FMR Coaching Courses relevance

[IainR]

Iain's points :

-the reference to the course being 'basic' is not bourne out by the views of the delivery team, UKA / EA and coaches who have attended the FMR but also have done the old L2 - they all agree that it is at a higher level.
- the inference to the courses not being developed after consultation with attendees has no basis at all, the course now is vastly different to the origonal in many respects.
- his questioning of the need for fells coaching reveals his ignorance of the course content and skills and is not evidenced by the demand for the courses, the excellent reviews it recieves from people who attend or the origonal reasons why they were set up - because the existing UKA courses did not meet the needs of the fell running community. UKA is struggling to fill LiRF and CiRF courses, the FRA courses have never been cancelled and always fill up quick - in fact, the tutor team reckons there are usually too many on them for comfort.
-If his evidence base for the above comes from the comments of Sarah, one of only 3 people from 42 who have started the course and completed both weekends, I suggest he needs to ask around a bit more before committing himself to such comments on a public forum.
- the comments about MTLB refer to his complaint elsewhere on the forum that the Fell LiRF in 1 day gives the same insurance cover as many more he had to do with the MLTB, as I replied in the email to him - I don't have a problem with UKA's insurers covering us for that. If that gives him a problem with added competition to his business then that's his problem, the FRA are just ensuring that fell coaches are covered.

1. Why ask around.. if that's someone's view it is valid. Its a public forum.. therefore comments are free to be made..
2. So now they are FRA courses.. I thought they were UKA courses.. come on make your mind up..
3. Which email to me?
4. Competition.. I suggest you speak with others I've encouraged to set up businesses.. Dave Taylor for 1... There's plenty of growth in the field yet. I have another email off someone asking about setting up elsewhere and I provided advice and encouragement. I have concerns about people listing these qualifications as guiding qualifications... as is happening.
5. I have genuine concerns that fell running is entering a dangerous phase, winter gear is opening up terrain I don't think many have the skills to cope with and I've seriously worried that there is a huge lack of remit to the course..
6. I don't think the FRA course gives anything like the same level of protection that the MLTB system does. If you think so you are grossly ignorant of the MLTB system and its insurance.
7. Try just responding not with those little gripes about competition. Its just childish.. but I am not surprised..
8. Genuinely surprised that you think the course does allow people to lead runs.. not just fell specific training sessions.. The defence of it was always that it was just a strange choice of name but wasn't for 'guiding' groups running.. but you are now saying.. in text... that's exactly what it is for.. brave call by you. Think that's born out of stubborness.. as should a fatality happen on such a run the 'qualification' will be seriously questioned...