You simply pay the recertification fee of $149 or you may attend the level 2 clinic again (for the clinic fee). Q: If I upgrade my coaching license does that reset the CEU clock? A: No. The two year CEU cycle is essentially based on the first year in which you earned a coaching license (there are some exceptions). The CEU cycle is also tied to the criminal background check due date. Q: Does USA Cycling keep track of my CEUs? A: No. The coach is responsible for tracking all CEUs. While USAC can look up some CEU credits, it cannot track all CEUs. For instance, if you attend a national meeting for your personal trainer certification or take some college courses related to coaching, then USAC would have no way of knowing about these credits. If you need to know when you attended a USAC activity such as the Summit or a certification clinic, USAC can research its records for verification if you give the location, year and month (as best you can recall). Another avenue for tracking CEUs is through your MYUSACYCLING account. You can at least see the list of activities if the activity was paid for through the MYUSACYCLING account; the CEU value is not listed, but it should serve some assistance. Q: I became a USA Triathlon level 1 coach this year, does that count for CEUs? A: Yes. USA Triathlon and USA Cycling are the National Governing Bodies (NGB) for their respective sports. USA Cycling recognizes that other NGBs offer good coaching certification and that many principles of coaching are common to all sports. Q: I recertified as a USA Triathlon coach this year. Does the re-certification count for CEUs? A: No. Recertification for a coaching license or other certifications (except for CPR and its relatives ) does not count. The certification can only count in the year the certification was earned. However, if you took courses for continuing education towards one of those certifications, you might be able to apply one or more to the USA Cycling CEU requirement. Q: I was asked to do a presentation at a local cycling club. Can I count the presentation for CEUs? A: USA Cycling no longer offers credit for presentations a coach puts on. However, any coaches in the audience can request CEUs for attending. 6
Calculating CEU credit Use the table below to determine the number of CEUs that will be approved for a given activity. A contact hour is generally an hour of lecture or activity time and generally yields 0.1 CEU, but all CEUs need USAC approval. In the table below, the sections related to non-usa Cycling certifications have been removed in some cases. They are now listed on the USA Cycling website in the Approved CEU Programs area. If you do not see the activity listed, please contact the USA Cycling Coaching Education manager for a CEU value to be assigned to the activity (preferably BEFORE it is time to recertify). Activity Requirement 1 CEUs Documentation Required USAC Coaching Seminar Attendance To be assigned Photocopy of certificate of attendance/ receipt USAC Coaching Webinar 2 Attendance Generally, 1.5 for a 1 hour webinar; 2.0 per 1.5 hour Photocopy of certificate of attendance/ receipt/printed email follow up webinar 3 USAC Level 2 Certification Clinic 4 Attendance 30 5 Attendance, photocopy of receipt USAC Level 1 Certification Clinic 6 Attendance 40 7 Attendance, photocopy of receipt USAC Power Based Training Seminar Attendance 20 Photocopy of certificate of attendance/ receipt Level 3 Certification Certification 20 You must complete the requirements and become a level 3 coach Power Based Training Certification Certification 10 Coaching license certificate 1 Attendance is required. Merely paying for the clinic/conference/etc is not sufficient. 2 A coach cannot attend the same webinar from the same presenter and receive credit for each webinar in a year. For instance, a webinar on How to Use the Webinar by Sam Callan can only be counted one time in a calendar year; however, if Barney King presents on the same topic, the coach can earn CEUs for each one. 3 The CEU value is based on the scheduled duration and not the actual duration. USA Cycling reserves the right to assign a CEU value that differs from this formula. 4 In the past one needed to complete the certification in order to earn CEUs; now attendance earns CEUs. Completing the exam for the certifications (except for the power training test) is no longer required; there is also no extra credit given for completing the certification exam (except for the power based training certification). This is retroactive. 5 This is NOT retroactive. Level 2 clinics taken prior to January 1, 2010 are worth 25 CEUs. Coaches may earn the same CEUs for attending the course as a refresher. 6 In the past one needed to complete the certification in order to earn CEUs; now attendance earns CEUs. Completing the exam for the certifications (except for the power training test) is no longer required; there is also no extra credit given for completing the certification exam (except for the power based training certification). This is retroactive. 7 Coaches may earn the same CEUs for attending the course as a refresher. 7
