Coach's Guide to NCCP Coaching Certification Ages 16+ 2023

Per the NCCP Policy Compendium, NCCP training and evaluation are separate pathways, leading to Trained and Certified statuses respectively.

• Trained comes from completing NCCP training.
• Certified comes from evaluation: a Coach Evaluator observes and measures evidence that the coach meets the NCCP standard for each criterion and outcome.
• NCCP training is not required to begin an evaluation. Evaluation is preceded by either NCCP training or relevant prior education or experience, and each national sport organization (NSO) decides how it assesses prior education or experience.
• Certification is only provided within a sport-specific environment, and each NSO decides the entry points, prerequisites and pathways in its sport. There is no multi-sport certified status.

Certification is valid for 5 years and is renewed with professional development (see the maintenance questions).

Source: NCCP Policy Compendium, sections 4.1 and 4.2: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

• Sport-specific training has learning outcomes and competencies customized to the sport and to the coaching context. The Coaching Association of Canada works with each national sport organization (NSO) to develop it, and information on it is on the NSO's website.
• Multi-sport modules are generic coach education components that meet NCCP minimum standards and provide training toward certain outcomes and criteria. NSOs can integrate some or all of them into their sport-specific delivery, or have coaches take some or all of them from a multi-sport environment. Provincial/territorial coaching representatives deliver the multi-sport modules in their jurisdiction.

Certification is only provided within a sport-specific environment, and each NSO confers certification for its sport. There is no multi-sport certified status.

Source: NCCP Policy Compendium, sections 4.1 and 5.2: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

The minimum age to be NCCP Certified is 16. People older than 14 and younger than 16 may enrol in and complete NCCP training if the sport (national or provincial/territorial sport organization) or the provincial/territorial coaching representative allows and offers NCCP training to that age group.

Organizations may also set their own standards for volunteer or employed coaching roles. For example, an organization may decide a person must be 14 or 16 or older to work in certain roles.

Source: NCCP Policy Compendium, section 3.4: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

Safe Sport Training is a free, 90-minute online eLearning module from the Coaching Association of Canada, available through the Locker. It teaches how to recognize and prevent maltreatment in sport, including the Universal Code of Conduct and the types of maltreatment, and is for anyone involved in sport.

Is it required? Coach.ca does not say that NCCP itself requires individual coaches to take it. It states that organizations funded by Sport Canada must have abuse and harassment training available to everyone under their immediate authority (effective April 1, 2020). The NCCP Policy Compendium also says an organization may require safe sport training for coaches to take part in sanctioned events, and that this is the sport's own requirement and not part of NCCP training.

For PD, coach.ca lists it as non-NCCP professional development worth 2 PD points for coaches maintaining Trained or Certified status. If a person under 14 is required to take it, a parent or guardian needs to support them to complete the module.

Sources: https://coach.ca/safe-sport-training and NCCP Policy Compendium sections 3.3 and 3.4.1: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

No. The NCCP Policy Compendium says the minimum standards in the NCCP do not include licence, legislation and/or code of safety requirements for coaches and coach developers in Canada. It is up to the NCCP partners (the sport organizations) to set those beyond the NCCP Policy and Implementation Standards.

For example, an organization may require extra steps for a coach to take part in a sanctioned event or activity, such as safe sport training, a criminal background check or first aid training. Organizations may also require certain designations, such as ChPC or registered coach. These are the sport's responsibility, not part of NCCP training.

Source: NCCP Policy Compendium, section 3.3: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

The Locker (thelocker.coach.ca) is the Coaching Association of Canada's online hub for coach training and records. A free account lets you:

• take multi-sport and sport-specific eLearning modules directly from your Locker account
• find and register for in-person and online events and workshops on the NCCP Workshop Calendar
• view your coaching pathway and track your completed training and NCCP certifications on your transcript

The Locker holds the records of over 2 million coaches. It does not track sport-specific legislation and licensing requirements other than those related to PD. An account can only be deleted if the owner requests it, and the account and password cannot be shared.

