1) National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP)

Launched in 1970, the NCCP is a partnership between the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and more than 60 national sport organizations and their provincial and territorial sport associations. As Canada’s recognized training and certification program, the NCCP serves a wide range of coaches — from those who introduce beginners to sport to those working with high performance athletes.

In response to an extensive evaluation, the program has been going through a major re-development since the late 1990s. Key to these changes is a shift in emphasis from “what a coach knows” to “what a coach can do.” In the new, competency-based system, training and certification programs are based on the clearly defined needs of participants. This new structure addresses the full range of sports in Canada at various levels of skill and in a variety of settings.

2) 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. The table below shows which contexts have been identified by Diving Plongeon Canada.

Stream 1 – Competition

Coaches in the Competition stream usually have previous instructor or 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 2 – 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 or may have worked as lifeguards.

3) 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.

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.

4) Competition – Introduction context:

In April of 2004, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and its partners launched Competition – Introduction and the first series of multi-sport coach training modules of the new competency-based NCCP model. Some sports are integrating these multi-sport modules into their sport-specific training. Diving Plongeon Canada has chosen to integrate these modules. This context replaces Level 1 and Level 2 Technical and Level 1 and Level 2 Theory.

The goals of the Competition – Introduction context are fun, fitness, fundamentals, and performance at regional or provincial competitions as well as the consolidation of basic skills of the sport.

Competition – Introduction workshops are offered through Diving Plongeon Canada. For upcoming workshops and information, please contact your local provincial diving association (http://www.diving.ca/english/html/provOrg.htm).

Following completion of all training, a coach can choose to become certified in the Competition – Introduction context through an evaluation process managed and coordinated by his or her National Sport Organization (NSO). For details on becoming trained or certified in Competition – Introduction, please see: http://www.diving.ca/english/html/NCCP/compintro.htm.

5) Instruction – Learn to Dive [Instruction – Beginners context]:

Participants of all ages, with little or no sport experience, are taught basic sport skills. The purpose of the Instruction – Beginners context is to create an understanding of the basic techniques and skills of the sport. Training will help the instructor understand and teach the basic skills of the sport to participants. Instruction – Beginners workshops are typically held over a weekend. This context is currently being piloted and we hope to have fully operational by late 2007. For further information, please visit http://www.diving.ca/english/html/NCCP/prelevel1.htm