I wanted to share with you an invitation I just received to ECA/THRIVE! 2008 Fitness, Sports Training and Wellness Conference.  It is being held November 13 – 16, 2008 at the Miami Resort and Spa Hotel in Miami Beach, FL.  If things go according to plan, I will be in labor that weekend, so it is a no-go for me, but I want to let you know that it looks like it is going to be a great event. 

There are opportunities to get certified in Spinning, Stott Pilates. Some of my favorite presenters will be there sharing their knowledge:  Joshua Taylor is a Master Instructor for the Spinning program and a professional cyclist.  He is hands down the most exciting man from whom you can take a Spinning Workshop, IMHO.   Len Kravitz blew my mind the first time I heard him speak.  He is an expert in Fitness Science and will teach you more than you imagined about how the body works and how exercise changes the body.  Everyone has heard of Petra Kolber.  She is a staple in the Group Fitness world, as are Patrick Goudeau and Rob Glick.  There are others with outstanding resumes who will be presenting and the class line-up looks like a must-go.  If only I could!

If you are interested in checking out ECA/THRIVE! in Miami, you should visit the ECA World Fitness website:  http://www.ecaworldfitness.com.

We’re still discussing the AFAA Primary Group Certification workshop.  You can check out the prior posts here:  Post 1 and Post 2.  In this post, we’ll get into what happens the day of the workshop.

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A week and a half ago, I went to the APEX event for AFAA to recertify my Primary Group Certification.  A friend of mine had indicated interest in becoming Group Exercise certified, so I recruited her to come along, since a normally $299 certification only costs $99 during the APEX weekend.   Can’t argue with a deal like that.  So she and I set off from our homes in Charleston, SC to attend the Charlotte, NC event.  If you don’t count the ordeals we suffered, such as getting lost because Google Maps didn’t mention one of the roads necessary to find our hotel, or the fact that the hotel appeared to be on fire when we arrived, the trip and workshop made for a great weekend.  I especially enjoyed having my “newbie” friend with me, because it allowed me to experience a different side to mentorship.  It is one thing to coach a client or a student in your class, and another thing entirely to help that person become a coach or teacher.   After observing the experience from the perspective of someone totally brand new to the certification game, I realized that a step-by-step guide would probably be of help to more than just my friend.  So here is the start of a series of posts meant to help you get the most out of the AFAA certification process.
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