At the time when I was getting a higher education (or studying in graduate school) - even before the early 90s, I read an ad in a city or regional newspaper "Become a wellness jogging coach!"
I took this announcement seriously.
Newspapers at that time were state-owned and printed under strict state control. Citizens-readers were convinced that they could trust the information that appeared in the newspaper.
At that time, I had no thoughts about the state as about Thrower, Spinner, Roller.
I was a young person with relatively little life experience.
In addition, the state skillfully built propaganda, emphasized successes - like many Soviet citizens, I was distinguished by a certain gullibility.
I also had personal experience that pushed me to enter this project more boldly.
At that time, oriental sports were developed. A very energetic person had a possibility to meet in Moscow with a representative of an eastern country, to receive from him sports paraphernalia (a symbolic thing) and to declare himself a Teacher. This title of Teacher gave him the opportunity to create new Teachers.
All the Teachers recruited paid groups, rented gyms in secondary schools, and held two training sessions a week.
In general, these training sessions had both positive and some negative sides. This undertaking was completely illegal (although it was not pursued for a long time).
Intuitively, the members of sports groups understood that this was a profitable business.
Today I can easily carry out an approximate calculation. The group consists of 20 people. Each contributes 10 rubles a month. It turns out 200 rubles a month. This is one or two small wages - at that time. Let's say the Teacher paid 75 rubles for renting the hall. He had 125 rubles left. In a month, he spent about 16 hours training.
125/16=20 rubles per hour - such was the Teacher's salary.
At his main job (40 working hours per month), he received comparable money. 125/40=3 rubles per hour.
Working as a Teacher (of the Eastern type) was about 7 times more profitable than working at the main workplace.
Approximately the same scheme was in thoughts concerning the project of wellness jogging groups.
Having gathered according the announcement "Become a wellness jogging coach!", we handed over 10 rubles (for one month) and started training.
What prevented us from thinking that, having become health jogging coaches, we would receive 10 rubles from each group member in the same way?
Compared to the Teachers (of Oriental sports), people who read and believed the advertisement in the newspaper, had the advantage that they were getting out of the illegal zone. And in itself, health-improving running was more understandable to everyone - when compared with oriental sports systems.
This whole "story" (with the training of jogging coaches) was presented as a government project - with official support: an announcement in the newspaper, the first meeting was held in some respectable official building, the opening speech was made by some high-ranking official, course teachers ( one or two or three...) were people in official positions.
So, we, the "cadets", who gathered for classes and paid 10 rubles (per month), assumed that we would not only receive a certificate, but either ourselves (but under an official roof) through the newspapers we would recruit our groups, or as beneficiaries of the official department will receive groups in the same official premise (and publication in a newspaper and recruitment will be carried out by a kind state).
Social change was just beginning at that time. The general public could find and in fact was finding 10 rubles a month to pay for sports.
The public space was filled with books and magazines about aerobics, yoga, jogging, and other wellness endeavors. All of these topics were popular.
The authors of these books were once "simple" people, then they got carried away with something, worked a lot, became authorities in their hobby and wrote books.
What prevented us, "ordinary" people, from following their path?
It seemed that being a jogging coach was an outdoor job with few bosses, good for health, and with a lot of positive emotions.
I don't remember how long the courses lasted - maybe a month, maybe three.
Classes ended, and everyone was waiting for the issuance of certificates.
There were new opportunities nearby - relatively profitable, free (with a noticeable level of freedom), healthy, legal (and even, to a certain extent, respected - wellness jogging is a new - modern and healthy - way of life, useful for society and for the state).
The issuance of certificates (based on the results of the courses) was especially, on purpose mentioned in that very "first" advertisement in the newspaper.
Classes ended, this moment went further and further into the past, day after day went by, and no information about the issuance of certificates appeared.
The group of "cadets" consisted of about 15 people. From this number there were persistent (insistent) people.
Officials chose not to get involved with a few outraged people and squeezed out of themselves a concession.
Certificates were printed on a typewriter on yellowed paper (apparently, there was no Finnish paper at that time, or they decided not to use it), using a ribbon that left faint traces. These were narrow strips of paper - about 10 certificates were placed on an A4 sheet.
Some person with an incomprehensible title signed. There was some secondary seal on the signature.
By themselves, these certificates in an obvious form confirmed that we are not official health jogging coaches, that the state is not going to provide any official support to these coaches.
Impressing someone with such a piece of paper was a ridiculous exercise.
Today, I understand that it was easier for "cadets" with an adventurous streak to come up with a story about meeting an American, Canadian, or French ... specialist in recreational running, who conducted exclusive training in Moscow. And tell everyone this story. It was difficult to check. But such stories would give a greater effect - compared to showing a pathetic, insignificant certificate.
The "cadets" handed over the payment for the courses, completed the training course and received certificates. What can be claims?
At that time, no one prevented those, who wished, to advertise in newspapers about recruiting groups, to try to collect 10 rubles from each member of sport group, etc.
However, this whole story has added skepticism to many of its participants.
I continued my studies and, as far as possible, did jogging on my own.
I have not heard about the continuation of the project (in any form). In any case, somebody of the officials took the initiative and reported back. And he also received some money in cash. Can we assume that he "spinned" everyone, "rolled" a little, and then "threw"?
Such a way the initiative (project) "Become a wellness jogging coach!" was ended.
July 2, 2022 08:17
Translation from Russian into English: July 2, 2022 10:04.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский "Стань тренером оздоровительного бега! Рассказ".
{ 3079. Стань тренером оздоровительного бега! Рассказ.