Coaching at an AAU tournament offers invaluable assistance to your athletes. Coaching is not just for instructors. In the AAU Taekwondo Program you do not have to be a martial artist to coach, provided you know the rules and have been properly certified. Coaching provides an excellent way for moms or dads to be involved with their children's competition. To best serve your athlete you need to be able to keep track of the time and score during their match, and be able to help the athlete with problems that may occur with their equipment or rules violations. Here is a list of items that are essentials for every coach to maximize their effectiveness.
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Pad of Paper and Pencil - To keep score and to write down any protest.
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Water Bottle - To refresh your athlete between rounds, or rinse off a mouth guard.
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Towel - To wipe sweat off your athlete between rounds or to wipe any loose moisture off the floor.
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White Athletic Tape - For hands, feet. Wrist, ankles. Olympic style sparring allows two wrappings of tape under sparring gear.
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Spare Mouth Guard - In the event that your athlete can not find their mouth piece or drops it on the floor during the match.
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Stopwatch - To keep time during the match. If the timekeeper makes a timing error, and your athlete lost because of points scored after the round should have ended, then your stopwatch would help you dispute the match. Keep in mind official and injury timeouts.
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Fingernail Clippers - For fingers and toes, and to trim mouth pieces.
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Coach's Clinic Participation Card - To prove you are currently eligible to coach.
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Coach's Pass - To prove you are authorized to coach at National Events.
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$25 - "I wish to formally protest this match". AAU Taekwondo matches cannot be protested unless you are prepared to immediately put up $25 on the spot with your protest. This is designed to keep frivolous protests from tying up the tournament.
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AAU Taekwondo Handbook - For confirming athlete requirements or rules violations. The handbook is essential for making sure that your athlete is doing the approved pattern for their belt level. Available for download. Click Rules and Regulations on this site.
As a coach you are an essential part of helping your athletes to have a positive, enjoyable tournament experience, and you are an asset to the entire AAU Taekwondo program!