For proof of completion, you can save your transcript as a PDF from the Certification tab under "Transcript" in your Locker profile by clicking the printer icon at the top right.

Sources: https://coach.ca/new-coaching/about-locker and NCCP Policy Compendium sections 3.4.1 and 12: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

Independent learning and active coaching are self-reported in your Locker profile (thelocker.coach.ca): open the Certification tab, then click the Self-Report icon on the left.

Only PD credits entered in your record in the Locker count when deciding whether you have met renewal requirements. PD points from approved activities you complete are applied to your Transcript in the Locker.

If you need help with your record, the Coaching Association of Canada's contact is coach@coach.ca.

Sources: https://coach.ca/education-and-training/maintenance-certification, NCCP Policy Compendium section 9.4: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf and NCCP Policy and Implementation Standards: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/archive/2023-02/NCCP-Policy-December-2022-EN.pdf

NCCP certification is valid for 5 years, and renewal is based on active coaching and professional development (PD). The Locker tracks cycles and statuses.

How the maintenance of certification (MoC) cycle works, per the NCCP Policy Compendium:

• Your cycle starts on January 1 of the year after you become certified. You can start collecting PD points straight after your certification date.
• Example from the compendium: a coach certified on August 17, 2023 can collect points from August 18, 2023, and their 5-year cycle runs from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028.
• When you have earned the required points, your certification renews and resets on January 1 at the end of the cycle, regardless of when you earned them. Once you have the required points you cannot earn further PD points towards the next cycle.

Source: NCCP Policy Compendium, section 9: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

Under the standard rule in the NCCP Policy Compendium (November 2023), a coach must complete a standard number of PD points within 5 years:

• Instruction, Beginners: 10 points
• Competition, Introduction; Instruction, Intermediate Performers; Instruction, Advanced Performers: 20 points
• Competition, Development; Competition, High Performance: 30 points
• Coach Developer (all contexts and streams): 20 points

Some sports have legacy requirements that differ (for example, Soccer is 3 years for its certified contexts, and Basketball is 4 years). Coach.ca says the number of required points varies from sport to sport and context to context, and that some sports have a shorter cycle than five years.

Exceptions: all certified coaches must maintain their certification except those with Levels-NCCP certifications. Some sports (the compendium lists Football, Ringette, Water Ski and Wakeboard, Rugby and Swimming in specific contexts) require coaches with Trained status to maintain that status through PD.

Sources: NCCP Policy Compendium, sections 9.2 and 9.3: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf and https://coach.ca/education-and-training/maintenance-certification

According to coach.ca's Maintenance of Certification page:

• NCCP training or evaluation events are worth 5 points.
• Non-NCCP events are worth 1 point for each hour they last, up to a maximum of 3 points.
• "Active coaching" gives you 1 point per year.
• Self-directed learning earns a maximum of 3 points per five-year PD cycle.

The Safe Sport Training module is listed by coach.ca as non-NCCP professional development worth 2 PD points for coaches maintaining Trained or Certified status.

Each national sport organization or provincial/territorial coaching representative can also recognize other activities as PD, such as coaching at a national championship or major games, or attending a conference, within the PD points rules.

The number of points you need varies by sport and context (see the points-required question).

Sources: https://coach.ca/education-and-training/maintenance-certification, https://coach.ca/safe-sport-training and NCCP Policy Compendium section 9.5: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf

If a certified coach does not earn the required PD points to renew within the cycle, the tag "Certified Not-Renewed" is applied to their status. This means the Certified status is no longer active, and the transcript shows that the "Certified" status has not been renewed.

To remove the tag, the coach must complete the PD points required to renew. Once that is done, the tag is removed, the Certified status returns, and the coach's maintenance cycle resets on January 1 of the following calendar year.

Sources: NCCP Policy Compendium, section 9.6: https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2024-06/nccp-policy-compendium-en.pdf and https://coach.ca/education-and-training/maintenance-certification