Adult Training of Youth at Official SCA Activities

Adult Training of Youth at Official SCA Activities

1. Legal guardians can always spar with their own children.
2. Adults may not participate as combatants in youth combat tournaments or melees.
3. Only authorised Youth Armoured Combatants, Youth Armoured Sparring Partners, and Youth Armoured Combat Marshals may spar with youth combatants
4. Parents may actively train their own children.
5. All training of youth combatants at official SCA activities, whether or not it includes sparring, must be done under the supervision of a warranted Youth Armoured Combat Marshal
6. Sparing is performed as training with the intent of teaching defensive and/or offensive skills to youth combatants.
   1. Sparring may also be part of a demonstration, educational, or morale building exercise.
7. Sparring with youth is normally conducted as one-on-one combat (one authorized adult sparring partner vs. one youth).
8. Group training activities and exhibitions, involving multiple youth and one or more adults, may be allowed at the discretion of the Youth Marshal in charge.
9. Precautions will be taken to minimize risk to all participants.
10. For the purposes of Youth Armored Combat, sparring has a definite meaning.
    1. If the adult is holding a weapon and is attempting to throw shots at the youth, this IS sparring.
    2. If both the adult and the youth are striking each other with weapons, regardless of force or speed, this IS sparring.
    3. If the youth is striking an adult who is holding a shield or buckler and the adult is merely blocking shots, this IS NOT sparring.
    4. If the youth is striking the adult but the adult is not striking the youth, this IS NOT sparring, but considered blow calibration or practice targeting.
11. Other than parents, any authorized adult fighter may provide training, which does not include sparring, as long as a Youth Marshal is present.
12. Adults in a training situation with youth combatants shall use weapons appropriate to the division of the youth being trained whether or not sparring occurs.
13. Adult protective gear:
    1. Adults in a training situation with Youth Armored combatants are not required to meet the armor standards of Youth Armored Combat.
    2. It is recommended that trainers wear armor appropriate to the training.