Activity Requirement 1 CEUs Documentation Required Non-USAC webinar Attendance Determined on an Copy of receipt or follow up individual basis email showing your name, Passing College course 8 Coursework 3.0 CEU per quarter hour or 5.0 CEU per semester hour Non-USAC Attendance 2.5 CEU per full Mechanics Clinics 9 day. date and topic Photocopy of unofficial or official transcript or grade report Photocopy of certificate of attendance or receipt Successful completion of Performance Conditioning for Cycling self tests Performance Conditioning for Cycling Self-Tests 10 1.0 for each Performance Conditioning for Cycling Self-Test 11,12. Receipt 13 Gatorade Sport Science Institute Self-Tests Human Kinetics Online Education Recognized coaching a charity program for cycling 14 Coaching a collegiate cycling (NCCA) team Successful completion of self tests through Gatorade Sport Science Institute (www.gssiweb.com ) Online Courses Charity Coaching Collegiate Coaching 1.0 for GSSI on line testing. Courses vary (see below) 5.0 for each calendar year of coaching for a charity 5.0 for each calendar/academic year of coaching A copy of the certificate Receipt/certificate from HK Online Letter from charity on official letterhead Letter from college cycling team on team letterhead or from university advisor/staff 8 College course must relate to coaching. Class may be pass/fail. Minimum grade to count for credit is 2.0. You cannot double count the college courses and degree. For instance, if you counted the courses individually then you cannot count the degree. If you count the degree then you cannot count the courses individually. 9 The non-usac mechanics clinics must be approved by the USAC Operations Manager/Chief Mechanic. 10 As more sources of self-testing are made available this section will be expanded. A cost may be associated with the self-tests. There is no limit on self-tests from Performance Conditioning or from GSSI. There also is no time limit (as stated on some older self-tests). 11 Beginning January 1, 2010, the cost of the online self-tests will be $15 each, but the cost of mailing in the self-tests will increase to $25 per test. 12 PCC self-tests taken online during 2009 will be worth 1.5 CEU. Payment must also be made online through your MYUSACYCLING page under COACHING CLINICS. This CEU bonus will expire on January 1, 2010. 13 There are two ways to pay for and take the PCC self-tests. A) A cancelled check or B) if you take the self-test through MYUSACYCLING, you can print off the record from your MYUSACYCLING account. 14 Currently, USA Cycling recognizes the JDRF, Ride for a Reason and Team in Training Cycling programs. If you participate in a charity program that is not listed, please contact the Coaching Education Manager for approval. Non-profit programs are not the same as charity programs. 8
Activity Requirement 1 CEUs Documentation Required High School Letter from league director or Coaching high school official The high school must compete in a state high school cycling league 15 Serving on a USAC Coaching Education Committee Being camp manager or coach Team Director at a UCI/IPC event Lead author articlespeer reviewed/refereed scientific journals that related to cycling or coaching 17 USAC Coaching Education Committee USAC Development Camp Team Director 5.0 for each calendar/academic year 10 per year Thank you email/letter from Coaching Education Manager 15 16 Letter from USAC Development Camp Manager/Coordinator 5.0 per competition day; maximum of 20 per race/event. A maximum of 20 CEUs per CEU cycle. Copy of official race program or letter from US Paralympic program staff Authorship 5.0 18 Photocopy of title page or table of contents Lead author chapters in book related to cycling or coaching. Lead author of cycling or coaching books 20 Editing a book on cycling Authorship of articles related to coaching cyclists Authorship 15 19 Photocopy of table of contents Authorship 5.0 Photocopy of table of contents Authorship 15 Photocopy of table of contents Authorship 2.5 in lay journals/magazines 21 Photocopy of table of contents 15 The high school league does not have to be an interscholastic sport. 16 The 15 (1.5 under the prior system) value is effective for 2011 camps; prior to 2011, the CEU value was 0.3 (under the old value system) per day. 17 The subject matter of the paper must deal with an aspect of coaching cyclists. Topics such as nutrition, sport psychology, etc would be accepted. The subjects do not need to be cyclists for the paper to count. 18 Prior to January 1, 2011, the value for peer-reviewed papers was 1.0 (under the old value system, 10 under the new system). 19 The value effective January 1, 2012 was changed to 2.5. The value prior to January 1, 2011 was 1.0 under the old system (10.0 under the new system). 20 Books or articles must be published by a publishing company and cannot be self published or appear in your own coaching newsletter. Under the old system the value was 2.0 (20 under the new system). However, effective January 1, 2012 the value has been changed. 9
