Below is an outline of the program and the requirements you must complete prior to attending an Assessment for ECP Certification.
To obtain Certification through the Eventing Coaches Program, you will need to:
- Become an ECP Registered Candidate Coach by completing the ECP Candidate Application
form and paying the $75.00 registration fee, which includes the digital ECP Workbook and the ECP Standards Booklet. The primary resource for the ECP is the USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels, which all USEA members received free. The link is in the membership box in your USEA online services dashboard.
- Obtain a written sign-off from an experienced eventing professional for your participation at the
ECP Level you choose. The sign-off page is the last page of the ECP Candidate Application form.
- Student Verification: Submit three (3) of your current students, or students you have previously taught, at the highest level at which you will be seeking certification. For example, Level II-Modified Coaches should submit three (3) student verification forms and competition records for students at the Modified/CCI1* level. For the Starter level, coaches must provide student verification forms and results from the events at which the student competed. We understand Starter results will come from either recognized events who are running the Starter level in conjunction with their event, or from unrecognized events. ECP Student Verification forms and competition records may returned via email, fax, or U.S. Post.
The levels of ECP certification were changed on May 18, 2023. The new certification levels are:
- Starter – coaches of riders at Starter level
- Level I-Beginner Novice – coaches of riders up through Beginner Novice level
- Level I-Novice – coaches of riders up through Novice level
- Level II-Training – coaches of riders up through Training level
- Level II-Modified – coaches of riders up through Modified and CCI1* level
- Level III – coaches of riders up through Preliminary and CCI2* level
- Level IV – coaches of riders up through Intermediate and CCI3* level
- Level V – coaches of riders up through Advanced and CCI4*/5* level
For Certification at Levels I-V:
- Attend a Teaching of Dressage Workshop
- Attend a Teaching of Jumping Workshop
- Cost of each Workshop is $450.00 ($900.00 total to attend both Workshops)
- It is acceptable to attend one Workshop and then the other at another time during the year (ideally the Teaching of Dressage Workshop before the Teaching of Jumping Workshop).
- Candidate Coaches must contact the Workshop Host to obtain a registration form and schedule.
- ECP Workshops and Assessments can be found at on the USEA website: https://useventing.com/safety-education/coachs-certification-program/upcoming-ECP-workshops-assessments
Workshop Attendance:
- You may attend Workshops before you complete the ECP Candidate Application form and register as an ECP Candidate Coach. However, you will not receive the ECP publications if you do not register prior to attending a workshop. It is strongly recommended that you register and review the publications prior to arriving at the workshop.
- If you are not seeking ECP Certification, you may attend any ECP Workshop as an auditor at the cost of $50/day, payable to the Workshop host. We have many Workshop participants who attend Workshop(s) for the educational value they provide.
- Auditing does not fulfill the Workshop attendance requirements for ECP Certification.
Recommendations for Being Mentored:
- At the end of a Workshop, you may receive recommendations from the ECP Faculty to do some additional independent study and or mentoring before you are ready for Assessment.
- Mentoring may be completed with already certified event coaches, or other qualified professionals.
Eligibility for Assessment for ECP Certification:
- After attending the required Workshop(s) for your ECP Level, and completing any required mentoring, you are eligible to register for an ECP Assessment.
- Complete the ECP Assessment Registration form and submit it with payment to Nancy Knight at the USEA office or via email [email protected].
- Please be advised that being registered for an Assessment does not mean you will automatically be Certified.
- Assessments are one day in length and cost $550.00.
To be Assessed You Must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a current USEA member.
You must also provide the following: If you have completed any of these requirements through the USEF, USPC, USDF, USHJA, or any other entity that requires them, you may submit confirmation of completion; you do not have to complete them again.
- Proof of current CPR and First Aid Certification
- Nationwide Criminal Background Check (to be submitted prior to Assessment and then every 2-years for as long as you maintain your ECP Certification.)
- Proof of Safe Sport Training
- Proof of Concussion Protocol Training
- Signed Code of Conduct
- Proof of current Liability Insurance (COI)
CPR AND FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
You may obtain your CPR and
First Aid Certification online from any of the sites listed below:
www.redcross.org
www.ECPri.com
www.firstaidweb.com
www.cprandfirstaid.net
www.cpr-first-aid.com
www.cprfirstaid.org
www.cpraccess.com
Nationwide Criminal Background Check
You may obtain a Nationwide Criminal Background Check online from either of the sites listed below. You are not required to use these sites and may use any background check service you wish, provided it is a nationwide criminal background check. If you have completed a nationwide criminal background check through your current employer, you may submit that information.
www.criminalwatchdog.com
https://www.ussearch.com/
Safe Sport Training link: https://safesport.org/
- Complete Safe Sport Training and email the completion certificates to: ([email protected]).
Directions to complete Safe Sport Training:
- Go to the USEF Website www.usef.org
- Click on “My USEF” in the top right-hand corner of the home page
- Look below the log in prompts and click on “Create New Account”
- Tick “I don’t know” when asked if you have an existing ID
- Input your First and Last names in ID Search and hit return. If you do have an existing USEF ID # you will be prompted to log in or create a login.
- If you do not have an existing USEF ID # you will receive the following message : “No search results”, you can search again or select “No, I am new to USEF” – Click on the button beside “No, I am new to USEF” above the login information on the same page.
- Continue creating a new ID #.
Concussion Protocol Training link: https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/training/index.html
Code of Professional Responsibility:
Insurance Binder (COI)
Submit a copy of the binder page of your liability insurance policy, which is the page that lists your name, the current effective dates, and the policy limits.
ECP Cindy Burge Grant for ECP Assessment for Certification:
USPC Eleanor Brennan Memorial Fund
- USPC members may be eligible for these grants, which cover the fee to attend ECP Workshops. Please use the link below to access the application.
Eleanor-Brennan-Memorial-Fund-Application.pdf (useventing.com)
Additional grants available for ECP Certification
ECP Continuing Education:
- There is a Continuing Education section included in the ECP Workbook which outlines the specifics of that program.
- Every ECP Certified Coach is expected to fulfill the continuing education credit requirements every four years.
Please contact Nancy Knight at [email protected] with any questions.
The USEA is the official sport affiliate of U.S. Equestrian
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