06/29/2014
Saber coaches! Bradley Baker returns as an instructor in the DVFC Coaching Workshop Series for a second year. Bradley coached at Temple University, a perennial top-10 NCAA program, for nine years in 2004-2013. While there, he was responsible for the épée and sabre squads, including coaching All-Americans in each weapon. From 2000-2004, he served as head coach of the University of Massachusetts club team. Under his guidance, UMass won the national collegiate club championships in 2003 and 2004. In 2001-2002, he was named "Coach of the Year" by the Northeast Fencing Conference. After many years of attendance as a participant, Bradley joined the staff of USA Fencing's National Coaches College in 2009 and was an instructor at the 2012 USA Fencing Coaches Institute. He is also a Certified Referee Instructor for USA Fencing and an active national- and international-level referee in all three weapons. As a competitor, Bradley reached a peak national ranking of 13th in men's sabre during 2010. He is currently working towards a PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in Tourism and Sport at Temple University. He holds an MS in Sport and Recreation Management from Temple University ('12) and a BS with double major in Computer Science and Mathematical Sciences from Johns Hopkins University ('98).
The primary objectives of the clinic are building an effective tactical framework for the sabre game, methods to incorporate athlete-control into lessons, and general improvement of lesson-giving skills for participant coaches. Discussion will emphasize common situations in sabre bouts and how to approach each from the perspective of both an athlete and a coach. The goal of the weekend is to provide attendees with new tools, methods, and ideas which they can bring back and incorporate into teaching at their home clubs. The focus will be on how to think about problems and develop solutions. Participants will be challenged to engage in creative problem solving during development of lessons and drills.