Activity Requirement 1 CEUs Documentation Required Performance Authorship 2.5 CEU per article Reference to volume and issue Conditioning for Cycling USA Cycling Communique Authorship 2.5 per article Reference to issue (month, year) NGB (USAT, USATF, etc.) Coaching Certification 22 Certification 20 Photocopy of certification The following list is a sampling of organizations or companies that provide educational activities that are generally eligible for USA Cycling Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The list is not meant to be exhaustive and as providers become known, they will be added to the list. If you come across a seminar, conference or other potential avenue for continuing education, please contact the USA Cycling Coaching Education Manager for approval and a CEU value. In addition, in the Coaching Program area of the USA Cycling website, a new feature is a listing of approved CEU activities, conferences, seminars, etc. Check to see if the conference you are attending has been approved. The document is updated as needed. If you do not see it there, contact the USAC Coaching Education Manager to have a CEU value assigned. Human Kinetics Online Courses The following courses offered by Human Kinetics online (www.hkeducationcenter.com) will earn USA Cycling CEUs. As courses are added, USA Cycling will determine a CEU value. The eligible courses and their CEU value can be found on the approved programs page under CEU activities. 21 Effective December 31, 2010 authorship of articles will not count for CEUs except for peer-reviewed scientific articles, chapters/books or articles for Performance Conditioning Cycling, or for USA Cycling media. All articles must relate to coaching cyclists. 22 A NGB is a National Governing Body for a sport. Just as USA Cycling is the NGB for cycling, USA Triathlon is the NGB for triathlon as USATF is for athletics. Any coaching certification from another US NGB is worth 20 regardless of level. You may count each level in the year in which you first earn the certification. However, recertification does not count. 10
USA Cycling Coaching Education CEU Reporting Form The following form must be returned to the USA Cycling Science and Education Manager. YOU DO NOT NEED TO SEND DOCUMENTATION WITH THIS FORM UNLESS YOU WERE NOTIFIED TO DO SO! If you have a question about the CEU value for a clinic/conference/seminar, please visit the USAC website, Coaching Program area and then look under CEU Policy and Approved CEU Programs to see if the event is already listed. If it is not, send an agenda or web link to the coaching education manager at USA Cycling so that a CEU value can be assigned. If you were notified that you need to submit supporting documentation for earned CEUs, please review the table for appropriate documentation. In most cases, a copy of a certificate or similar documentation will suffice if the CEUs are a certificate; if it is an event, a receipt or similar item is valid. Each coach is responsible for maintaining a record of his/her CEU activities. USA Cycling cannot track activities outside of USA Cycling seminars or clinics. For instance, you attend a personal training certification course, USAC would have no way of knowing about it. The coach is also responsible for maintaining a record of USAC seminars and clinics attended. 11
CEU Summary Report Form Send with renewal form for the coaching license. The CEU Report form is due in the same year in which you renew your criminal background check. You may make additional copies if needed. However, submitting more than the required CEUs is not necessary. You should also retain a copy of the form yourself. Please only send in the summary form; only send in supporting documentation if you are instructed to do so. USA Cycling Coaching Education CEU Reporting Form for activities completed between January 1, and December 31,. 23 Name: USAC License Number: Activity Date Example: January 28, 2011 Activity Description (including location or other description information). USAC Level 2 Coaching Clinic 30 USAC CEU Value (new system) TOTAL Signature required: I attest to the fact that the information contained herein is a true and accurate statement of my continuing education activity. I understand that inaccurate reporting of CEU activity may result in revocation of my coaching license without reimbursement of the coaching license fee if the report is found to be fraudulent. Signature Date: 23 An exception is a coach who first takes out a coaching license December 1-31. Those coaches may count that month of December into his/her 2 year cycle. See the FAQ for more details. 12