DEVELOPMENT AND THE NCCP
What is the NCCP?
The New NCCP Model
Community Sport - Initiation
Forms
What is the NCCP?
The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) is a coach training and certification program for 65 different sports and is offered in both official languages across Canada. NCCP workshops are designed to meet the needs of all types of coaches, from the first-time coach to the head coach of a national team. The NCCP is the recognized national standard for coach training and certification in Canada. As part of the program, all coaches are trained in ethical decision-making and sport safety.
Since 1997, the emphasis of the NCCP has been on developing competent coaches – an exciting step towards helping them to become more effective and have a more meaningful impact on an athlete’s experience.
Each year, more than 50,000 coaches take an NCCP workshop and since it began, more than 1 million coaches have participated in the program, making it one of Canada’s largest adult education programs.
While continuing to equip coaches with the tools they need to become successful community leaders, the program itself has undergone a number of changes in recent years. In response to an extensive evaluation, the Coaching Association of Canada has adapted the NCCP to fit today’s coaching environment. Among these important changes has been a shift in emphasis from “what a coach knows” to “what a coach can do”. This transformation to a competency/outcomes-based approach has been a key factor in the re-development of the program.
The New NCCP Model
The new NCCP model is made up of three streams and a total of eight contexts, each with its own coaching requirements. Each sport is responsible for identifying how many of the eight contexts are relevant to their sport.
Stream 1 – Community Sport
Coaches in the Community Sport stream typically become involved on a voluntary (and often short-term) basis because their children participate in a sport. They tend to work with participants of all ages who are new to the sport.
Stream 2 – Competition
Coaches in the Competition stream usually have previous coaching experience or are former athletes in the sport. They tend to work with athletes over the long term to improve performance, often in preparation for provincial, national, and international competitions.
Stream 3 – Instruction
Coaches in the Instruction stream must have sport-specific skills and training, whether coaching at the beginner or advanced skill levels. Many are former participants in the sport.
Training and Certification
A coach is described as:
- In Training – when a coach has completed some of the required training for a context;
- Trained – when a coach has completed all required training for a context;
- Certified – when a coach has completed all evaluation requirements for a context.
The new NCCP model distinguishes between training and certification. Coaches can participate in training opportunities to acquire or refine the skills and knowledge required for a particular coaching context as defined by the sport. To be certified in a coaching context, coaches are evaluated on their demonstrated ability to perform within that context in areas such as program design, practice planning, performance analysis, program management, ethical coaching, support to participants during training, and support to participants in competition.
Certified coaches enjoy the credibility of the sporting community and of the athletes they coach because they have been observed and evaluated “doing” what is required of them as a competent coach in their sport. They are recognized as meeting or exceeding the high standards embraced by more than 60 national sport organizations in Canada. Fostering confidence at all levels of sport, certification is a benefit shared by parents, athletes, sport organizations, and our communities.
To check your certification status, please visit the Coaching Association of Canada website at www.coach.ca.
Multi-Sport Modules
On April 1 2004, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) launched Competition – Introduction, a series of multi-sport coach training modules for coaches who train children or adolescents basic sport skills in a fun and safe environment and who are preparing them for local and/or regional competitions.
Competition – Introduction Part A and Part B modules will replace the old Levels 1 and 2 Theory courses and are the first step towards a competency-based approach to coach education and training. Each module is offered through Provincial or Territorial Coaching Coordinators (P/TCC).
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Community Sport - Initiation
Recognizing the value that Canada’s 1.2 million volunteer coaches bring to our communities, CAC and its partners announced the launch of the NCCP Community Sport – Initiation context in October 2004. These coaches are often the parents of participants and usually hold down full-time jobs, so they have limited time for training. The integrated program focuses on essentials over one day, placing emphasis on safety, fun, ethics, teamwork, and values beyond the game. Training helps volunteers foster love of the sport, promote participation and teach basic skills to beginners through a variety of activities.
For most participants Community Sport represents the entry point into Flag Football. It is often in Community Sport that participants first develop the basic Flag football skills and abilities, and where the foundation for athlete development takes place.
The Community Sport – Initiation Novice Coach for Flag Football is a stand alone program. After completion of the Community Sport – Initiation Flag Football Workshop, the coach will receive a “Trained” status designation and will be recorded in the NCCP database.
Philosophy of the Novice Coach
The Community Sport Novice Coach is one who has the appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitude to apply them to young inexperienced participants both on and off the field.
The Novice Coach is trained to recognize and understand the important coaching principles that apply to learning, training within a sport environment, and growth development.
Leadership Skills - The Novice Coach relates well and leads participants effectively. The Novice Coach is also a good problem solver, team work motivator, recognizes contribution, celebrates achievements, sets reasonable goals, and recognizes effort as much as performance.
Teaching Fundamental Football Skills - It is essential for the Novice Coach to know the football fundamentals (i.e. running, passing, blocking, tackling, etc.) and is qualified to teach them to young athletes as opposed to specializing in one given position. The Novice Coach helps players learn by explanation, demonstration, practice and communicates well while teaching the skills in a progressive and safe manner.
Organizational Skills - A Novice Coach is well organized, has well-organized practices and provides opportunity for participation.
Role Models - Novice Coaches serve as role models for their athletes. They are aware how much they influence young athletes. Novice Coaches establish in their athletes attitudes of good sportsmanship and respect for the game, opponents and officials.
Community Sport – Initiation Workshop Overview (pdf)
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Forms
Technical Registration Form (word doc)
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