by Larry Eder
The largest grass roots running organization in the U.S. is the Road Runners Clubs of America. With over 1,300 clubs and 177,000 members. Here is a release on their new Director of Coaching Education, Randy Accetta, Ph.D.
RRCA Welcomes New Director of Coaching Education
The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) is pleased to announce that
Randy Accetta, Ph.D. has been hired as the Director of Coaching
Education, tasked with updating and expanding the RRCA Coaching
Certification program.
As an accomplished educator and runner, Randy brings a wealth of
experience to the RRCA coaching program. He is the Communications
Mentor for the top-ranked McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship at the
University of Arizona, where he has twice received Teacher of the Year
honors. Additionally, he has co-authored two continuing education
courses on how to coach runners, and he has written running-based
articles that have been published in Running Times, Runners World and
the New York Times. Randy is the current RRCA State Representative for
Arizona and is the immediate past president of the Southern Arizona
Roadrunners.
A former 2:19 marathoner who competed in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Marathon
Trials, Randy has a long history of coaching runners, including as the
Program Director for Craftsbury Running Camps, the Arizona Coach for
Team in Training, and The Workout Group in Tucson, Arizona. A graduate
of Wesleyan University (CT), Randy credits his fellow Wesleyan alumni as
inspiring him.
“Wesleyan has produced some of the major leaders of running in Bill
Rodgers, Jeff Galloway, Amby Burfoot. Those three have had such a
positive influence on health and fitness in America. I’m humbled that
the RRCA has given me this opportunity to help improve our nation’s
running and fitness education.”
Randy takes over for Patti Finke who voluntarily chaired the program
efforts from 2003 to 2011. The RRCA Coaching Certification was launched
in 1998 by Roy Benson and Carl Sniffen, and was then led by Andy Palmer
with support from Jim Duguay. Patti chaired the program efforts
following the death of Palmer and was instrumental in expanding the
program with assistance from instructors Mike Broderick and Janet
Hamilton who joined the program in 2008 as instructors. Janet Hamilton
will continue to instruct RRCA Coaching Certification Courses along with
Dr. Accetta in 2012. The RRCA thanks Patti and her husband Warren Finke
for their years of service to the program.
Since 1998, the RRCA has certified 2,285 distance running coaches to
work with adults of all ages and running abilities. RRCA Certified
Coaches can be found at www.rrca.org/find-a-coach/.
About RRCA: Founded in 1958, The Road Runners Club of America is
the oldest and largest national association of running clubs, running
events, and runners dedicated to promoting running as a competitive
sport and as healthy exercise. The mission of the RRCA is to promote
the sport of running through the development and growth of running clubs
and running events throughout the country. The RRCA supports the
common interests of runners of all abilities during all stages of life
by providing education and leadership opportunities along with programs
and services that benefit all runners. www.RRCA.org <http://www.RRCA.org>
Road Runners Club of America
1501 Lee Hwy, Ste 140
Arlington, VA 22209
703-525-3890
www.RRCA.org
